Central wins 'Backyard Brawl' over Smiths Station

It wasn't pretty at times, but Central running back Jaxton Carson and the team's defensive line closed out a 41-14 win over rival Smiths Station Friday night at Garrett-Harrison Stadium.

Carson helped the offense overcome three turnovers with 80 of his 143 rushing yards in the second half. His second touchdown came with 7:59 left in the fourth quarter to give the Red Devils a 35-14 advantage.

The junior running back had five first-down runs in the half as Central scored 20 unanswered points after halftime.

Anytime the defense was on the field late in the game, it was making life for Smiths Station quarterback Dalton Sinquefield miserable. The defense had seven sacks in the win with five coming in the second half.

Defensive end Walter Pritchett gave the Panthers' offensive line fits all night, but it was a team effort with linebacker Dru Daniel coming up with sacks on back-to-back plays late in the fourth quarter.

Sinquefield kept the game close in the first half, but struggled down the stretch going 4 of 9 for 49 yards with an interception.

"I think we are 19-5 overall against them, won seven in a row now, I think that's the longest win streak," Central coach Jamey DuBose said. "My hat's off for the coaches and kids before me. To have your rival, which is right down the road, and be 19-5 against them is impressive."

While Central dominated in the second half, the wild first half featured huge swings in momentum.

Red Devils quarterback Quan Weaver gave the Red Devils a 7-0 lead with 2:48 to go in the first quarter on a 3-yard touchdown run.

In the second quarter, Smiths Station answered with touchdowns on back-to-back possessions. Quarterback Dalton Sinquefield made key plays on the drive including a 46-yard completion to Tyson Toliver on a third and 30.

Facing a fourth-and-seven, Sinquefield capped off the drive with a 26-yard rushing touchdown down his own sideline. After Weaver threw an interception on Central's ensuing possession, Sinquefield hooked up with Toliver again for a 40-yard touchdown to take a 14-7 lead.

"Smiths Station came out tonight and played well," DuBose said. "I knew Smiths Station had a good football team. They are physical, better than they were last year, and they have a shot to get in the playoffs."

Central didn't stay down for long in front of a lively home crowd. The Red Devils made Smiths Station pay for giving them a short field on a failed onside kick attempt. Carson rushed 34 yards to get it inside the Panthers' 20-yard line, and he scored four plays later 1 yard out to tie the game 14-14 with 6:32 to go in the first half.

Central had another quick strike drive the next time it touched the ball thanks to a 60-yard touchdown throw from Weaver to Justyn Ross.

Both team's standout receivers had impressive performances. Ross had five catches for 104 yards with a touchdown going while Toliver had 148 yards on five catches with a touchdown.

Weaver finished the game with three turnovers, two of them fumbles, and was 11 of 16 passing for 165 yards with two touchdowns. He had nine carries for 45 yards and a touchdown.

Friday at Garrett-Harrison Stadium

Smiths Station 0 14 0 0--14

Central 7 14 7 14--41

First Quarter

C--Quan Weaver 3 run (Chris Harrell kick), 2:48

Second Quarter

S-Dalton Sinquefield 26 run (Harrison Jones kick), 9:36

S-Tyson Toliver 40 pass from Sinquefield (Jones kick), 8:13

C-Jaxton Carson 1 run (Harrell kick), 6:32

C-Justyn Ross 60 pass from Weaver (Harrell kick), 4:00

Third Quarter

C-Demarcus Lamphey 23 pass from Weaver (Harrell kick), 6:21

Fourth Quarter

C--Carson 18 run (Harrell kick), 7:59

C--Ravaughn Turner 1 run (Harrell kick failed), 1:12

Records: Smiths Station 5-2, 1-2 Class 7A Region 2. Central 5-2, 4-0. Next: Smiths Station, at Jeff Davis, Oct. 9, 8 p.m. Central, home vs. AAU Prime, Oct. 9, 8 p.m.

Michael Niziolek covers Auburn football for the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. Email him at mniziolek@ledger-enquirer.com or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+

This story was originally published October 2, 2015 at 11:47 PM with the headline "Central wins 'Backyard Brawl' over Smiths Station ."