All good things came at the end for Central’s football team Friday night.
In a tight game throughout with Watertown, it was only fitting that it came down to a fourth down.
Watertown quarterback Kaden Waldorf dropped back to pass — incomplete. Turnover on downs. One kneel-down later, the host Purple Pounders found themselves moving on to the second round of the TSSAA Class 3A playoffs with a 47-35 win.
The two teams combined for just two punts, making fourth downs crucial. Central (7-4) was 4-for-6. Watertown (3-8) was 4-of-8.
(READ MORE: Final scores and photos from Friday night’s Chattanooga-area prep football games)
“I hate punting,” Central coach Glen Carter said. “So we’re going to go for it if we’re anywhere close to midfield. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but I’ve got the confidence in the defense if we don’t make (a first down). That last one was obviously the best one for the night.”
The biggest fourth-down play for Central may have been on defense. As the Tigers lined up for a 26-yard field-goal attempt in the third quarter with the game tied at 28, Houston Boykin blocked the kick. Jaylen Igou picked up the ball and ran it back for a momentum-shifting touchdown.
“All I seen was six,” Igou said. “I just had to go get it.”
The Pounders also got another strong performance from Ronye Watson, at running back and otherwise. The versatile senior scored three touchdowns — a 75-yard kickoff return, a 43-yard catch and a 23-yard run — and stands just two away from 100 touchdowns in his prep career.
“I put a lot of stress on myself in the offseason making sure my body is still healthy coming to the end of the season,” Watson said.
He finished with 101 yards on 14 carries and caught two passes for 48 yards.
“I was hoping to maybe get them to him tonight, but it didn’t work out,” Coach Carter said of the 100-touchdown milestone. “We have another chance next week, and that’s all that matters.”
Caden Jones was 7-of-13 passing for 94 yards and two touchdowns for the Purple Pounders, who will face Sequatchie County (9-1) in the second round.
Boykin made his mark on the game offensively and defensively. In addition to blocking the kick, the senior earlier provided the game’s first points with his 25-yard interception return for a touchdown midway through the first quarter. He also had six carries for 45 yards.
“People sleep on him,” Carter said. “I can throw the ball and have all the confidence in the world in Houston on any play that we call.”
Waldorf had a great night for Watertown, completing 27 of 46 passes for 365 yards and four touchdowns. The Tigers were led in receiving by Jesse Bratcher’s eight catches for 124 yards.
“I told them all week that record that they had doesn’t represent how good of a football team they are,” Carter said. “We were close to breaking at halftime … but we held it together and pulled together and we ended up getting the win.”
Contact Robert Holder at sports@timesfreepress.com.