Sikeston airs it out to beat Central football team

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Sikeston had the perfect answer for a Central team that was determined to stop its vaunted running game -- senior quarterback David Foster.

Foster completed all eight of his pass attempts for 248 yards and three touchdowns to help Sikeston eliminate Central from district contention with a 47-17 win Friday.

The defending district champions extended their winning streak to eight games and set up a Class 4 District 1 showdown with Farmington on Thursday.

Central suffered its fifth consecutive loss in the rivalry with Sikeston and fell to 5-3 overall and 0-2 in the district.

Sikeston, a Class 4 semifinalist the last two seasons, entered the game with the region's top running attack, averaging 300 yards a game and boasting a 1,000-yard rusher in senior James Watson.

Sikeston's Markeith Bratcher runs out of the reach of Central defenders Tae Jenkins (3) and Austin Martin (11) for a touchdown reception during the first quarter Friday. (DAVID JENKINS ~ Sikeston Standard Democrat)

"Our game plan was to stop the run," Central coach Nathan Norman said. "That's what we felt like that's what they were best at. Not that we stopped their run, but we did slow them down early with it, and they started realizing we had some weakness in the secondary and they beat us with the pass. That's what a good football team does."

Sikeston (8-1) finished well below its rushing average with 148 yards on 28 carries.

Foster handed off the ball to Watson on Sikeston's first three plays of the game and seven times overall on a 12-play drive that stalled on downs at Central's 7-yard line.

Foster completed two short passes to Keldon Warfield on the drive, providing a glimpse of things to come.

Sikeston forced Central to punt, then needed just one play to take the lead. Foster connected with Markeith Bratcher in the left flat and the junior broke a tackle as he dashed 48 yards for a touchdown with 3 minutes, 34 seconds left in the first quarter.

"We were just taking advantage of what they gave us," Foster said. "They were really focusing on the run. We had some openings in the passing game for some big plays."

Foster threw similar passes into the flat to junior Kyland Gross on each of Sikeston's next two possessions that netted gains of 30 and 45 yards.

"We never planned on them throwing them that far out," Central linebacker Austin Martin said. "We were pulled in real tight. So when they threw them that far out, it was two on one."

Gross' first catch helped set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Watson late in the first quarter, and his second helped set the stage for a 4-yard scoring pass to Spenser Clark with 8:42 left in the second quarter for a 21-0 lead.

"[Gross]'s very fast in the open field, and he's hard to tackle," Norman said. "He made us look foolish at times out there."

Foster's touchdown pass to Clark was his seventh consecutive completion, giving him 154 yards passing in the half.

Foster entered the game having completed 62 percent of his passes, but the Bulldogs' air attack was averaging just 86 yards a game.

"We can throw the ball," Sikeston coach Kent Gibbs said. "It's just we feel like we've got some other things open to us that we use a little bit more. Certainly tonight, I think people seen we can throw if that's what we want to do."

Central retaliated with its only score of the first half. Junior Jacob Campbell provided half of Central's first-half yards with a 45-yard run and later capped the five-play, 68-yard drive with a 1-yard run at the 7:07 mark to cut the lead to 21-7.

Gross countered with a 65-yard touchdown run less than a minute later for a 28-7 lead.

The night turned even worse for Central, which lost quarterback Christian Cavaness on its next possession. Cavaness was injured when he was tackled by Sikeston linebacker Nick Nichols while unloading a pass to avoid a sack.

Cavaness appeared woozy after he got to his feet and was replaced by sophomore Dennis Vinson, who played the remainder of the game.

Norman said he was told by trainers that Cavaness may have sustained a mild concussion.

Cavaness also is Central's punter and noticeably was absent three plays later when Nichols blocked Jonathon Lutes' punt and scooped it up for a touchdown with 4:33 left in the half for a 34-7 lead.

Central's next punt attempt was botched in the third quarter and also resulted in a touchdown for Sikeston.

"I told my coaches we need to do a better job of coaching the second and third guys because that's what can happen," Norman said. "That's the way the dice rolled on us tonight. The kicking game killed us and made us look unprepared."

Gross also scored on a 94-yard pass in the third quarter to put Sikeston ahead 40-7.

Gross finished with 169 yards receiving on three catches and had a team-high 74 yards rushing on four carries.

Campbell had 109 yards rushing on 18 carries in the absence of junior wingback Chris Martin. Campbell also had two receptions for 81 yards, including a 30-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter.

Campbell accounted for 190 of Central's 247 yards on offense, but his big night was of no consolation.

"We have to get stronger in our offseason and work real hard," Campbell said.

Martin injured an ankle late in a 195-yard rushing performance a week earlier against Farmington and carried one time on Central's first possession Friday.

"I had a bad feeling in warmups, and once I saw him out there in a live situation, I knew he couldn't go," Norman said.

Central will conclude its season Thursday at home against Perryville.

"For all the seniors, I'd really like to win on our home turf," Martin said. "To go out senior year losing, that's unbearable to know."

Central 0 7 0 10 -- 17

Sikeston 14 20 13 0 -- 47

First Quarter

S -- Markeith Bratcher 48 pass from David Foster (Hunter Williams kick), 3:34

S -- James Watson 3 run (Williams kick), 1:12

Second Quarter

S -- Spenser Clark 4 pass from Foster (Williams kick), 8:42

C -- Jacob Campbell 1 run (Calvin Lovig kick), 7:07

S -- Kyland Gross 65 run (Williams kick), 6:19

S -- Nick Nichols punt block (kick fails), 4:33

Third Quarter

S -- Gross 94 pass from Foster (kick fails), 3:22

S -- Bratcher fumble recovery (Williams kick), 1:09

Fourth Quarter

C -- Safety, 2:32

C -- Campbell 30 pass from Dennis Vinson (Austin Martin run), :45

C S

First downs 14 14

Rushes-yards 52-163 28-148

Passing yards 84 248

Passes 3-10-0 8-8-0

Punts 2-31.5 1-31

Fumbles-lost 3-2 1-0

Penalties-yards 4-28 6-62

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING -- Central, Chris Martin 1-3, Mikey Jones 11-17, Christian Cavaness 5-15, Tae Jenkins 7-28, Campbell 18-109, Vinson 5-(-22), Martin 3-16, Team 1-(-3). Sikeston, Watson 15-65, Kyland Gross 4-74, Foster 4-8, Bratcher 1-(-1), Chris Word 2-7, Ray Council 1-(-2), Reese Porter 1-(-3).

PASSING -- Central, Cavaness 0-3-0-0, Vinson 3-7-0-84. Sikeston, Foster 8-8-0-248.

RECEIVING -- Central, Garan Evans 1-3, Campbell 2-81. Sikeston, Keldon Warfield 3-27, Bratcher 1-48, Gross 3-169, Clark 1-4.