Patrick Morris rushed for 228 yards and 3 touchdowns Friday night as the Bridge City Cardinals advanced to the Area Round with a 35-28 win over the Center Roughriders in Splendora.
Morris carried the load for BC with 32 carries as he took up the slack from an absent Cayce Draper. The Cards leading rusher didn’t play after suffering a foot injury in the weight room during the week.
BC scored first on a 37 yd. run by Max Baker but Center would respond quickly with a score on their first series to tie the game at 7.
Center took the lead in the second quarter with a 37 TD pass and this time it would be BC that would respond on their next possession. A 10 play drive ended with a 1 yard TD by QB Byron Trahan. Roughrider QB Kyle Parks would score just before the half to give Center, the fourth place team out of 9-4A, a 21-14 lead.
The Roughriders would put together an 11 play drive to open the second half but would miss a 35 yd FG. BC got the ball and put together their own 11 play drive, capped with a 16 yd TD by Morris, but Brogan Brown would miss the PAT, giving Center a slim 21-20 lead with 1:10 left in the third.
Center picked up 75 yds in two plays of their next drive before Parks took it in from two to increase their lead 28-20. with 11:03 left in regulation.
Needing a touchdown and a two point conversion to tie, BC went to work with a 9 play, 78 yard drive with Morris scoring from four and Baker scoring the two point conversion to tie the game at 28 with 6:36 left.
After an impressive first half by QB Parks and the Center offense, it was obvious BC made some adjustments defensively at halftime as they did a much better job corralling Parks. He had 88 yds at the half and 93 for the game.
After tying the game the Cardinal defense forced Center into their first three and out and then went back to their ground and pound game, traveling 86 yds. in 13 plays with Morris scoring his third TD from four yards, giving BC a 35-28 lead with :23 left.
Center got to the 49 on their final drive and with 1 second on the clock Parks threw one up and Octavious Evans made the catch at the five and was tackled at the three with no time left on the clock. Cards win 35-28 and will play Bay City in the second round. The game is scheduled for Friday at Galena Park NS Stadium at 7:30.
Coach Dwayne Dubois said how proud he was of his team and the way they responded after losing a senior leader in Draper. He also said Draper should be back in uniform next week.
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