Knights rally past Jessieville, 27-24

ROSBORO — Centerpoint scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns and turned back penalty-prone Jessieville 27-24 in a 3A-5 game Friday night.

Centerpoint improved to 5-4 overall, 2-4 in conference play, before Thursday’s road game at Bismarck. Jessieville dropped to 4-5 and 2-4, respectively, with defending Class 3A champion Prescott coming to Phillips Field Thursday.

Owen Bright accounted for all three Centerpoint touchdowns in the second half, passing 14 yards to Eric Valdez for the game-winning score with 2:45 left in the game. Bright’s 12-yard run with 11:37 left pulled the Knights within 24-20.

Jessieville, ahead 18-7 at halftime, led 24-14 after Adam Saveall’s 19-yard pass to Oliver Nasilai in the third quarter. Bright’s three-yard touchdown run capped Centerpoint’s first possession of the second half.

Centerpoint won despite outgained 333-268, Jessieville with a 110-yard rushing advantage.

Jessieville squandered Dylan Wright’s 232 rushing yards on

32 carries. The Lions were whistled for 16 penalties, seven of them personal fouls. Four of Centerpoint’s seven first downs in the second half came on Jessieville penalties.

Jessieville scored three straight touchdowns after Centerpoint went up 7-0 on Blake Crawford’s three-yard touchdown run and Valdez’ extra point five minutes into the game. The Lions set the halftime margin on a 40-yard pass from Saveall that two Centerpoint players deflected into the hands of receiver Cade Glisson.

Jessieville pulled within 7-6 on Wright’s three-yard run with

4:08 left in the first quarter, the conversion attempt failing. The Lions led 12-7, 3:35 left in the first quarter, after Logan Perkins’

11-yard fumble return following a high snap to the Centerpoint punter.