TIGERS ROAR BY JACKSON; CAPE CENTRAL WINS DISTRICT CLASH 22-6

Cape Central's Mitch Ogles (19) and Jason Roddy celebrated Ogle's 3-yard touchdown reception just prior to halftime Friday night.

Maligned for much of the season, the Cape Central defense came up big when it really mattered.

The Tigers forced four turnovers and held Jackson to 124 rushing yards Friday in a 22-6 win at Jackson.

Cape Central improved to 4-5 overall and 2-0 in Class 5A District 1 play. The Tigers can clinch the district championship with a win over Poplar Bluff, a 22-7 winner over Vianney over next weekend.

Jackson slipped to 4-5 overall and 1-1 in district play. The Indians beat Poplar Bluff 20-19 in overtime last week. Jackson was eliminated from district title contention with the loss to Central.

"The linemen did a good job of controlling the line of scrimmage," said Tigers linebacker Casey Dwyre, who recovered a fumble in the second quarter. "We knew that if we shut down Wessel, we shut down their offense."

Wessel eclipsed the 100-yard mark, with 107 yards on 22 carries, before leaving the game in the third quarter with a knee injury.

By that time, however, Jackson already trailed 22-6.

Central jumped on top with an impressive opening drive, totaling 10 plays, 65 yards and six first downs.

DeMarco Williams capped the drive with a 4-yard run over the left side with eight minutes, 14 seconds left in the first quarter. After an offsides penalty against Jackson on the conversion attempt, Central elected to go for two, and made it on a run by Williams.

After one quarter, Central led 8-0, but less than two minutes into the second quarter, Jackson reduced the deficit on a 9-yard run by Wessel with 10:22 left in the half.

The score closed a nine-play, 52-yard drive, and after the conversion run failed, Jackson trailed 8-6.

Central's Donnie McClinton returned the ensuing kickoff 70 yards to the Indians' 12-yard line, but the Tigers could not score.

An illegal motion penalty nullified a first down at the 1-yard line, pushing the ball back to the 14. Then, on fourth down, a bad snap ruined a field goal attempt, and Jackson took over at its own 18.

Six plays later, however, Ryan Beltz fumbled on an inside running play. Central's Craig Knoth recovered.

Tory Meyr's interception at the Indians' 3-yard line kept the Tigers out of the endzone on the following drive, but another Jackson fumble - this one by Wessel at the Indians' 25 - led to a 21-yard touchdown pass from Frank McGinty to Chris Allen.

Brian Emmendorfer's kick made it 15-6 Central with 2:56 left in the first half.

Central tacked on another touchdown, on a 3-yard pass from McGinty to Mitch Ogles with 15 seconds left in the half, giving the Tigers a 22-6 advantage at the break.

"Really, the first half, we didn't have any production," Jackson coach Carl Gross said. "Then we fumble it back to them. You can't put an offense like they have on a short field. If you do, you're asking for trouble.

"To be honest, we could have been down 40-6 at the half."

Jackson, outgained 218-92 in the first half, fared better in the second half, closing the yardage deficit to 305-273.

But Central's defense clamped down when necessary.

Tigers free safety Steven Criddle intercepted two passes, one at the Tigers' 22-yard line and the other in the endzone, to end potential Indians scoring drives.

"I was just reading the quarterback, and watching for him to throw," Criddle said. "Then I came up to make the play. The coaches had a good game plan and we (executed it)."

Central broke a four-game losing streak against Jackson, and depending upon the result of next week's games, may have contributed to the end of a four year string of district championships (the last two in 5A) for Jackson.

Central now leads the series, which dates back to 1912, 55-30.

"They had a good game plan, and the bottom line is, they just outplayed us," Gross said. "Tonight, they were better than we were."