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A 42-7 victory over Randolph-Henry last Friday pushed Central High’s football team to 6-1 on the 2023 season. The Chargers now have 13 straight wins in the head-to-head series, maintaining the top seed in the Region 2A playoff picture with three games to go before the playoffs arrive.

“We did pretty good, scored right away and stopped them. The defense played well and Thomias Morrison had a good game catching the ball,” remarked Lunenburg coach Will Thomas.

“They abandoned the run early and then started running towards the end of the game with our second group in there. Everybody got to play and it was one of those games where we did a lot of good things.”

After jumping out to a 14-0 lead, the Chargers saw Randolph-Henry get a touchdown pass and recover a fumble to tighten things in the first half before erupting for 28 unanswered points, including 21 before intermission.

Ten different ball carriers amassed 268 yards on the ground for Lunenburg. Their veteran offensive line with returning starters in Colin Burke, Hunter Word and Hayden Gary alongside senior tight ends Seth Bishop and Nathan Farmer as well as guard Anthony Inzeo and sophomore Jackson Breedlove make much of the success possible for the running game.

“They’ve been playing a long time and know the way it goes. It’s the second year in Coach (Stanley) Christopher’s system. They’re good kids,” Thomas remarked. “Up front, we’re pretty big and it helps when you have some talent up there. We make mistakes here and there, but the offensive line has really played well.”

MATTOX BECOMES JACK OF ALL TRADES

Another splendid performance was turned in by senior Connor Mattox, continuing to be a jack-of-all –trades. Mattox completed a 62-yard touchdown pass, caught a 17-yard touchdown and rushed for a score on 16 attempts with 114 yards on the ground.

“I think Connor has had 100 yards in every game this year and he’s about 40 away from 1000 for the season. This is his fourth year playing for us and actually fifth if you count his eighth grade year. Plus, he’s made All-Region every year. He works in the off-season, has gotten bigger every year and is in good shape,” Thomas commented on one of his leaders.

“He’s in good shape and really fast. The biggest thing about him is he’s a competitor. We run forty yard dashes and time them. He always finds a way to win and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him get beat in a sprint. I know he has to be tired because he also punts for us, holds on extra points and plays every snap on special teams.”

Sophomore QB Reece Hart completed both of his pass attempts for 97 yards and two touchdowns. Senior running back Thomias Morrison had nine touches, three resulting in scores, as he racked up 185 yards from scrimmage.

Defensively, the Chargers had three takeaways with a 45-yard interception return by Bishop, a fumble recovery from Word and interception by sophomore defensive back Conner Buchanan.