SOUTHWESTERN BEATS CENTRAL HARDIN
It appeared as though the Central Hardin had overcome a two game losing streak and were in position to continue another one which they started after a big win over John Hardin just two weeks ago. So in came Southwestern into Cecilia to become the latest victim to the Bruin buzzsaw. Unfortunately for head coach Tim Mattingly, that didn’t happen. The Warriors, coached by Larry French were a 5-A team which had just come off a couple of reeling losses to both Henry Clay and Madison Central looked very effective on both offense and defense and pounded out four touchdowns in the first half to take a 27-0 halftime lead and were able to weather a late second half rally to post a 34-21 win.
The Bruins, who looked so effective the previous week against Warren Central in a 50-0 win were anything but against an inspired Warrior team thanks to two touchdown passes from quarterback Drew Sawyers to J.P. Vaught and Blake Lanham. Sawyers, also scored on a 1-yard run in the second quarter and Patric Edwards broke off a 58-yard touchdown run in the first quarter in a half in which little went right for the Bruins.
Not that Mattingly’s kids were completely overmatched. Offensively they moved the ball well in the first half, but on three trips into Warrior territory they came up empty on three fourth down situations.
What really hurt Central Hardin the most was their inability to stop Southwestern’s rushing tandem of Edwards (177-yards – two touchdowns) and Sawyers (78-yards – one touchdown rushing and two touchdown passes -he was 9-12-157-yards). The Warriors would pound out 291-yards all totaled and that helped control the game in the early going.
Central Hardin regrouped at the halftime break and began to show some life on their first possession of the third quarter and it was jumpstarted by DeOnta Duncan, who broke free for a 48-yard run and he finished it off with a 10-yard run. Duncan, who finished with 72-yards on the ground was one reason the Bruins stayed alive. Jacob Hobbs was another as he finished off one drive with a 54-yard scoring run to make the score 27-14 with 2:12 remaining in the fourth quarter and after Southwestern scored again to push the score up to 34-14, Hobbs, who had 132-yards on the ground scored again with :46 left in the game.
It may have not been the final result that Mattingly was looking for, but like his fellow 6-A combatants (North Hardin and Meade County), the real season begins now after playing a brutal schedule for that preparation. Now, the Bruins will have a bye week to heal up and then will face Meade County and North Hardin on consecutive weeks.
If the last several months haven’t got them ready for what is yet to come, then NOTHING will.
