Central intercepted Boyle County quarterback Josiah Robbins five times and limited the Rebels to 86 rushing yards on 42 carries, numbers that left Yellowjackets coach Ty Scroggins impressed after his team’s 27-14 second-round win on Friday.
“Five interceptions, wow,” said Scroggins, whose team improved to 10-2 with a 10-game winning streak entering Friday’s home game against Lexington Catholic. “Against a high-powered team that can throw the ball. Our defense played lights out tonight.”
Offensively, the Yellowjackets got three touchdowns from quarterback Myron Norfleet, two rushing and one passing. And their special teams got in on the act, as Aaron Duncan blocked a punt and Elijah Owens, who also had two of the five interceptions, scooped it up and ran it in from 10 yards for the other touchdown.
As Central moves on to the KHSAA Class 3-A quarterfinals, the team knows it can’t rely on five interceptions every week. The Yellowjackets threw two of their own Friday. Unacceptable, according to Scroggins.
“We didn’t do very good offensively,” he said. “We really have to work on some things. We have to score when we get in the red zone. We can’t throw an interception when we get there. We have to get our tight ends back into the game. They did a really good job of scouting us. There were some things that we ran early in the season against St. X that they took away from us. We have to make some adjustments.”
Scroggins will. He hasn’t won state championships by simply hoping for the best.
“We have been here before,” he said. “This senior group has never really won a state championship they could call their own. The last time we won it they were freshmen and they didn’t participate. So we talk about getting them their own ring so they can make their own statement. The best record we have had in the nine years I have been here is 13-2. We have an opportunity to match that. But to do it we have to be in the championship game and we have to make things happen.”