T.J. Belin tossed six touchdown passes, and the Center Roughriders pulled away in the second half to earn a 49-28 win over the Spring Hill Panthers on Friday at Panther Stadium.
Spring Hill drops to 0-2 with the loss, while Center improves to 2-0 on the young season.
Center opened the scoring just 28 seconds into the contest when Belin capped a three-play, 64-yard drive with a 49-yard touchdown pass to Johnson. Pablo HuichapaÐÔÊӽ紫ý™s extra point put the Roughriders on top 7-0 with 11:32 left in the opening frame.
The Panthers answered with a 20-play, 75-yard march that took 8:31 off the clock to tie things at 7-7. Trevor Allen capped the long drive with a 6-yard run, and Brady MeyerÐÔÊӽ紫ý™s PAT tied things with 3:01 left in the initial quarter.
Belin went up top again and hit Jeramiah Ratcliff on a 29-yard scoring strike with less than a minute to play in the first quarter. The drive covered 43 yards in just two plays, and HuichapaÐÔÊӽ紫ý™s extra point moved the Roughriders on top 14-7.
Spring Hill drove 74 yards in six plays and got a 41-yard touchdown run from Coleman Stout to keep it close. The PAT failed, but Spring Hill trailed by just one ÐÔÊӽ紫ý“ 14-13 ÐÔÊӽ紫ý“ with 9:37 left in the half.
BelinÐÔÊӽ紫ý™s third TD pass of the half ÐÔÊӽ紫ý“ and second to Johnson ÐÔÊӽ紫ý“ covered 33 yards and gave Center a 21-13 lead with 8:38 left before the break after HuichapaÐÔÊӽ紫ý™s extra point.
It didnÐÔÊӽ紫ý™t stay that way for long as Trevor Allen brought the ensuing kickoff back 101 yards for a touchdown to pull the Panthers to within 21-20 with 8:32 left in the half
Spring Hill took itÐÔÊӽ紫ý™s only lead of the game early in the third quarter when Trevor Allen capped a 74-yard, 4-play drive with a 2-yard TD run. The two-point conversion by Jaxson Copeland gave the Panthers a 28-21 lead, but that was all of the scoring for the home team.
Belin connected with Brandon Barnes for 45 yards and a TD to tie things, and then hit Johnson two more times on 25-yard strikes at 4:10 of the third and 8:49 of the fourth to move the Roughriders in front 42-28.
Jeremy Bluford scored on a 19-yard run for Center with 1:47 remaining to make the final 49-28.
Spring Hill will visit Quinlan Ford next week. Center will host North DeSoto.
