Central pulls out 38-35 win in Black Oak Ridge rivalry
By Steve Williams
High school football games don’t get much better than the one Central and Halls had Thursday night.
The lead changed hands eight times before the Bobcats headed back over Black Oak Ridge with a 38-35 victory on Halls’ Homecoming night.
The Red Devils had a four-point lead (35-31) with 3:43 remaining, but Central still had time to score. Kaden Long, the Bobcats’ junior quarterback, completed a 17-yard pass to Bryce Johnston and a penalty on Halls put the ball on the Red Devils’ 24-yard line.
However, an illegal grounding penalty left the Bobcats facing fourth down and 18 yards to go at the Halls 32 with only 52.6 seconds left.
With the game on the line, Long found wide receiver Tnaj Taylor running down the sideline between two defenders and hit him with a 32-yard touchdown pass with 43.4 on the clock.
That clutch play gave Central a 3-point lead.
The Red Devils didn’t give up. McKylus Daniel returned the kickoff to the 41 and quarterback Amari Lethgo completed a 27-yard pass to Brody Rogers at the Bobcats’ 32. With time running out, Lethgo had to spike the ball to stop the clock and two hurried pass attempts fell incomplete. In the closing seconds, Parker Crittenden’s 49-yard field goal attempt to tie the game was short and wide.
“He (Taylor) made a great play,” said Long. “I gave him the ball, he makes them miss and goes and scores. It’s a huge win. We’ve been needing this.”
Braden Buchanan, Central wide receiver coach, said: “Man, this group was special tonight. They’ve worked hard for it. The moment was big, but I think he (Tnaj) has done well to train his body and to get his mind right for that moment. To see him grow up and perform on this big of a stage, and do as well as he’s done, it’s big.”
With the win, Central regained the Battle of Black Oak Ridge trophy. The Bobcats lead the overall series 36-17. The Red Devils had won the last two games 52-34 in 2023 and 40-3 in 2024.
The win also gives Central a 4-1 record in Region 2-5A. The loss snapped Halls’ three-game win streak and leaves the Red Devils 3-2 in the region.
Devon Cole kicked a 23-yard field goal on the opening possession of the game to give Central a 3-0 lead.
Halls quarterback Amari Lethgo tallied on 4-yard and 3-yard runs to give the Red Devils a 14-3 lead in the first quarter.
Long led a 58-yard march in the second quarter and cashed in on a 2-yard run to trim the deficit to 14-10 and Javaston Badgett returned an interception for a TD to put the Bobcats ahead 17-14.
Halls tallied on a flea-flicker started by Lethgo and ended by Cooper Faust’s touchdown catch to give the Red Devils a 21-17 advantage. Long ran in from 11 yards out to put the Bobcats back on top 24-21 at halftime.
A 2-yard run by Lethgo in the third quarter gave Halls a 28-24 lead.
In the final quarter, Long scored on a 21-yard run to give Central the upper hand again, 31-28. But Halls’ Daniel matched that with a second-effort on a 6-yard run to paydirt to give the Red Devils their last lead at 35-31.
Halls will play at Campbell County this Friday, while Central hosts William Blount.
