CJHS Cougars are league champions
Centre Junior High Cougars have been on the prowl all year long. They conquered all their foes, falling only to 3A Marion.
With a 5-1 overall record going into tournament play Oct. 17, the football team faced first-place Wakefield with a record of 6-0.
The competition was fierce, but the Cougars overcame an eight-point deficit at half-time to win the game 22-14.
Centre's first touchdown came on a two-yard run by quarterback Seth Jirak with 1:56 remaining in the first quarter. The PAT attempt failed.
With 22 seconds to go in the quarter, Wakefield scored on a 22-yard pass and added the two-point conversion, putting Wakefield up 8-6.
Wakefield then added another touchdown in the second quarter, and the half ended with Wakefield ahead 14-6.
Coach Stan Wiles' pep talk during half-time must have inspired the Cougars because they came back to score two touchdowns in the second half and keep Wakefield scoreless.
In the third quarter, Lance Diepenbrock ran 11 yards for a touchdown. Thieen Antoszyk scored the extra points on a pass from Jirak to tie the game 14-14.
Diepenbrock crossed the goal line again in the fourth quarter to add six more points and Antoszyk caught a pass to add the final two. The score at the buzzer was Centre 22, Wakefield 14.
Statistics tell the story. Centre had 32 carries for 139 yards on the ground and five pass receptions for 82 yards. Wakefield gained 103 yards rushing and 22 yards passing.
Jirak carried the ball 18 times for 94 yards, and Lance Diepenbrock had 10 carries for 43 yards. In four carries, Sean Leihy gained two yards.
Jirak completed five of nine passes for 82 yards. Leihy caught the ball once and ran for 18 yards, Kevin Mueller had two receptions for 26 yards, and Antoszyk had two for 38 yards. Antoszyk also had one interception.
Tackles, solo and assisted, were: Phillip Griffith 4/1, Jirak 8/5, Aaron Bowman 5/2, Leihy 0/1, Diepenbrock 2/2, Alfonse Klenda 3/5, Heath Shields 0/1, Mathew Leach 1/2, Antoszyk 2/2, and Mueller 0/1.
With a record of six wins, one loss, the Centre Junior High Cougars are 2002 league champions.
