Young shines on Senior Night as Cape Central football team routs Riverview Gardens

Al Young walked along the 50-yard line prior to Friday night's game, his mother at his side as his name was called from the PA announcer during Senior Night pre-game festivities.

More than 10 seniors on the Cape Central football team were recognized, and among them was Young.

As for the game, the Tigers' most decorated player did what he's grown accustomed to doing over the years, scoring on four of his 10 touches and racking up 153 yards from scrimmage en route to Central's 55-6 win over Riverview Gardens in the regular-season finale at Tiger Stadium.

"I just told coach, 'Don't take me out.' I wanted to finish," said Young, who's playing days at Tiger Stadium are numbered, two years removed from a breakout sophomore season that began his reign as one of the most dominant players in Southeast Missouri. "I knew this was going to be one of my last times on this field. It means a lot to me. I love playing here, and I love my team, CT."

Cape Central's Aaron Harris carries before a tackle by Riverview Gardens Davion Evers during the first quarter Friday, Oct. 16, 2015 at Cape Central High School. (Fred Lynch)

Central (5-4) averaged 8.4 yards per rush, finishing with 361 total yards on the ground and a combined five touchdowns, including a 6-yard run by Aaron Harris and an 11-yard run by Young in the first quarter.

The sophomore Harris led the way with 20 carries for a game-high 117 yards while Young had six rushes for 90 yards, scoring three times on the ground. He also had a 7-yard touchdown reception, a fade pass from quarterback Kway'Chon Chisom that pushed the Tigers' lead to 21-0 at the 7:00 mark of the second quarter.

"He makes it look easy, for real," said Chisom, who was 7-of-10 passing for 90 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. "It's like sometimes it seems like he's not trying hard, but he just does it."

Despite holding Riverview Gardens (0-9) to minus-2 yards rushing in the first half, Central allowed a 4-yard touchdown run by Lawerence Johnson inside the final minute of the half. The Rams recovered the ensuing onside kick, but Felawn Smith intercepted Johnson two plays later and returned the ball 51 yards to the Riverview Gardens' 13. Harris did the rest, scoring on a 13-yard screen pass from Chisom to give the Tigers a 28-6 lead at halftime.

Central coach Nathan Norman had no qualms with getting a lopsided victory to end the season but was disappointed with his team's nine penalties that negated 75 yards, 15 of which were assessed on a personal foul late in the third quarter that resulted Smith's ejection from the game.

"We're just a little disappointed because it was a sloppy game, we felt like, with penalties and kind of some bone-headed plays by our kids that we don't like to see," Norman said. "I thought our kids played hard. I felt like Riverview did a nice job on defense. They got off the ball. You never like to say this, but they were better on the defensive line than I had anticipated. ... Obviously it's a good win going into the playoffs. We've just got to clean some things up."

Cape Central coach Nathan Norman directs his team against Riverview Gardens during the second quarter Friday, Oct. 16, 2015 at Cape Central High School. (Fred Lynch)

Young continued to shine in the third quarter, scoring on a 5-yard run and an 18-yard run that pushed Central's lead to 42-6 and forced a runing clock for the final quarter.

"I felt good," Young said. "The O-line was blocking good. The quarterback was getting the ball out. I just saw some big holes and some cutbacks and just did what I could do."

Norman said Young's leadership was exemplified in last week's 35-point loss to Chaminade, a state-ranked team in Class 5. With the game far out of reach, the senior wide receiver stayed positive on the sidelines and continued lifting up his teammates.

"His leadership skills, I'm so proud. He's made a huge jump from his freshman, sophomore years to his senior, and that's what I'm most proud of him," Norman said. "He's not a very vocal leader, but right now he leads by example and the way he plays and never gives up."

The Tigers tacked on two more scores in the fourth quarter, a 3-yard run by Christian Mitchell and a 46-yard run by Joseph Baker as time expired.

Johnson was 7-of-22 passing for 102 yards with two interceptions while the Rams' rushing attack was held to 49 yards on 28 attempts. Norman liked the aggressive play from his defense, which sacked Johnson four times.

Cape Central's Kway chon Chism eludes Riverview Gardens Mario Lucas on a 21-yard carry during the second quarter Friday, Oct. 16, 2015 at Cape Central High School. (Fred Lynch)

"They're very athletic, and they can give you trouble," Norman said about Riverview Gardens, which was led by senior Darius Morman, a 6-foot-3 wide receiver who hauled in three catches for 69 yards. "They've got big receivers, a quarterback that can scramble and a running back that's got some speed, so this was a good team to play. And I felt like our defense did a very good job of containing them.

"We bent a little bit in the second half but didn't break."

The Tigers now turns their attention to the playoffs, a slate that's given them plenty of success over the last two seasons.

Since Young was a sophomore, Central has watched its season end at the hands of the Class 4 state champion twice. Webb City has won five straight state titles, ending the Tigers' season in the state semifinals in 2013 and in the state championship in 2014, and no Central player understands the postseason grind more than Young.

"We're going into it focused. Anybody can be beat, so that's how we're going into it," Young said. "... This is a new year, a new team. Everybody else wants to win just like us, so we've got to come in focused and be ready for anything."

Riverview Gardens 0 6 0 0 -- 6

Cape Central 14 14 14 13 -- 55

First quarter

CC -- Aaron Harris 6 run (Bennett Osburn kick), 6:58

CC -- Al Young 11 run (Osburn kick), 1:17

Second quarter

CC -- Young 7 pass from Kway'Chon Chisom (Osburn kick), 7:00

RG -- Lawerence Johnson 4 run (run failed), 0:49

CC -- Harris 13 pass from Chisom (Osburn kick), 0:16

Third quarter

CC -- Young 5 run (Osburn kick), 6:03

CC -- Young 18 run (Osburn kick), 2:03

Fourth quarter

CC -- Christian Mitchell 3 run (Osburn kick), 4:22

CC -- Joseph Baker 46 run, 0:00

RG CC

First downs 8 17

Rushes-yards 28-49 43-361

Passing yards 102 90

Passes 7-22-2 7-10-1

Punts-average 5-30.6 1-26

Fumbles-lost 5-0 0-0

Penalties-yards 9-67 9-75

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING -- Riverview Gardens, Matt Nussbaum 11-48, Johnson 11-7, Rickey Smith 3-5, Payne Gales 1-1, Eric Gray 1-0, Davion Evers 1-(-12); Cape Central, Harris 20-117, Young 6-90, Chisom 8-73, Baker 4-53, Felawn Smith 4-25, Mitchell 1-3.

PASSING -- Riverview Gardens, Johnson 7-22-102-2; Cape Central, Chisom 7-10-90-1.

RECEIVING -- Riverview Gardens, Darius Morman 3-69, Cornell Young 1-21, Gales 2-7, Joseph Sanderson 1-5; Cape Central, Young 4-63, Harris 1-13, Tevyn Wright-Hunt 1-10, Harrison Ayers 1-4.