The Cordova Wolves had a bad taste in their mouth as they entered the football season.
It was the Central Warriors who broke their hearts 22-21 in the first round of the playoffs last season and they wanted to get some payback this year – and they succeeded, edging out Central 13-12.
The Warriors got on the scoreboard early on a fumble by Cordova’s Joshua Hastings. Carlito Tuggle returned the fumble 11 yards for a touchdown, giving Central a 6-0 lead. The Warriors extended their lead when Cartier Beverly broke to the outside and ran for an 85-yard touchdown to push the lead to 12-0 with 3:15 left in the first half.
Cordova answered. Hastings returned the kickoff for 50 yards, setting up a quarterback sneak to make it 12-7 going into halftime.
In the second half, both teams relied on the ground game. Beverly finished with 160 rushing yards and a touchdown. Cordova sophomore RB Deqwan Bevill ran for 16 yards and a scored the go-ahead touchdown with 25 seconds left in the third quarter 13-12. Bevill rushed for 76 yards on the night.
“That is why I set the schedule like I did. We have to learn how to win these types of games,” said Cordova coach Marcus Wimberly. “We have to fight through the ups and downs and find a way to win. It gives up some momentum going into next week.”
Central Head Coach Major Wright said mistakes were made on both sides. “It was a hard-fought game,” he said. “We were not good tonight and they were better.”
Wright said his team needs to clean up the sloppiness going forward.
“I thought he ran hard. We just couldn’t do anything in the passing game. We become too one dimensional and with good opponents,” he said. “We have got to clean up our mistakes. This is the most uncertain I have felt about a team. I think the sky is the limit and we can be really good. Tonight we were below average.”
The Warriors will host Houston High School next week who features one of the best running backs in the county in Lincoln Pare. Cordova will travel to take on county power Germantown. Both games will be played Friday, Aug. 30 at 7 p.m.
