TIGERS PUMMEL CHICKS

BLYTHEVILLE, Ark. -- The first few seconds of Friday night's football game did not go well for Cape Girardeau Central High's Tigers as they lost a fumble on the opening kickoff.

But after that the evening belonged totally to Central. Facing their first real test of the 1997 season, the Tigers passed with flying colors as they picked up a rare victory in Blytheville, routing the Chickasaws 41-6.

Central improved to 3-0 for the second year in a row and also beat Blytheville for the second straight season. The Chicks fell to 1-2.

The Tigers righted themselves after that shaky start, built a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter and then turned back repeated Blytheville challenges thanks in part to nine turnovers that Central forced. The Tigers had six interceptions, three by Ross Bennett.

The Tigers finished with nearly 400 yards of total offense and held the Chicks to less than 200 yards.

Central took a lead it would never relinquish in the first quarter after Tatum Kitchen intercepted a pass for Blytheville's second turnover of the night. The Tigers proceeded to move 56 yards, scoring on Demarco Williams' 27-yard run with 4:09 left in the opening period. Jeff Michel booted the first of his five conversion kicks.

The Tigers made it 14-0 just 1:09 before the end of the first quarter when Chris Allen zipped 79 yards on a punt return.

Central went ahead 21-0 in the opening moments of the second period after Blytheville lost a fumble at its own 36. Quarterback Frank McGinty scored the touchdown on a 14-yard run.

Blytheville finally showed some signs of life less than a minute later when quarterback Win Mosley scored on a 67-yard run. But the kick failed and the Tigers carried a 21-6 lead into halftime.

The Chicks threatened to make things interesting in the third quarter, twice driving inside Central's 25. But both times Blytheville lost fumbles.

Blytheville made one more attempt to get back into the game early in the final period, returning a punt to Central's 35. But Mitch Ogles intercepted a tipped pass and returned it 44 yards deep into Chicks' territory. A few plays later, Justin Blackmon scored on a 12-yard run to make it 28-6.

Central turned things into a total blowout moments later when Emmanuel Harris broke loose for a 55-yard TD romp. And the Tigers capped their big night in the closing minutes as Blackmon scored his second touchdown on a 4-yard run.

The Tigers will return to action next Friday night when they host Marshall County, Ky.