LAVERNE —
There’s a reason Laverne is ranked No. 1 in Class B, and Central High got to see it in the first round of the playoffs Friday.
The Bronchos were able to find some success on offense but couldn’t slow down Laverne, which rolled to a 58-12 victory.
“Defensively, we were just overmatched,” Central High coach Darren Lamar said. “They were very, very physical, and we had a hard time tackling them. We couldn’t begin to slow them down.”
Against perhaps the state’s best eight-man defense, Central High junior running back Kevin Harris again added merit to his gaudy season totals, rushing for 141 yards and a touchdown. He finishes the year with 1,791 yards rushing and 35 total touchdowns.
“I wish (anyone who doubts Kevin) could have been at the game,” Lamar said. “A good portion of the yards he had came with defenders in the backfield, where he just made plays against one of the best run defenses in the state. And they were keying on him.”
The loss wrapped up a season that started in chaos and ended in success.
The coach that had been hired to lead the Bronchos backed out and accepted another job in the summer. Lamar was then hired but had only a few practices to introduce himself and a whole new system.
A 5-0 start set the tone for the season and Central High went on to go 7-3 in the regular season and reach the playoffs for just the second time in five years.
“It was definitely a positive season and it gives us something to build on,” said Lamar, whose team will graduate 10 players. “For the younger kids, this will give them a little momentum.”
Laverne 58, Central High 12
Central 6 6 0 0 — 12
Laverne 36 14 8 0 — 58
1st Quarter
Central — Kevin Harris 44-yard run
2nd Quarter
Central — Ashton Wright 3-yard run
TEAM STATS
CH Lav.
Rushing Yards 162 195
Passing Yards 18 182
Total Offense 180 377
C-A-I 2-6-1 5-5-0
Fumbles-Lost 1-0 0-0
Individual Stats
RUSHING: Central High — Kevin Harris 30-141, Ashton Wright 8-18, Mikel Womak 1-3.
PASSING: Central High — Kevin Harris 1-4-1, 17 yards; Kade Taylor 1-2-0, 1 yard.
RECEIVING: Central High — John Repp 1-17, Deekota Williams 1-1.
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