St. Amant goes to 4-0, beats Central
St. Amant topples previously undefeated Central
We played a great football team, and I think we’re a great one, too. We missed some opportunities.” Sid edwards, Central coach
ST. AMANT — In a battle of Class 5A unbeatens, St. Amant’s offense produced more starry-eyed numbers.
But the Gators defense was worthy of its own marquee billing in a 21-12 nondistrict victory against Central amid the soupy air at The Pit on Friday night.
Trey Washington rushed for 200 yards and two touchdowns — including a 99-yard score – to supplement two St. Amant goal-line stands.
The Gators (4-0) of District 5-5A also recovered two fumbles on back-to-back possessions early in the fourth quarter to take the sails out Central’s dangerous offense.
“Tonight was all about our defense,” St. Amant coach David Oliver said. “To have a championship-level football team, you have to play great defense, and we did that tonight.
“We had two huge goal-line stands, and we kept them in their own end in the second half and controlled the field position. I’ve just got nothing but compliments for our defense. They played great.”
Brett Courville passed for 208 yards for Central (4-1) of 4-5A.
“We played a great football team, and I think we’re a great one, too,” Central coach Sid Edwards said.
“We missed some opportunities. I thought we moved the football extremely well at times. I thought we played very well defensively.”
However, it was St. Amant’s defense that set up a critical score in each half.
Kirk Elisar scooted around left end for a 13-yard touchdown run one play after the Gators recovered a Central fumble. Trey Belleu’s extra-point kick gave the Gators a 21-12 edge with 9:20 remaining in the game.
Dylan Haynes came up with another Central fumble on the next play from scrimmage to leave the Wildcats with an uphill fight.
St. Amant’s defense also triggered a huge swing midway through the second quarter.
Central trailed 7-6 when it recovered a pooch kickoff at the St. Amant 44. The Wildcats marched to the 2, but the Gators produced their first goal-line stand by stopping Courville at the 1 on a fourth-down quarterback keeper.
On the next play, Washington broke free for a 99-yard touchdown run as St. Amant took a 14-6 lead with 7:03 remaining in the first half.
“That’s a great field-flipper,” Oliver said. “Trey is an electric back and when he gets loose, he has a chance to take it the distance.”
Central cranked up its offense again late in the half and once again knocked on the door of the end zone. But St. Amant denied four Wildcat runs inside the 8. The final stop left Central 2 yards short of the end zone with two seconds to go, and the Gators took an 8-point edge into halftime.
Central bounced back with an 80-yard scoring drive to start the second half.
Lamontae Juneau capped the series by leaping into the end zone for a 1-yard score to
cut St. Amant’s lead to 14-12 with 6:31 to go in the third quarter.
St. Amant controlled the ball for most of the first quarter. The Gators took a 7-0 lead with 2:35 left in the period when Washington slipped through a tackle in the center of the field and raced for a 54-yard touchdown.
Central answered on the following possession. A third-down defensive holding call on St. Amant kept the Wildcats drive alive.
On the first play of the second quarter, Courville threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Gary Triplett, and Central cut St. Amant’s lead to 7-6.