Defense Rules The Day: Central Makes Statement in 45-20 Regional Win Over West Ouachita
by: William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor
Central High football coach David Simoneaux Jr. has taken immense pride in the manner in which his defense has built a reputation for being physical and aggressive.
With his team receiving an opening-round bye in the Division I non-select state playoffs, Simoneaux watched his unit feast on those characteristics in another dominating performance.
Fourth-seeded Central forced the first of three turnovers two plays into Friday’s regional playoffs which led to three touchdowns – including a defensive score – for a 45-20 regional victory over No. 13 West Ouachita at CHS’ Wildcat Stadium.
“I thought that we’ve played some really good defensive games throughout the course of the year, but I thought the tenacity tonight was at another level,” Simoneaux said. “It was just complete domination. Hats off to (West Ouachita) coach (Mike) Rainwater. He does such an awesome job. We have a lot of respect for them. You could see on film that we were going to have to work out butts off to stop them and I thought we did.”
Central, playing its first home playoff game since 2021, scored twice in the first 3 ½ minutes of the game on drives of 13 and 9 yards. They built a 21-0 lead after the first quarter and led 31-0 with three minutes to go before halftime.
The Wildcats (10-1) extended their winning streak to four games and will host No. 21 West Monroe, a 20-9 winner over Mandeville, in next Friday’s state quarterfinal at 7 p.m.
“This game showed us what we can do,” Central quarterback Jackson Firmin, a Nicholls State commitment. “Our defense helped us out with the turnovers they get. The momentum they swing, it really helps us out a lot.”
Central’s defense had allowed 13 points a game, limiting five opponents to a touchdown or less with a shutout.
The Wildcats’ latest assignment was to figure out a way to slow down West Ouachita’s triple-option offense which averaged nearly 40 points a game.
West Ouachita (10-2) had the ball seven times in the first half and punted five times. Linebacker Jake Jarreau recovered a fumble forced by Scott Smith on the Chiefs’ second play from scrimmage and defensive back Blaysen Stokan had his team-high sixth interception, both turnovers resulting in touchdowns.
Running back Marvin Joseph scored on an 8-yard touchdown and Firmin added a 4-yard score after a 33-yard punt return from Steven Ranel gave the Wildcats the ball at WOHS’ 9.
“We felt good going in, that we were going to have a chance to move the football,” Rainwater said. “When you add speed with that size, it’s a different element. It was tough for us to get it going on offense and that’s something we felt good coming in, and they did a great job of shutting us down.”
A 41-yard return from Stokan after his interception gave Central the ball at WOHS’ 44 and running back Shane Brown’s carry over the right side on first down resulted in a 44-yard score and commanding 21-0 lead with 2:33 to go in the opening quarter.
The Wildcats have searched for a lead back since a car accident in the first week of the season sidelined projected starter Manny Williams. Brown, who moved into a starting role in Week 9 against Zachary, delivered a career-high 117 yards on 13 carries, helping his team gain 185 yards on the ground in 28 attempts.
“Shane’s added an element to what we do and the offensive line’s continuing to gel,” Simoneaux said. “When you’ve got somebody that’s creating for you like Shane does, he can take some smaller holes into bigger gains. He’s been an awesome addition.”
Firmin accounted for all five plays in a scoring drive that covered 74 yards to extend Central’s lead to 28-0 midway through the second quarter.
He kept twice for 23 yards and a facemask penalty at the end of the second run gave the Wildcats the ball at the WOHS 24. Following a false start penalty, Firmin found wide receiver Keithon Womack near the sideline for a 29-yard TD against tight coverage.
Firmin totaled 217 of his team’s 359 offensive yards and three touchdowns, passing for 174 (15 of 23) and rushing for 38. Womack was his leading receiver with six catches for 76 yards, and Kylen Thomas added four receptions for 48 yards.
It was the most points West Ouachita’s defense, which allowed 17.4 a game, had permitted this season.
“It’s my O-line protecting me as long as they can,” Firmin said. “It makes it easy to sit back there and do my own thing, kind of move around a bit and find somebody open. It’s not really me doing that much back there. They’re helping me out.”
WOHS’s offense generated 37 yards of offense through the first half when punter Luke Jones changed all of that. Jones had to go up to retrieve a high snap and because Central’s rush had gotten up the field, he opted to pull the ball down and took off.
He motored down the middle of the field and cut back left and raced into the end zone from 73 yards out with less than a minute remaining before halftime.
WOHS forced its second turnover of the game, a strip from Devin Ellis, but Central answered on the Chiefs first offensive play when linebacker KD Mays arrived at the same time quarterback Sam Ozark tried to pull the ball out of the stomach of fullback Marlon Owens.
The result was a loose ball that went into the air and Mays recovered and sped into the end zone for a 46-yard touchdown at the 10:30 mark of the third quarter.
“It (ball) just went flying,” Mays said of his second fumble recovery of the season and first touchdown. “I know my team counts on me to make plays. I just do what I do and let the dogs up front do their thing.
“The head coach (Rainwater) said last week the most physical and dominant team would win,” Mays said, “and we had to be the most physical and dominant team to win.”
Firmin capped his team’s scoring with 6:05 to play on a 9-yard run for a 45-6 lead which resulted in Central’s reserves playing the rest of the way.
Placekicker Nathan Zimmer, who had seven touchbacks, kicked all seven of his team’s extra points and it was his 27-yard field goal that capped Central’s 31-0 first-half lead.
West Ouachita, which won its first playoff game in 17 years a week ago, scored twice in the last four minutes and wound up with 271 yards rushing on touchdown runs of 41 and 26 yards, respectively, from CJ Barr (7-48) and Marlon Owens (18-128).
“I just thought we were really physical up front early and just nasty and attacking,” Simoneaux said. “It was really great to see. Just the way we came, I thought we were hitting on all cylinders. It was really fun.”
Central 45, West Ouachita 20
Score By Quarters
West Ouachita 0 6 0 14 – 20
Central 14 17 7 7 – 45
CHS – Marvin Joseph 8 run (Nathan Zimmer kick)
CHS – Jackson Firmin 4 run (Zimmer kick)
CHS – Shane Brown 44 run (Firmin kick)
CHS – Keithon Womack 29 pass from Firmin (Zimmer kick)
CHS – Zimmer 27 FG
WOHS – Luke Jones 73 run (kick blocked)
CHS – KD Mays 46 fumble return (Zimmer kick)
CHS – Firmin 9 run (Zimmer kick)
WOHS – CJ Barr 41 run (Seth Dowdy kick)
WOHS – MJ Owens 26 run (Dowdy kick)
WOHS CHS
First Downs 9 18
Rushes-Yards 39-271 18-185
Passing Yards 10 174
C-A-I 1-6-1 15-23-1
Punts-Avg. 7-39.5 1-24
Penalties-Yards 9-75 15-155