Going into the month of October the Pounders played Howard High on October 4, 2019. Howard came into the game with an overall record of 4-2; their district record being 1-1, losing to Anderson County. Central came into the game with an overall record of 1-5 and 1-1 within the district. Their win came from their game against Sequoyah, a school which is in their district.

The boys were not seen to play as a whole; the downfall was that the Pounders did not come out to play as they were not prepared. Head Coach Curt Jones acknowledged the offense and defense as nonexistent. There was also no leadership in this game coming from any part of the field. In the end it cost them to lose the game, ending 0 to 61.

“Although the boys did play poorly, there was one play that stood out in my mind which was when the boys came out and on the opening play recovered a fumble,” stated Coach Jones.

The following week, October 11, 2019, the Pounders played East Ridge High School, known as a rival school within the district. This game heavily influenced the potential outcome of the playoffs. Coming into the game, East Ridge maintained an overall record of 3-4 and a record of 0-2 within the district. Central came into the game with their overall record of 1-5, within the district 1-2.

This was one of the best games of the year, although the Pounders showed up in the second half and not in the first. The offense played the first half poorly; however, they tried to come through in the second half, but fell short. The defense played better in the second half, but they are still struggling with size and youth of the team. Some team leaders within the game were Freshman Donovan Smith, Freshman Connor Tyler, and Sophomore Michael Watson. One play that stood out in Coach Jones’ mind was Smith’s 98 yard kickoff return. It was well played, but in the end Central took a loss of 34-48.

“Connor came in and started firing on all cylinders almost like he knew exactly how the defense would react. He was the main reason why we were able to come back in that second half,” stated Donovan Smith.

From playing Howard to East Ridge, the boys improved by continuing to put valuable work in. All in all, the Pounders are true to being a very young and inexperienced team as far as finishing a game. What can be a game changer in the future is the experience the team will gain.

“Central has some bright things coming we are very young. So, I have a positive mindset going week in and week out,” replied Michael Watson.

Week eight of Friday Night Lights will be right around the corner, the Central Pounders will go on to face Anderson County High School on October 18 at 7:30 p.m. The team hopes to see everyone coming out to support the Purple Pounders. Students attending are encouraged to sit in the student section as well.

Readers can view the latest sports updates on the sports center page. This is where schedules, scores, and rosters will be posted.