By Joe Crowe, for The Tribune
The Center Point Eagles traveled to Hayden for a Class 5A, Region 6 confrontation against Hayden High’s Wildcats Friday night.
It was homecoming night for the Wildcats at Robert Reid Stadium, but the visiting Eagles made sure the Wildcats’ celebration did not extend to the football field. The final score was Center Point 45, Hayden 6.
Jabari Collier went 7-11 through the air for 116 yards and two touchdowns, hitting Harold Holloman for 111 of those yards and both scores. Troy Bruce had 14 carries for 139 yards and three touchdowns.
Bruce got the Eagles on the board with 5:45 remaining in the first with a 15-yard score. Antonio Sebastian added the point after to stake Center Point to a 7-0 lead.
This win brings Center Point up to 5-3 overall, 3-2 in league play. Hayden High remains winless on the season, with a record of 0-8.
Collier scored on a 10-yard score to Holloman with 2:42 left in the first, and Sebastian’s PAT pushed the score to 14-0.
The second quarter got off to a hot start with a 1-yard TD for Bruce with 9:09 left in the quarter. He came back for more about two minutes later to bang out a 27-yard score. Sebastian missed the PAT, and the score stood 21-0.
With only 27 seconds left in the first half, the Eagles swooped into the end zone with a 68 yard touchdown when Collier hit Holloman for the second passing touchdown of the night, making it 34-0. After an interception, Holloman ran another score in to make it 40-0 at the half.
Hayden’s Will Vines hit Brodie Garner for a 66-yard touchdown to get the Wildcats on the board, but Center Point answered with a 35-yard touchdown run by Kevin Clayton for a final score of 46-6.
“We wanted to be more balanced offensively, and finish better defensively,” said Center Point coach George Bates.
Coach Bates pointed out the importance of next week’s Senior Night game against St. Clair County, another team that has not brought home a win in the 2021-22 season so far.
“A win clinches a playoff berth,” Coach Bates said.
“Nice team win. This week’s word of the week was synergy,” Bates wrote in a post-game tweet.
Defensively, the Eagles were led by Demario Hicks, who had 4.5 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss. The Eagles’ Malik Brown sacked Vines once, Center Point’s only sack of the night. Ke’Marius Horne scored the game’s lone interception.