As a fan of University of South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier, you would think that Centennial coach Jeff Measor would have his team running one of the many versions of spread offenses that are popular these days.
But that’s not how the Knights do it. Personnel dictates that they run the tried and true old-fashioned option. Friday night, Measor stuck to the script and quarterback Sean Gilrain kept sticking the ball into the gut of bullish fullback Carlson Carty, whose 120 yards on 26 carries powered Centennial (4-3, 2-1 Region 6-AAAAA) to a 17-14 win over neighborhood rival Roswell (2-4, 1-1).
It was just the Knights’ second win in 11 games against the Hornets, who had won the last seven in a row. Centennial’s last victory in the series came back in 2002.
“It’s all about these kids, I mean, look at ‘em,” Measor said after the victory, as scores of Centennial students rushed the field to celebrate with the team. “This is my first group that I coached here as ninth graders. For them to get this win is really sweet.”
Carty echoed his coach’s sentiments.
“We talked about this game all summer,” said Carty, who scored both of the Knights touchdowns on runs of 1 and 2 yards. “All we had to do is fly to the ball [on defense] and take care of the ball, and we could [beat Roswell]. Tonight we went out and did it.”
Carty, and fellow senior Anthony Bradely, played huge roles in the Knights’ game-clinching, 80-yard drive, midway through the final period. With Centennial trailing 14-10, Bradely made a leaping grab on a 38-yard pass from Gilrain that moved the ball to the Roswell 15. Five plays later, Carty banged his way into the end zone. He had five carries for 27 yards on the drive.
Still, it took heroics from another Centennial senior to finally put the game away for good. After batting down a pass at midfield from Roswell quarterback J.P. Douglas to Andrew Kwateng on third-and-long from the Roswell 24 yard line, Knight safety Dartez Jacobs stepped in front of Kwateng and picked off the next pass to seal the win. Kwateng attempted to run the same post pattern Jacobs tipped away on the previous play.
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