The first week of Friday night football is always exciting, from the lights and culture, to the passion in the players’ hearts. The Central football team has worked tirelessly over the past few months to prepare for the first game of the season. They strive to win and be the best they can be

Unfortunately, the Central Pounders lost their first game of the season to Notre Dame on Friday, August 23. The final score was 27-6.

The Pounders went into the game with high energy, ready to face the Irish. However, their energy was courted by their opponents. In the first half, Notre Dame scored 27 points without a touchdown in sight for the Purple Pounders.

“The weak sites for the team were the offensive and defensive lines,” expressed Coach Curt Jones.

Notre Dame continued to rely on their running backs quite a bit. They ran the ball several times for touchdowns and for long drives down the field.

In the second half, the Pounders improved their game. They allowed no more points for Notre Dame and even scored, with Senior Hunter Jones scoring a touchdown for the Pounders.

“My favorite play of the game was watching Hunter run down the field with such determination,” Coach Jones replied.

Highlights, such as Hunter Jones’s touchdown, can be viewed online on their Hudl profile.

One focus the team has going into their next game against Tyner Academy is really clicking as a team. They need to know all of the responsibilities that are expected of themselves while preparing for the game. Then, all the plays can be executed in full force along with challenges that come along as the game progresses.

“The first half of the game we didn’t seem to remember our responsibilities at each position. Until, the second half it was as if it all snapped back into reality. Then we began to show who we really are [as a team]. Which is something we’re going to be doing early next week instead of the second half,” shared Hunter Jones.

Many players provided promise for the upcoming season, and for seasons to come. Hunter Jones, Junior Kenny Shadden, Senior Kelvin McGhee and Freshman Donovan Smith all performed well, allowing them to stick out as key players for the football team.

“I see a bright future for this team this year. Yes, we’re young, but we’re not intimidated. We’re very fast and we’re improving our strength on the line. As soon as we fix these simple errors, we’ll be fine,” explained Hunter Jones.

Many players and fans share Hunter Jones’s insight and foresee a bright season ahead for the Purple Pounders.