Top takeaways from Week 5 of high school football season
Central stayed undefeated with a 12-9 win over DeSoto Central in Memphis on Friday.
The victory keeps the Warriors unbeaten after four games in Year 1 under new coach Major Wright. The former Raleigh-Egypt and former White Station coach is all too familiar with the time frames associated with coaching transitions. But so far, his Central squad is bucking that trend.
“Anytime you start over, for me, it’s been a three-year process everywhere,” he said. “But we’re a little ahead of the game. I think we’re playing Year 2 football right now. Typically, in Year 1, (DeSoto Central) is a game you don’t win. For us to fight and claw and get that win in the last minute says a lot about our kids and tells you how far along we are in the process.”
The Warriors, trailing 9-6, got a 2yard touchdown run from Dylan Ingram with less than two minutes left to go ahead. Wright credited both Ingram and an offensive line consisting of Matthew Hill, Lenon James Jr., Isaac Green, Trentin Hopper, Kobe Perkins and tight end Paul Adams for making some big plays on the pivotal drive.
Central hosts Fairley (4-1) at 7 p.m. on Friday.
Wooddale hangs on, moves to 4-1
Wooddale (4-1) is off to its best start since 2010 after beating Raleigh-Egypt 16-13.
The victory also helps the Cardinals keep pace in the early Region 8-3A race. Wooddale and Melrose are both 2-0 in district play, while Raleigh-Egypt and Trezevant are each 1-1.
Sheffield and KIPP are both 0-2. Wooddale trailed 7-6 in the fourth quarter.
The Cardinals return to action at Collierville on Friday before traveling to face Sheffield in the team’s fourth of four straight games away from home. They will face Melrose in the regular-season finale at 7 p.m. on Oct. 26.
Germantown scored 21 fourth-quarter points to polish off a convincing 4414 win at Southaven.
BJ Gardner scored a pair of rushing touchdowns, while the Red Devils defense also scored two touchdowns and accounted for two safeties.
Chris Smith’s team (5-0) has won 16 of its last 17 games after finishing below .500 in the first two years of his tenure at Germantown. The team’s only loss since 2016 was a 17-14 playoff game against White Station.
The Red Devils will host Douglass (3-2) at 7 p.m. Friday for homecoming.
Horn Lake stays hot
The Horn Lake Eagles keep flying high. Coach Brad Boyette’s squad followed up last week’s victory at Shreveport’s Independence Stadium with a 58-9 win at Lake Cormorant. Horn Lake upped its record to 4-0 and has outscored the opposition, 197-34.
The Eagles go behind the fleet feet of QB Raydarious Jones, who opened the scoring with a 90-yard TD run on the first play from scrimmage.
Shy, Hampton lead MUS
MUS played at home Friday, and welcoming South Panola would have been worth the price of admission by itself.
But on this night, Owls quarterback Sellers Shy and receiver Maurice Hampton shone brighter than the lights at Stokes Stadium.
Shy had a hand in five touchdowns, including a pair of long scoring strikes to Hampton, in MUS’s 33-14 victory.
Shy threw for 376 yards on 17-of-32 passing and had three 1-yard touchdown plunges.
Hampton, an LSU commitment, hauled in six catches for 199 yards. His 80-yarder from Shy put the Owls (4-0) on the scoreboard with 4:49 left in the first quarter. Hampton’s 39-yard TD grab concluded the scoring at the 7:59 mark of the fourth.
Chris Van Tuyl contributed to this report.