Central Wildcats Off to a Good Start as Coach Sid Edwards Takes Helm Again

September 13, 2012 0 Comments

CENTRAL — Central High’s 34-28 victory over St. Thomas More Friday night was “a great victory over a storied football program,” according to Wildcat coach Sid Edwards. “I was very pleased with our young men. We played with emotion. There was more fire and focus. I’m very proud of our Wildcats but this is a marathon, not a sprint. We have to get ready for a capable Woodlawn team.”

Wildcat offensive coordinator David Simoneaux said, “The St. Thomas More game presented a playoff atmosphere. They have a great tradition and were a classy group of young men.”

Simoneaux said he was particularly proud of the Wildcats’ three second-half drives of 99, 87, and 82 yards. He said one of the key differences in the game was conditioning. “It was an epic battle, and our guys had the grit to find a way to win.”

Simoneaux said, “Gary Triplett was a huge spark plug. He took control. Brett Courville proved himself a warrior. He had some huge throws, and yet he runs like a fullback. Devon Gales was a cool hand with two big catches. For someone who weighs 145 pounds, he loves to hit. He had a great hit on their linebacker early on. He’s everything we talk about when we say Central fight.”

Simoneaux also credited the Wildcats’ defensive stand at the end of the game and had high praise for defensive coordinator Ken Hilton. “Our men stopped them on four straight plays inside the 10 with a minute left. Coach Hilton has come in and earned everyone’s respect. The kids feed off his energy. He’s a master of his craft.” Simoneaux said former NFL star Eugene Daniels, who has recently joined the Wildcats’ staff, has been a tremendous addition.

“The offensive line had a great night against St. Thomas More,” he said, “and led us to 260 rushing yards. This offense is ahead of any offense I’ve had.”

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Scouting Report: Woodlawn. Central coach Sid Edwards says fans should look out for Woodlawn’s No. 5, Cameron Lazare, a wide receiver and return specialist. “This young man is greased lightning. He’s averaging about 60 yards per return. We’ll have to stop him.”

Another major threat on the Woodlawn roster is their kicker who hit a 47-yard field goal last week and barely missed one at 55 yards. “If they’re inside our 50, they’re in scoring position,” he said.

Offensively, Woodlawn likes to run — “Three yards and a cloud of dust.” They run an I formation. Although their record is 0-2, they are far better than that. They have the athletes. Woodlawn has a big offensive line. No big stars on defense. Central will have to jump ahead, or they could have big trouble.

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Wildcats to Watch. Here are Wildcats to watch this week:

• Ryan Morris, center, a spark plug, flies at 100 mph.

• Gary Triplett, dy-na-mite!

• Devon Gales, get it to him

• Brett Courville, count on him

• Jared Schoppe, unsung hero, big catch against STM, sparked the second half

• Dalton Holdman, LB, stellar, very physical

• Ashton Stokes, DE, hit the STM QB on last series, flies at 100 mph

• Kevin Henry, DB, sophomore, very physical, wide open

• Donnie Lewis, LB, big stop last week, strong

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