This story was written and all photos were taken by Paul Shepard. Above photo caption: Centerpoint receiver Ely Welch catches a pass from quarterback Tony Valdez and eludes defenders to score on a 28-yard pass play for the first touchdown of the game.
Centerpoint welcomed the Horatio Lions to Knights Stadium on Friday, Sept. 25, for a game that ended with the Knights earning a 28-14 victory.
It was a pleasant evening, with a full moon rising over the visiting team’s bleachers shortly after kickoff.
The Lions won the coin toss and deferred their option to the second half. The Knights took the opening kickoff and moved the ball 55 yards on their first drive, scoring on a 28-yard pass from quarterback Tony Valdez to receiver Ely Welch. Levi Wright ran for the 2-point conversion, giving the Knights an 8-0 lead with 8:38 remaining in the first quarter.
Horatio moved the ball on its first possession but turned it over, giving Centerpoint the ball back. The Knights then drove 74 yards, culminating in a 7-yard touchdown run by Wright. The 2-point conversion attempt failed, leaving Centerpoint ahead 14-0 with 11:19 remaining in the second quarter.
The Lions moved to the Knights’ 44-yard line on their next possession before Centerpoint’s defense stopped the drive. Neither team was able to generate much offense for the remainder of the half, which ended with Centerpoint still leading 14-0.
The defenses continued to dominate early in the second half, with neither team scoring during the third quarter. Centerpoint’s Parker Bailey recovered a Lions fumble, but the Knights later turned the ball over on downs at the Horatio 25-yard line.
Both teams found the end zone in the fourth quarter.
After a Horatio punt, Centerpoint began a drive at its own 43. The Knights benefited from a 15-yard penalty and a long run by Wright, who scored a touchdown on the next play. Braxton Martin ran for the 2-point conversion, increasing Centerpoint’s lead to 22-0 with 11:08 remaining.
On Horatio’s next possession, Welch intercepted a pass to give the Knights the ball again. Centerpoint moved toward the end zone, highlighted by a long run by Welch to the Lions’ 3-yard line. A penalty pushed the Knights back 5 yards, but Valdez soon handed the ball to Martin, who ran 6 yards for a touchdown.
The conversion attempt failed, but Centerpoint had built a 28-0 lead with just over eight minutes remaining.
Horatio’s offense then came to life. The Lions scored on a 48-yard run by their quarterback, although the 2-point conversion attempt failed, cutting Centerpoint’s lead to 28-6 with 7:05 remaining.
The Lions recovered an onside kick near midfield but were unable to capitalize. After several incomplete passes, Centerpoint took over on downs at its own 34 with 5:40 remaining.
The Knights were also unable to move the ball and punted it back to Horatio.
With less than a minute remaining, the Lions connected on an 89-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown. Horatio then successfully converted a 2-point attempt with a handoff to a lineman lined up in the backfield, making the score 28-14.
This time, Centerpoint recovered Horatio’s onside kick attempt. The Knights went into the victory formation and ran out the clock to secure the win.
Centerpoint finished with 210 yards of total offense, nearly evenly divided between passing and rushing. The Knights also committed fewer penalties than in some of their previous games.
The Knights will travel to Parkers Chapel on Friday, Oct. 2, to face the Trojans, who have a 1-3 record.
