Columbia High School struggled to put points on the board against a tough Perry Central football team last Friday in a 35-7 loss.
CHS coach James Harvey was disappointed with the loss and spoke about the season after talking with the team.
“We’ve just got to come back and go to work and get ready for Friday,” he said. “We’re 2-2 now and we’ve got six games left to play. We face Taylorsville this week. Our schedule is an ‘A’ schedule. We face some good teams.”
Harvey said turnovers and defensive lapses helped lead to the loss.
“We kind of self-destructed,” he said. “All I know is to come back and work on our problems and be ready for next week.”
After failing to score on the first drive, the Wildcats quickly saw how explosive the Bulldogs (4-0) are on offense as running back McKail Sumrall dashed 43 yards to inside the CHS 10 setting up Perry Central’s first touchdown, a 6-yard run from Derrick Hartfield and a PAT made it 7-0.
Columbia then stalled at midfield on its next drive turning the ball over to Perry Central, which capped a seven-play drive with a 6-yard touchdown by Sumrall, making it 14-0.
The Wildcats came roaring back, however, and began the next series with a 19-yard run by Kentrel Bullock. Two players later, Wildcats quarterback Rafael Luter found a wide open Jermaine Barnes for a 54-yard touchdown pass. Harrison Foxworth added the PAT kick as the Wildcats trailed 14-7 as the first quarter came to a close.
Early in the second quarter, Hartfield did it to the Wildcats on defense, picking off a Luter pass and taking it to the house to make it 21-7.
Perry Central added another touchdown later in the second quarter on a 32-yard run from Hartfield that made the score 28-7.
In the third quarter, Tijuane Bolton’s quarterback keeper earned Perry Central a commanding 35-7 lead. Logan Hartfield’s fourth-quarter interception and the Bulldogs’ late fumble recovery ensured their lead would hold up.
With Taylorsville coming to town Friday, Harvey addressed the strength of the Perry Central squad he faced Friday night.
“Actually, they’re not the toughest team we’re going to face,” he said. “They’re a tough physical team, but we’ll face some that are probably better down the road. We just have to come back out and take care of what we do. We need to be efficient at what we do and take care of the football.”
Harvey addressed the team and let them know his concerns after the game.
“Each week, you’ve got to come to play,” he said. “We’ve got to work every week. We’re 2-2 now and have plenty more games and we’re going to win some of them – it just depends on you.”
Taylorsville is a much-improved team from a season ago as the Tartars have raced out to a 4-0 start, led by freshman Ty Keyes’ 11 total touchdowns.
Friday night’s game kicks off at 7 p.m. on Walter Payton Field at Gardner Stadium.
Pictured Above: Ryan Luter (42) and Kevon Cloyd (24) combine to make a tackle. | Photo by Mark Rogers
