Central hops on the bus with better results this time, clinching a winning season with a road victory.
By JOHN SCHWARB
Published October 23, 2004
GROVELAND - Now this was a nice road trip.
Earlier in the month on a trip to Lake County, Central had to deal with everything from a broken-down bus to mighty Clermont East Ridge, losing a key district game that will likely keep the Bears out of the playoffs.
But Friday they secured a winning season and picked up their first victory in Class 4A, District 6, winning 28-21 at Groveland South Lake.
Central (6-2, 1-2) gave the Eagles hope on their homecoming, falling behind twice early on. But after tying the game at 14 in the second quarter, the Bears got the first of three interceptions off South Lake.
With Tim Plumadore's catch of a tipped pass, Central took over at the Eagles' 23-yard line. Six plays later Shane Collard punched it in from one yard out, giving the Bears the lead for good at 21-14.
Central made it 28-14 in the third quarter on an Anthony Gaynor 7-yard run, then had to hold on tight. After a South Lake three-and-out deep in its own end, the Bears got the ball back and drove to the red zone, only to fumble an option pitch and watch Jeff Maxwell return it 95 yards for a touchdown to get South Lake within seven.
"That's Bear football, we can't turn it over, we can't give up the big play," Central coach John Wilkinson said. "We turn over the football, we have to fight it out."
But the Bears did that, holding South Lake (0-8, 0-4) without a first down the rest of the way and grinding out the clock when getting the ball back. Central rushed 56 times for 258 yards, getting a 101-yard effort from sophomore DuJuan Harris.
"He's kind of our go-to guy right now," Wilkinson said. "He's running hard, he's making people miss and he's holding onto the football."
South Lake gained just 161 yards and had six first downs to Central's 20.
