By Fred Guarino

The Lowndes Signal

The Central Lions picked up their only win of 2018 so far at the expense of arch rival and winless Calhoun with a 45-6 victory Friday night in Mosses.
Calhoun had hoped to end a losing streak of 38 regular season games, 39 overall (counting a pre-season loss to Pike Road). But instead, the Tigers added one more loss to their total.
Calhoun head football coach Ervin Starr said regardless of the losingstreak, which now stands at 40, according to the Alabama High School Football Historical Society, “You know, we still didn’t win tonight.”
Starr said he had an eighth grader, two freshmen and a sophomore on his offensive line. But he said, “They did play hard and didn’t give up.”
However, he said, his team made too many mistakes and gave Central the game. He said his team had opportunities all night to be in the game but, “We kept shooting ourselves in the foot… We found ways to take ourselves out of the game.”
Starr said, however, with feeder programs beginning at Lowndes County Middle School and a recreation program at some point his Tigers won’t be the team people want to play for homecoming. And he said, “I think we’re headed in the right direction.”
Central senior quarterback Justin Taylor said of Friday’s contest, “I think it was a good win for us. We practiced hard all week for this.” While he said his team knew it was a rivalry, he said they “stayed focused” and got the victory.
Central’s sophomore fullback Daylan Preyear said he “played hard for his seniors, did what my coach told me to do and stayed disciplined.”
Central head football coach Michael Perry Jr. said, “Tonight, man, the guys just came out and they fought hard. We finally started doing things correctly… But tonight is just something to build on for the future.”
The win was Perry’s first as a head football coach. And he said he had to take his hat off to his seniors. “They stuck with me, and they fought their tails off tonight, and the other younger guys just kind of followed.”
Perry credited senior quarterback Taylor with leading the offense and moving the ball well. And he said sophomore Preyear is “just going to be a dominant back.”
Central will go on the road Friday, Nov. 2 to face non-regional foe Autaugaville for their last game of the season. And Calhoun will end the season on the road on Nov. 2, as well, at non-regional foe Geneva.