Little Rock Central Beats Weather Delays, LR Catholic 24-10

by ArkansasSports360.com Staff  on Friday, Aug. 31, 2012 11:09 pm  

DJ Brown, a sophomore RB for Little Rock Catholic, flips into the endzone in the pouring rain at War Memoral Stadium Friday night for a touchdown.  The score came early in the fourth quarter to give the Rockets their first TD of the night.  AJ Tucker, a senior at Little Rock Central, attempted to make the stop. (Photo by Rhonda Sharp)

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

Just as Little Rock Catholic zipped 76 yards in seven plays to close to within 17-10 with 8:24 to play, the remnants of Tropical Storm Isaac showed up to halt play for the second time Friday night. When the teams returned from the delay for a lightning detection, the game belonged completely to Little Rock Central.

Malcolm Robinson finished the Tigers' 80-yard drive with a 3-yard TD run, his second score of the game, with 3:06 to play and Central came away with a 24-10 win in the second Alumni Classic at War Memorial Stadium. The game is a benefit for the Central athletic department, and Friday night's crowd topped 4,000 fans, all of whom were drenched by heavy rain that hit in the third quarter.

One lightning delay came with 24.4 seconds left in the first half. After about a 20-minute wait, play resumed, the teams finished the first half and moved directly to the second half.

Robinson scored on a 16-yard run to put Central up 17-3 with 11:51 to play. But Catholic responded behind the passing of Zac Pinter to Aaron Hamaker to move 74 yards, with D.J. Brown answering Robinson's zig-zagging scoring run with one of his own from 18 yards, and Jacob Morehart's PAT made it 17-10.

Then players and fans were ordered under the stands as lightning was detected again.

When the teams returned, Central converted two first downs to keep the clock running, and Logan Moragne broke a 56-yard run to set up Robinson's clinching score.

Cooper Westbrook, Central's sophomore quarterback, passed 3 yards to Eric Mason for the first touchdown following a Rocket fumble on the Catholic 7.

Wesley Wahls missed a 41-yard field goal for the Tigers, with 3:27 left in the half, but he quickly had another chance when Tim Cooper intercepted Pinter at the Rockets 26 and returned it to the 16. When the drive stalled at the 11, Wahls converted from 28 yards for a 10-0 Tigers lead.

Morehart put Catholic on the board just 2:34 into the second half with a 27-yard field goal. The drive was set up by Brown's 49-yard kickoff return to start the half.

Central star receiver A.J. Tucker did not dress for the game. Tucker recently suffered a broken thumb. The slack was picked up by Reggie Harris, who was Westbrook's chief target for three quarters.

 

 

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