Summit hits up Tigers for first win

FENTON — Central football coach Rich Payne was a man of very few words Friday night after his Tigers were trounced by Rockwood Summit 35-0 in the opening game of the Class 5 District 1 playoffs at Summit.

"I have nothing to say," Payne said.

That is understandable after Central had been subject to the mercy of the running clock for the entire fourth quarter. And this against a team that entered the game without a win.

And it didn't help that the Tigers also self-destructed at times with numerous penalties, many of the personal foul and unsportsmanlike conduct variety.

The Tigers advanced twice into Falcons territory and had five first downs in the opening quarter to none for Summit.

But they still trailed 7-0 after the Falcons blocked a field-goal attempt by Kyle Bader. Summit's Kyle Breda picked up the ball and was stripped. It was picked up by Zach Klump, who ran it 35 yards for a touchdown. Central had moved the ball to the Summit 13, but had an illegal motion and false start penalty that made the field goal attempt 40 yards.

"We needed a spark and that was it," said Klump, whose team had lost a heartbreaker last week on a last-second touchdown by Parkway West. "I saw the ball come loose and hoping it would take a hop so I could pick it up and not stop."

Klump did not stop until he was in the end zone.

"We had great play from our special teams all night," Summit coach Mike Bellars said. "We had several kickoffs go for touchbacks, and of course that blocked field goal really gave us a spark."

Summit would dominate for the rest of the game.

Breda scored a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter, the final one coming in the last minute of the first half.

The Tigers entered the second half with some life as Ray Woldtvedt had a 39-yard run on the first play from scrimmage.

But Central fumbled at the Summit 20. The Falcons turned that into a touchdown, and the Tigers fumbled on their next offensive play.

Breda would score his third touchdown of the game with 2:02 to play in the third quarter, and the Falcons added a 2-point conversion to get the clock moving.

It couldn't move fast enough for the Tigers, who fell to 1-7 and 0-1 in district play.

Summit won for the first time in eight games, but finds itself in a tie for first place in the district with Eureka, which edged Jackson 17-10.

"We were 0-7, but we were not a bad team," Bellars said. "We played some very good teams close and had leads in five of those seven games. I am proud of my coaches to stay positive, and the kids who really had to fight through some adversity. I love the Missouri state high school playoff system. It gives us a chance to salvage our season."

Central tries to reverse its fortunes next week, but the Tigers have a tough game against Eureka.