By Bobby Mathews, sports editor
CENTER POINT — The Eagles (3-2) are flying high after dealing Moody (3-2) a stunning 40-11 defeat on Friday, September 17, 2021.
Powered by the running of Troy Bruce Jr. and the dual threat of quarterback Jabari Collier, the Eagles have begun righting the ship of their season after a pair of losses dropped them to 1-2 early on. But now after winning what was effectively their home opener against Lincoln last week and now traveling to face the Blue Devils, Center Point is hoping to secure a playoff berth in 5A Region 6.
“We are just getting better,” Eagles coach George Bates said after the game. “That’s our big deal right now. We want to get Center Point better each week. We’ve done that the previous 2 weeks.”
Center Point is The Tribune’s Team of the Week, sponsored by Courtesy GMC.
Bruce and Collier combined for 343 yards on the ground and six touchdowns, and the Eagles racked up 20 points in each half while holding a talented and explosive Moody squad to a field goal in the first half and a lone touchdown in the third quarter.
There has been a learning curve early in the season as the Center Point offense adjusted to a new offensive coordinator and scheme. But Collier, who struggled early this season, proved dangerous through the air and on the ground, going 8-for-12 passing for 52 yards and a touchdown, and rushing 12 times for 188 yards and two scores. A junior with 4.4 speed, Collier burst big gains and worked inside for tough yards when called upon as well.
What may have been more impressive about the Eagles is a defense that completely shut down the Blue Devils’ attack. Coming into the game at 3-1, Moody has put up a lot of points on every opponent all year. This time, however, Center Point was able to corral star quarterback A.J. Wallace, who went 13-for-25 through the air with an touchdown and an interception.
Kaleb Parker-Holt led Center Point defensively with 4 solo tackles and 2.5 sacks, and Jaheem Nathan was right behind him with three solo tackles and 2.5 sacks. Kylliah York recorded the Eagles’ lone interception.
Wallace was held to 114 yards passing and 79 yards rushing as the Center Point defense allowed only 230 total yards for the game and held the Blue Devils to 3-of-13 on first down conversions.