Ross’ two touchdowns get Central going in win over Opelika

Central wide receiver Justyn Ross is a five-star recruit and a player that colleges across the country are coveting. In Central’s 46-19 victory over Opelika Friday, two plays demonstrated just how dangerous the senior truly is.

With Central’s offense struggling to find a rhythm, Ross came through on a couple of occasions to help the Red Devils (5-0, 2-0) pull away in the rivalry game. Ross caught a 43-yard bomb from quarterback Peter Parrish in the second quarter and effectively put the game away in the third, running a punt back 57 yards to make it a 23-6 contest.

“He’s an unbelievable player, and he’s got a lot of talent,” Central head coach Jamey DuBose said. “Justyn is a playmaker.”

Central held a slim 7-0 lead with under two minutes left in the second quarter when Parrish dropped back and locked in on Ross as the receiver bolted down the middle of the field. Parrish gave Ross a ball to fight for against an Opelika defender, and it was a battle the 6-foot-4 Ross won easily.

For Ross, not making the play was simply out of the question.

“I felt like my team just needed me,” Ross said. “We were in a situation where we needed to score, and I felt like I had to make a play. I didn’t see nothing but the ball, so I just went and got it.”

As impressive as the reception was, Ross wasn’t done by any means.

Both sides traded possessions to start the second half when Ross caught an punt with a crowd of Bulldogs around him. He took off toward his left and accelerated down the sideline, at which point it became clear only a couple defenders had any shot of making a play. Those who had a favorable position didn’t for long, as Ross blew by them for the touchdown.

“All I saw was the end zone,” Ross said. “I felt like we had to come out of halftime and score, and I just had to make something happen.”

The Parrish-to-Ross pitch and catch was the rare spark after the opening portion of the game featured little offensive success for either side. Prior to Parrish’s touchdown pass, Central running back A’montae Spivey’s four-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter stood as the only points on the scoreboard.

Shortly after the Ross touchdown reception, the roof caved in on Opelika (3-3, 1-1). The ensuing kick return was mishandled, trapping Opelika deep within its own territory. Two plays later, a bad snap resulted in a safety that put the Red Devils up 16-0 with 1:34 left in the first half.

Opelika managed to score before halftime on Brantan Barnett’s 25-yard touchdown reception, but it proved all the Bulldogs could muster until there were only nine minutes to go in the game.

The game was by no means a perfect one for Central. Penalties hampered the Red Devils throughout the night, including a block in the back that negated another long Ross punt return. Ross said he also needs to up his game, saying he could have delivered even more big plays for his team.

“I feel like I can be a spark plug for my team, and I have to do that all the time,” Ross said. “I’ve got to be more consistent and make more plays.”

Though Ross may feel he still has room for improvement, his play Friday was more than enough to help the Red Devils remain undefeated.

This story was originally published September 29, 2017 at 10:44 PM with the headline "Ross’ two touchdowns get Central going in win over Opelika."