Central got to open its football season at home against Franklin County. The game came down to the wire, but Central was able to pull out the win at the end of the night with a score of 14-10. It was Coach Ryan Mallory’s first game as the new head coach for the football team, but he kept his cool on the field and led the Pounders to victory. There were a few standout players who truly rose above the rest. Sophomore receiver D.J. Baxter had a more than impressive 91 yard punt return to score the Pounder’s first touchdown of the game. Senior Jacob DeLorenzo had one of the biggest plays of the night – he sacked Franklin County’s quarterback on 3rd and 15 to end their final drive of the game and seal the victory for the Pounders.

“We played well enough to win. We weren’t consistent enough on offense or defense, but we bowed our neck and made plays when we had to,” Mallory expressed about their performance against Franklin County. “I’m confident in our competitive spirit. I think our players fought hard. I now know how we will react when faced with adversity.”

The team knows they still have a lot to improve before facing Polk County on Friday, August 29. Senior linebacker Jamel Metcalf believes the team needs to react faster on plays and control the pace of the game more.

“My confidence level is extremely high; my confidence never changes,” Metcalf said heading into the Polk County game.

Polk County is known for their tough, between-the-tackles run game, but the Pounders are more than assured in their defense, which is loaded with talented players, including Kevin McKenzie, Jacob DeLorenzo, Jamel Metcalf, and James Walker. Central has their work cut out for them, but the Pounders are more than capable of taking care of business on the field.