The Mt. Pleasant Vikings attempted an onside kick to begin their Friday night showdown with Class AA Interstate Conference rival Greensburg Central Catholic. Much like the rest of their night, the kick didn’t work in the Vikings’ favor.
Central scored six first-half touchdowns en route to a 49-13 thrashing of Mt. Pleasant.
The score was nearly even when Central led Mt. Pleasant by a 7-6 score after each team’s first possession of the game. But that is as close at Mt. Pleasant would come to achieving success.
The Centurions used a balanced offensive attack early and often. Central running back David Miller rushed for four touchdowns in the game, including two in the first half of 13 yards and one yard, respectively, while rushing for touchdowns of nine yards and 41 yards, respectively, in the second half. Miller finished with 91 yards on 15 carries in victory.
Despite Miller’s strong performance, Mt. Pleasant’s defense prevented Central from controlling the game with the run, especially in the first half. Central rushed for only 63 first-half yards, while carrying the ball for 154 total team yards in the second half. Thus, Central’s offense made the adjustment and took the ball to the air.
While Central’s offensive attack flourished throughout the evening, it was Central’s defense that proved to be a major difference in the game. Central held the opposition to 193 total yards in the game, which included only 93 yards in the first half compared to Central’s 240 yards. Mt. Pleasant quarterback Derek Mellers completed four passes for 67 yards, including a three-yard strike to wide-out Tim Ferree. But that would be the only consistent offense Mt. Pleasant would garner throughout the night as Central’s defense prevented the Vikings from gaining any momentum.