Little Rock Central 41, Little Rock Hall 6
Little Rock Central wide receiver Jonathon Benson (left) tries to get away from Little Rock Hall defensive back Clertis Smith during Friday night’s game at Scott Field in Little Rock.
LR CENTRAL 41, LR HALL 6
The Little Rock Central Tigers dominated throughout but were in a fight from the start.
Central followed a running attack led by senior Jeremiah Sample and the arm of senior quarterback Lawson Gunn to a 41-6 victory over Little Rock Hall at Scott Field on Friday night.
Despite the outcome, Hall’s roster of 26 players combined for spurts that hinted at potential. First-year Hall Coach Jim Withrow said he hopes to see more from his limited roster as he attempts to turn around a football program that has won a total of 10 games in the past 10 seasons.
“I was proud of our guys,” Withrow said. “They never quit. We’ve been put in some tough situations, but we’re getting better. We’re just going to build off this and try to get better.”
Central Coach Kent Laster took notice of his opponent’s effort.
“Their kids fought,” he said. “They don’t have that many kids out, but their kids fought and they play hard, and that’s a good thing.”
Significant success against Central (1-1) and its roster of 57 seemed unlikely early. Sample, who rushed for 212 yards and 2 touchdowns on 27 carries, scored on a 2-yard run to complete the game’s first possession.
“[Sample] did a good job,” Laster said. “I was proud of him.”
Hall (1-1) showed an early spark when senior quarterback Dylan Brown returned the ensuing kickoff 78 yards for an apparent touchdown, but a holding penalty left Hall at its 26. Hall would not cross midfield until late in the first half.
A 4-yard run by Sample gave Central a 14-0 lead on its next possession.
Central’s lead was 21-0 on Gunn’s 14-yard keeper with 11:21 left in the first quarter. Gunn scored on a 2-yard run to give Central a 21-0 lead on its next possession.
Central’s next two touchdowns came on passes of 13 and 35 yards from Gunn to junior receiver Perry Parker. The latter gave Central a 34-0 lead with 4:17 left before halftime.
A 44-yard pass from Brown to Bjay Sisk gave Hall a first down at the Central 39 in the final minute of the first half, but Hall turned it over on downs at the Central 45.
Gunn completed 9 of 10 passes for 141 yards and 3 touchdowns, each to Parker.
“[Gunn] had a really good game,” Laster said. “We wanted him to play a clean game, play a game where he made smart decisions, and that’s what he did.”
Hall’s opening possession of the second half started with a 38-yard run by senior fullback Manachi Baker that put the Warriors at the Central 30. Six plays later, junior receiver Orlando Jones carried a pitch 13 yards to pull Hall within 34-6.
Central completed the scoring with a 9-yard touchdown pass from Gunn to Parker on the final play of the third quarter.
“We’re kind of hit and miss, but we’re getting better,” Withrow said. “We just have to keep working at it.”