Big plays power Central Catholic

THIBODAUX — Central Catholic used big plays to score early, and Covenant Christian could not keep up, dropping a 41-6 decision Thursday at John L. Guidry Stadium.
The Lions dropped to 0-5 overall and 0-2 in district 8-1A.
Central Catholic (2-3, 2-1) scored on the game’s first possession on a 60-yard touchdown pass. The Lions came right back and drove to the Eagles 2-yard line, but a fumble gave the Eagles the ball.
On first down, Kye Morgel broke a 74-yard run down to the Lions’ 24. Morgel later took it in from the one, and Central Catholic led 13-0 with 2:40 left in the first.
Covenant’s only score came on the next series, with quarterback Conner Matherne hitting Malachi Ayo on a 60-yard touchdown strike.
“I give Central Catholic credit,” Covenant Christian coach Cullen Matherne said. “Tommy Minton is a great coach with a great program. Those guys came out swinging. We got a great play from Malachi. But they made their adjustments, and we made ours, and they just out-executed us.”
It was all Eagles after that. Central Catholic made it 19-7 on a seven-play, 67-yard drive.
Matherne chose to go for it on fourth and 10 from their own 48. An incompletion gave the Eagles a short field, and six plays later, quarterback Caleb O’Con took it in from the seven. The two-point conversion was good, and Central Catholic led 27-6 going into halftime.
Covenant took the second-half kickoff and tried to convert again on fourth down, this time from their own 36. A Conner Matherne run was short, and the Ea-gles took advantage, scoring in three plays to make it 34-6.
“We knew we were down. We knew where we were in the season, and I didn’t want to bow down,” Matherne said. “I said if we’re going to go for it, we’re going to go for it. We’re not going to play conservative. If they came back and scored, so be it, but I told the guys we were going to play to win.”