Three seniors impress in first season at Central

Six-foot-eight senior tight end Bo Wilferth pulls in a pass in the back of the end zone on a play that started with four-tenths of a second left in the first half to record his first career touchdown and give Central a 24-20 lead over Hillsboro in the Class 4 District 1 championship game.

Mikey Jones took it from there with 252 yards and three TD runs in the third quarter as the Tigers rode the momentum of Wilferth's catch to a 59-33 victory and a spot in the quarterfinals.

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It's Miller Academy's first possession in the quarterfinals, and Tigers senior linebacker Ansley Patrick drops back into pass coverage and steps forward for an interception of a Jaylan James pass. It's the first big play in a scoreless game, giving the Tigers possession at the Phoenix 31.

Seven plays later Jones scored the game's first points.

Central's Ansley Patrick runs back an interception during Central's 62-56 win over Festus Friday, Oct. 25, at Central High School in Cape Girardeau.

Senior kicker Matt Chism caps the first half with an extra point kick for a 15-0 lead and later kicks his first field goal of the year from 37 yards out to give Central an 18-0 lead early in the fourth quarter. His field goal and two PATs' -- five points -- prove to be the difference in a 25-22 victory.

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The trio's contributions, along with the record-breaking running of senior running back Mikey Jones, the record receiving of sophomore sensation Al Young, the leadership and strong arm of senior Dennis Vinson as well as the trench work by experienced offensive and defensive lines have all added up to Central reaching the Class 4 semifinals for the first time since 1978.

But what's unusual about seniors Wilferth, Patrick and Chism?

They all have one thing in common: They'll be one and done.

Central's Matt Chism kicks the first PAT of the game against Festus during the first quarter of the Class 4 District 1 semifinal Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013 at Central High School.

All three seniors are in their first season of football with the Tigers.

Wilferth and Chism are both out of their element, attesting to the talent that walks the halls of all high schools that often go untapped and drives player-hungry coaches crazy. It's talent that not only can make a difference between winning and losing at some point of the season, but also talent that can enrich a student's own high school experience.

As for Ansley, he's a first-year Tiger after moving from Kansas midway through his junior season.

"Every year you look at a kid and see him and think, 'Boy, he can really help us,'" Central coach Nathan Norman said about students he sees around the hallways. "You look at it both ways. You know, if you have a kid, if they don't really want to do it, then you really don't want them out and they become a nuisance and a hassle.

"But you know, I put the bug in their ear and show them that I'm interested in them and invest a little time in them. [I] question them about their life and things that are going on and get to know them. That's all you can do. We don't beg anybody to play. Like I said, if a kid truly in his heart does not want to play, then he's not going to help us."

But it's not like Wilferth, Chism and Patrick have not been involved in athletics during high school.

Chism was the leading goal scorer for Central soccer this fall and has played baseball, Wilferth invested two years in JV basketball and Ansley played football the past three years in Kansas.

But as far as Central football goes, they're newcomers.

Big man on campus

Norman has been aware of Wilferth for years. He played football in eighth grade and JV basketball as a freshman and sophomore before sitting out his junior year.

"His father and I for years have been on him," Norman said. "We knew he could be a tight end or something. Finally I just stayed with him and had him in my weight-lifting class because he played basketball as an underclassman, and I stayed with him and showed interest in him and asked him about his life, not thinking I had a shot with him anymore to be honest with you. And then all of a sudden he comes to me and says, 'Hey, I think I want to play. And I said, 'Super.'"

Wilferth passes off his eighth grade football experience with a wave.

"I don't really consider that playing football," Wilferth said.

He does acknowledge the efforts by Norman to recruit him in the past.

"Freshman, sophomore and junior year he would ask me and see if I would come out," Wilferth said. "The football team would try to get me to come out, and I never did. I just wanted to have some fun, sit on the sidelines and cheer on my friends. I never thought it would turn into something like this."

He never thought he would turn into a starting tight end, but the Tigers found room for him by shifting senior Jacob Boerboom to receiver.

"He has surprised me," Norman said. "He's surprised all of us. As a first-year player he's very good."

Wilferth has only two catches for 36 yards on the season in the Tigers' ground-oriented attack, but he turned in a whopper in the district title game.

He nearly caught a second touchdown in the quarterfinal game when Vinson again targeted him in the back of the end zone, but with players converging with hands in his face, the high pass went off his hands.

"I put it all on my quarterback," Wilferth said. "Dennis puts the passes right where I need them. The credit for all those catches go to him, and the failure for not catching them, that's me."

It's turned his senior year into a memorable time that has led to closer bonds with friends and new teammates.

"It was just really coming out here to have a good time and spend time with the team, but now it's turned into something like it's a drive," Wilferth said. "I want the season to keep going. I want to perform for my friends and take them all the way."

Just for kicks

"Come playoff time, you're going to face stiffer defenses, and three points can be big," Norman said.

As the Tigers found out Saturday, it can keep a season alive.

"Most people don't realize what a solid kicker in high school means," Norman said. "Sometimes we take it for granted, but he's a good one."

Norman said he had heard rumors that Chism was interested in trying to kick for the Tigers in the past but never put too much thought into the subject.

But when junior kicker Brennan Redinger injured a quad muscle two weeks into the season, the thinking intensified.

"We thought, well maybe this would work," Norman said. "So we sat down with the soccer coach and said, 'Hey, soccer is first. If there is any conflict, he'll be at the soccer game.' We looked at our practice schedule and said, 'Hey, we can make this work,' and we did. It's been a perfect fit -- for all of us."

Chism started playing soccer at the age of 3 and played varsity soccer all four years and collected 28 goals in his career with the Tigers. He scored a career-high 13 goals as a junior and led the team with eight goals from his forward position as a senior this fall.

He played football for Central in eighth grade but described himself as a "90-pound" bench rider. He made an unexpected return with his dual role at Tiger Stadium, which also plays host to Central soccer games.

"I was at a soccer practice one day and they were just kicking field goals, and I said, 'Let me kick one. And they put it on the 30-yard line and I drained it right up the middle, and they were like, 'Do you want to be our kicker?' And I became the kicker."

He found the district title in football that eluded the Tigers on the soccer field in his four years.

"It's fun. I've never felt as much a part of a team as I have with this team," Chism said. "It's awesome to be around."

Chism said he has made a 52-yard attempt in practice with no wind with rushers -- 55 yards with a tailwind.

He attempted a 30-yarder earlier this season that bounced off the left upright against Fort Zumwalt East.

His first field goal against Miller Academy in the quarterfinals appeared to be nothing more but added cushion to the lead.

"At that point I wasn't feeling much pressure," Chism said. "I was just going out and doing my job. We practice that every day. A 37-yarder for me, it's really not that far. It's a chip shot, but when I got on that field it felt like a 60-yard field goal. When I made it I was relieved."

He said he still loves soccer, and has no regrets about not starting football sooner.

"I'm going to remember this year the most, going to state semifinals. It's the only sport I've done it," Chism said. "The closest we ever got was my sophomore year in baseball -- we made it to the state quarterfinals."

The Kansas 'recruit'

Patrick leads Central with 100 tackles and has shown a penchant for making the big play in his first and only season with the Tigers.

He gave a glimpse of his big-play style when he scooped up a fumble and returned it 88 yards for a touchdown in the annual rivalry game against Jackson.

"He seems to come up big when it counts," Norman said.

Norman jokingly referred to his recruiting ability with the addition of Patrick, who played three years at Parsons High School, located about an hour away from Joplin, Mo.

"Ansley was a very, very good pickup for us," Norman said.

Patrick's mother, Dr. Renee Patrick, brought her son to Cape Girardeau last year when she took a position at Southeast Missouri State's Autism Center.

He ran sprints for the track team last spring, and he worked out with the football team over the summer.

"This is definitely the best team I've played on. It feels good having a good season and going this far in the playoffs," Patrick said. "I haven't done that before. It's been a great experience for me."

He led the team with nine tackles in the quarterfinals, and none was bigger than his stop on Miller Academy running back Marquis Stewart on a fourth-and-goal play at the Central 2 in the third quarter. Patrick held his ground out wide and put the initial hit on Stewart as he turned upfield toward the end zone. It resulted in a one-yard loss and a change of possession. It was his team-leading 10th tackle for loss this season.

It's been an eye-opener even for Patrick, who was a starting tight end and defensive end in his days at Parsons.

"I didn't plan on playing linebacker or playing this well," Patrick said. "Coach Van Hitt -- he's the best coach I've ever had. He's so critical and so methodically thinking out every single thing we do, from our first step on the ball and going from there. We do it every single day of practice, and I took it to heart this year and got a lot better because I haven't had a coach like that before."