Room to Grow: Central Improves to 2-0 with 31-6 Victory Over Arch-Rival Denham Springs

by: William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor

Central head football coach David Simoneaux Jr. had just watched his team defeat its biggest rivals to remain undefeated this season.

But Simoneaux’s big-picture approach, though, told you that his Wildcats are not a polished product.

Central built a comfortable three-score lead at halftime and picked up a late interception return for its lone second-half score in a 31-6 victory Friday over Denham Springs at Wildcat Stadium.

It was the 75th renewal of the series between the two schools which were meeting for the first time since 2021. Central leads 37-35-4.

“We were trying to run the football more in the second half to take the air out of the game,” Simoneaux said. “From a discipline standpoint, we have to do a better job with the penalties (14 for 130 yards). I felt like we stayed behind the chains. We’ve got to get back and look at it and try and figure where to go from here on the offensive side.”

Central (2-0) took advantage of terrific field position in the first half, building a 24-0 halftime lead without running a play on its side of the field until its last drive of the half. The Wildcats converted drives of 21, 47, 49, and 48 yards with quarterback Jackson Firmin, a Nicholls State commitment, returning from a car accident that week before and throwing three touchdowns. 

Placekicker Nathan Zimmer also kicked a 38-yard field goal and proved to be quite a weapon with seven touchbacks on kickoffs.

“Hats off to Nathan Zimmer,” Simoneaux said. “He has a college leg and has done a great job with his consistency this year.”

Because of Zimmer’s right leg, which also includes the team’s punting duties, Denham Springs (1-1) ran only five plays in Central’s territory in the first half. 

“Really it was an ugly football game,” said Denham Springs head coach Brett Beard, whose team was flagged 14 times for 130 yards. “I know how I feel, and I think I know football coaches, and I kind of think I know how they feel. You have possession on this side of the 50, nine times the first half and you only come away with 24 points, we have to tip our hat somewhere. I thought defensively we did some good things.”

The return of Firmin, along with wide receiver Kylen Thomas, provided a spark after they were both involved in a car accident last Wednesday that resulted in them being on the sideline of last week’s opening win over De La Salle. A third teammate, Emmanuel “Manny” Williams, was released from the hospital this week and was in attendance on the team’s sideline on crutches. 

Firmin missed his first four passes before slowly warming up, completing four of his next five attempts, including an 8-yard score to Keithon Womack for a 9-0 lead.

“It kind of started off a bit jittery,” Firmin said. “It worked out. We got comfortable out there. I was 100%. The shoulder’s aching a little bit, but I’m good.”

Firmin beat Denham Springs’ blitz to help Central increase its lead to 17-0. His swing pass to Tyrann Williams appeared to be for minimal gain, but the determination of the 200-pound sophomore resulted in him barging through the back end of the Yellow Jackets’ secondary and into the end zone to complete a 36-yard touchdown.

A two-point pass from Firmin was secured by Steven Ranel near the corner of the end zone for a 17-0 lead with just under 10 minutes to go in the second quarter. 

Central’s defense was ferocious throughout, battering Denham Springs quarterback Jerry Horne. The Wildcats recorded eight tackles for loss and four sacks of Horne, allowing 69 yards in the first half.

The most memorable moment of the first half came with 5:50 left before halftime when Firmin and Thomas, who were hospitalized more than a week ago after the accident, combined on a 49-yard touchdown pass to make it 24-0.

“We worked all summer on that,” said Firmin, who completed 15 of 33 passes for 173 yards. “On all type of routes, all type of route trees. It was really cool to connect with him on that last one after all of the stuff we’ve been together since really since last July.”

Denham Springs, which blocked a field goal with 11 minutes to play, limited Central to 35 yards in the second half.

The Yellow Jackets scored the first touchdown against the Wildcats’ defense this season when Horne, 17 of 47 for 216 yards, drove his team 41 yards for a score with 5:50 to go. His 26-yard completion to top receiver Ty’lan Haynes (9 catches, 119 yards) set up a 6-yard score to Cadyn Lewis. 

“We’ve got to take pride in getting our kids better, we’ve got to take ownership and that’s what we’re going to do,” said Beard, whose team held a 147-35 advantage in total yards the second half. “We’re going to go back to work.”

Central’s defense, which held Denham Springs to minus-16 yards rushing, had the final say when defensive back Blaysen Stoken stepped in front of a pass from Horne, returning it 89 yards to account for the final score with five minutes remaining. 

The Wildcats piled up 204 return yards that including 45 from Kaeden Louque’s interception and Ranel’s three punt returns for 77.

“(Defensive coordinator) Coach (Anthony) Camp and the defense was incredible,” Simoneaux said. “We just left them on the field too much. If we could have gotten a little more going on the offensive side of the football, those guys wouldn’t have had to play so many snaps.”