MACON — Coming off a game in which his team allowed 74 points in a win against Delta Academy, Hebron Christian football coach David Foster stressed improvement on defense.
Foster got his wish Friday night in a 46-16 victory against Central Academy in a Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Eight-Man District 2 game.
“We played a lot better on defense this week. Our (pass coverage) played better, as well as our defensive line,” Foster said.
Said senior quarterback Channing Tapley, “We wanted to (continue to play well) on offense, but we also had to shut (Central Academy) down on defense. We can’t give up 74 points every week.”
Tapley was 7 of 13 for 162 yards. He also had eight carries for 39 yards.
Central Academy (1-3, 0-1 district) opened the game with a 12-play, 63-yard drive. Senior running back Nelson Robbins (12 carries, 57 yards) capped the drive with a 1-yard run late in the first quarter.
Hebron Christian took possession with 1 minute, 24 seconds left in the quarter. It took the Eagles three plays to move 52 yards, as Tapley hit senior running back Landon Hill with a 47-yard touchdown pass. Tapley’s run tied the game at 8.
The Eagles (3-1, 1-0) scored again on a 39-yard pass from Tapley to Hill. The score followed an interception of junior quarterback Jerry Long. The interception was one of three thrown by Long, who was 4 of 12 for 70 yards.
Hill was instrumental in a 92-74 victory against Delta Academy last week. On Friday, he led the Eagles with four catches for 130 yards. He also had six carries for 65 yards.
“Our offense is clicking,” Hill said. “We need to keep that up and play great defense.”
Tapley added a third score before the half on a 1-yard run. Hill also ran a punt back to give the Eagles a 30-8 halftime lead.
Defense stayed on the Eagles’ minds in the second half. Senior wide receiver / linebacker Payton Griffin said the Eagles never gave up after allowing the early score and kept doing their jobs.
After forcing a turnover on downs, Tapley found Hill for a 36-yard touchdown pass. Hill then scored on a 17-yard run to push the lead to 46-8 in the third quarter.
Despite facing a strong offensive team, Central Academy coach Michael Dawkins is encouraged by his team’s “no-quit” mind-set.
“No matter what the score is, we try to make sure we have our heads up at all times,” Dawkins said. “We know the young men we have in the game will give their all in every game on every play.
“We tell (our players) if one person needs help, we will have 10 players there to help him, and they know that.”
The Vikings displayed the perseverance Dawkins spoke of by scoring on a 13-yard pass from Long to Robbins with less than a minute remaining. The catch was Robbins’ only one of the night, but he made it a good one. He also scored on the two-point conversion attempt.
“(Jerry Long) is learning. He’s built solidly, can run the ball, and has a great attitude,” Dawkins said of his junior quarterback, who rushed for 13 yards.
Senior Wyatt Norris led the Vikings with two catches for 42 yards. He also had a two-point conversion in the first quarter.
Foster gave the Vikings credit for their effort. When asked how his team planned to use the game moving forward, he said, “We started playing defense and we want to continue that the rest of the season.”
Hebron Christian will have a bye next week, while Central Academy will play host to Leland Unity Christian on Friday.
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