The Center 8th grade Roughriders got caught up in a high-scoring contest with Rusk last Thursday night at Eagle Stadium, but came away with a 36-22 victory.
Rusk returned the opening kickoff for a score to put the 'Riders in an early hole, but Center came back and drove down the field and pulled within 8-6 when Chavis Gregory hit paydirt.
The Roughriders continued to struggle defending kickoffs as the Eagles once again returned the ensuing kick for a score. The try for two was successful and the Eagles led 16-6 without running an offensive play.
But Center wouldn't quit. The 'Riders once again drove down the field, with Gregory scoring his second touchdown of the night. The 2-point conversion attempt once again failed, but CMS had pulled to within 16-12.
After the CMS kickoff, Center stopped the Eagles. Once the Roughriders got the ball back, they received some outstanding runs by Gregory, Kiounis Williams and J.R. Hill on their next drive. Hill also completed a pass to Demetrius Lane, who had an outstanding 7-yard run after the catch. Gregory then did the honors for the third time of the game when he scored another touchdown. CMS was successful on the 2-point conversion to lead 20-16 at intermission.
The 'Riders received the second-half kickoff and immediately began driving the ball again. Williams and Gregory did most of the damage on the ground, with Gregory finishing off the drive with his fourth score of the night. CMS converted the 2-point conversion for a 28-16 lead.
Center free safety Mathew Reynolds picked off a pass on Rusk's next possession. Williams later turned it into a touchdown and the 2-point conversion gave Center a 36-16 cushion.
Roughriders made wholesale substitutions to give substitutes playing time and Rusk scored a couple of late touchdowns to make the final tally respectable.
"The guys worked hard," said Center Coach Joey Williams. "Chavis Gregory, Kiounis Williams, Darius Hill and Matthew Reynolds really played a great game on defense as well, too. I also want to give credit to Demetrus Lane and Osiel Garcia, both of which had great games on both sides of the ball making great tackles and blocking real well.
"The offensive line did a great job pushing Rusk's D-line back and making running lanes for our running backs."
In other action on Thursday, the Center 7th grade 'B' team fought to a 0-0 tie, while the 7th grade 'A' team won 34-0.
The Center Middle School teams will play their final home games of the year Thursday night, with the 7th grade action beginning at 5 p.m. at Roughrider Stadium.