Long and Williams each score pair of touchdowns as Spartans win first district game
Long and Williams each score pair of touchdowns as Spartans win first district game
The senior receiver and running-back duo each score twice in Centennial's 38-28 win over Cleburne
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CLEBURNE — Damien Long and Jaxon Williams each scored two touchdowns as the Centennial Spartans beat the Cleburne Yellow Jackets 38-28 Friday at Yellow Jacket Stadium.
The senior wide receiver Long had seven catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns and one 25-yard run, and senior running back Williams had 12 carries for 57 yards and two touchdowns as Centennial (1-0 in district, 3-2 overall) won its first district game of 2024.
Williams put the Spartans on the board first with a nine-yard touchdown run to give Centennial a 7-0 lead over Cleburne (0-1, 0-5) after the extra point with 8:04 left in the first quarter.
Cleburne junior running back Hayden Leifeste scored on a two-yard rush to tie the game 7-7 after the extra point with 3:44 left in the first quarter.
Leifeste ran for 164 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries and caught two passes for 13 yards Friday.
Long got Centennial’s lead back as he scored on an eight-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Jacob Torres to bring the score to 14-7 after the extra point with 3:19 left in the first.
Torres completed 13 of 18 passes for 221 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions in the win.
Cleburne tied the game again on a 44-yard pass from junior quarterback Luke Stewart to junior receiver Malachi Cunningham to bring the score to 14-14 after the extra point with nine seconds left in the first.
Cunningham caught four passes for 113 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Stewart completed eight of 19 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns with an interception.
Williams scored his second touchdown of the game on a four-yard run to give Centennial a 21-14 lead after the extra point with 11:04 left in the second. Centennial never surrendered the lead after that.
After Cleburne failed to score when they gained possession, the Spartans increased their lead to 28-14 as Torres connected with Long again on a 28-yard touchdown pass with 7:23 left in the second.
After receiving the second-half kickoff, the Spartans drove down the field before Cleburne’s Cunningham intercepted a pass and gave Cleburne the ball on their own 13-yard line with 9:35 left in the third.
Cunningham later scored on a 43-yard touchdown pass Stewart to pull within a touchdown and cut Centennial's lead to 28-21 after the extra point with 2:15 left in the third.
Following Cunningham’s touchdown, the Spartans drove down the field and extended their lead to 35-21 as junior running back Jaylon Walker’s scored on a 35-yard pass from Torres with 12 seconds left in the third.
In addition to the 35-yard touchdown catch, Walker ran for 53 yards on seven carrier Friday.
Leifeste pulled Cleburne within a touchdown again as he scored on a 69-yard run to cut Centennial's lead to 35-28 after the extra point with 11:20 left in the fourth.
Senior running back/receiver Keilan Gregory returned Cleburne’s kickoff 55 yards to set Centennial up on Cleburne’s 30-yard line before junior kicker Jack Miller kicked a 21-yard field goal to make it a two-possession game, increasing the Spartans’ lead to 38-28 with 8:55 left in the game.
Freshman defensive back Jaxon Deaton intercepted Cleburne’s pass to set the Spartans up for victory formation on Cleburne’s 35-yard line with 1:01 left in the game.
The Spartans have a bye week next week before returning home to face the Midlothian Panthers (1-0 in district, 4-1 overall) October 11 at 7 p.m. at Burleson ISD Stadium. Midlothian beat the Joshua Owls (0-1, 4-1) 26-10 Friday in Joshua.