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By Fred Guarino

The Lowndes Signal

The Central High Lions got off to a roaring start in defeating J.F. Shields in a spring football game 34-12 on the road in Beatrice, Ala. Friday night, May 19.

The Lions, under the direction new head football coach Quinn Hambrite, who was appointed by the Lowndes County Board of Education to coach the spring game, scored on their first three possession.

A pass from quarterback Keegan Blackman was tipped and landed in the hands of Ma’Lek Hill who went 60 yards for the score.

Hill took a handoff from Blackman 60 yards for another score.

The Lions forced a J.F. Shields fumble, which was recovered by Londell Hill. On the next play, David Baldwin took a handoff 20 yards for the score.

The Lions went up 28-6 at the half on a 10-yard Ma’Lek Hill rush.

Late in the third quarter Frank Burke connected with Blackman on a hitch and Blackman raced 80 yards for the score.

Central held on to win 34-12.

“I thought we got off to an excellent start,” said Hambrite. He said Jermarius Rudolph had an exception game overall. “He was in the backfield almost every play on defense.”

Hambrite said the Lions still have a long way to go to be ready for the football season, but he has seen what he called “much needed improvement.”

He said, “Our plan is to do what hasn’t been done since 1999 (by a Central team), and that is make the playoffs.

Hambrite said he has a great group of kids and can’t wait to grind it out with them in the summer.

On the night:

Ma’Lek Hill had 165 all-purpose yards for the Lions with three touchdowns.

Blackman had 160 passing yards for the Lions with one passing touchdown and 80 receiving yards. He caught a touchdown pass from by Frank Burke.

Baldwin had140 all-purpose yards for the Lions with one rushing touchdown

And Rudolph led the team with six tackles, five tackles for loss and forced a fumble.