It’s been a stellar start for the Central Park Hills Varsity Football team this season. The Rebels have been dominating their opponents and have a current three-game winning streak. The undefeated start to the season has sent a message to their upcoming foes, Central is a force with which to be reckoned.
Last week the Rebels’ explosive offense rattled off eight touchdowns, seven in the first half, and four coming from single-play drives in their third blowout victory, 55-20 over Potosi. So far this season the offense has been incredibly effective, scoring 142 points. Meanwhile, the defense has also been strong and has only allowed 48. points This recipe bodes well for their future success.
This week on the schedule it will be a battle of the Centrals as Central Park Hills will take on Central Cape Girardeau. The Tigers from Cape haven’t had much success offensively. Despite winning two of their three games, they’ve scored just 73 points and allowed 66 so far this season. Last week Cape edged out Poplar Bluff 14-7 to go 2-1 on the season. That most recent result could be quite telling though, as Central Park Hills decimated Poplar Bluff in week one, 29-7.
If Cape wants to have a chance in this one, they need to hold the running attack and Quarterback Casen Murphy down as best as possible. On the ground, last week, Central starters were able to run for 250 yards on only 12 carries. Murphy led with six carries for 89 yards and four touchdowns.
It’s not just Murphy who is a threat though. Another big weapon for Central is receiver Jobe Bryant, who had just one carry last week, but it went for 80 yards and a touchdown. Also, coming into his own this season as a ball handler, Jalen Welch added four carries for 44 yards and a touchdown.
However, it’s not just the running game about which the Tigers need to worry. Murphy can also be a problem for Cape passing the ball. Last week he went six for seven in pass attempts for 191 yards and two touchdowns. He alone was responsible for six touchdowns, four on the ground, and two passing. With Murphy at the helm, the Rebels have a seriously dangerous player running the offensive show.
On Friday night, Cape Girardeau heads to Park Hills for what could be, in fact, quite an impressive show to witness if the Rebels can keep up their frenetic offensive pace. September 16th at 7:00 pm, it will be showtime for the Rebels, who will look to keep their undefeated season rolling against the Tigers.
