Jags fall two points short in OT to Central, 31-30
The Northridge Jaguars traveled across the Black Warrior River to take on one of their Class 6A Area 4 foes, the Central Falcons. After a scoreless first quarter, the two teams scored 31 points in the second, with Central carrying a 17-14 lead into halftime. The second half saw the Jags tie the game in the final two minutes of the third quarter and the horn signaling the end of regulation sounded with a 24-24 tie. Overtime saw both teams score and the Jags miss on a 2-point conversion try that ended with a 31-30 Central victory.
As previously stated, neither team even threatened to score in the first quarter. However, the Falcons got on the board early in the second quarter with a 57-yard catch-and-run touchdown pass. The successful PAT gave the Falcons a 7-0 lead with 10:55 to go in the second quarter.
Brylon Tubbs helped the Jags answer, when he took the ensuing kickoff back 93 yards for a touchdown. Hicks Finison tacked on the PAT, brining the score even at 7-7 with 10:42 to go in the first half.
Central seemed to have returned the following kickoff for a touchdown, however the play was called back due to an illegal block. Unfortunately, the Falcons eventually pulled ahead with a touchdown catch in the end zone at the 4:50 mark of the second quarter. The PAT gave Central a 14-7 lead.
Northridge answered on their ensuing possession, when Jaylin McCray made a great over the shoulder catch in the end zone, on a throw from Mayson Elam. Finison’s PAT tied the game up at 14-14 with 2:44 to go in the quarter.
After the Falcons were unsuccessful on a fourth down conversion try 46.4 seconds to go in the half, the Jags lost a fumble with 9.5 seconds to go. That fumble led to a 31-yard Falcon field goal as time expired in the second quarter, giving Central a 17-14 lead going into halftime.
After 10:17 of scoreless possession trading, Finison tied the game up for the Jags with a 35-yard field goal with 1:43 to go in the third quarter. (The Falcons did miss a field goal during that time.)
Central took a 24-17 lead at the 9:07 mark of the fourth quarter on a 10-yard run. The PAT gave the Falcons a 24-17 lead.
The Jags benefitted from a Falcon mishap when Tregre Benoit’s punt was mishandled by the Central kick returner and was recovered by Jordan Tillman. The result was a leaping catch over a defender for a touchdown by Keith Powell. Finison knotted the score at 24-24 with 4:32 remaining in regulation.
After the Jag defense held the Falcons on their ensuing possession, Central picked off a Northridge pass with 34.5 seconds remaining. Facing fourth down, the Falcons attempted a 46-yard field goal that was off target with 1.1 seconds remaining.
For overtime, the Jags elected to defend the south end zone. The first play was a 10-yard touchdown run for Central. The PAT made it 31-24, in favor of the Falcons.
On their third play in OT, Elam hit Tate Espey in the back of the end zone for the touchdown. The Jags elected to go for two, but the pass was tipped near the line of scrimmage and bounded off the fingertips of the intended receiver, resulting in the 31-30 win for Central.
Up next, the Jags (3-2, 1-2) will travel to Centreville to take on the Class 4A Bibb County Choctaws (4-1) in a non-region contest.