A strong second half by the visiting Central Tigers enabled them to break a 6-all halftime score and win 28-14 over the Roland Rangers to spoil Roland’s homecoming Friday night at Ranger Stadium.
With the game tied at 6-all at the break, the Tigers (3-0) took the lead for good on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Kiefer Bailey to Paitton Merrill. Gavin Randolph then caught the two-point conversion pass from Bailey to put Central ahead 14-6 with 7:53 left in the third quarter.
On Central’s next possession which was created by a fumble recovery at the Roland 25-yard line, the Tigers went 25 yards in five plays as Aiden Smith took it in from a yard out, with Smith’s TD run set up by a 29-yard pass from Bailey to Randolph on third-and-20. Smith scored two plays later. Kaw-Liga Lewis’ twopoint conversion run upped Central’s lead to 22-6 with 5:27 remaining in the period.
The next time Central got the ball, the Tigers went 57 yards in seven plays as Smith scored his second TD of the game on an 11-yard run with 2:05 left in the period. Although the twopoint conversion failed, Central took a 28-6 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Rangers (0-3), who broke the scoreless deadlock in the second quarter on Alex Brant’s 4-yard touchdown run to put them ahead 6-0 with 9:46 remaining before halftime, scored their second and final TD of the night on Jerry Crossno’s 3-yard touchdown run with 60 seconds left to play in the game. Uriah Phillips caught the two-point conversion pass from Kayden Hartt.
The Tigers tied the game at 6-all at halftime on Bailey’s 24-yard TD pass to Aiden Cawhorn with 2:05 left in the first half. The two-point conversion pass was incomplete.
Bailey threw for 174 yards and two touchdowns, while Aiden Smith rushed for 82 yards and two TDs for Central.
For Roland, Brant rushed for 11 yards and a touchdown while throwing for 27 yards. Hartt, coming off an injury, also threw for 27 yards and rushed for 17 yards. Crossno also had a rushing touchdown.
Both teams will enter district play this week as the Tigers will entertain the Wewoka Tigers at 7 p.m. this Friday in the District AII-3 opener, while the Rangers will visit the Okmulgee Bulldogs for the District 2AI-3 opener at 7 p.m. this Friday.
