Fort Pierce Central 20, Port St. Lucie 17: Late James Blackshell TD run, interception lift Cobras

Friday, September 17, 2010
by tcpalm.com

James Blackshell's 20-yard touchdown run with 7:27 left in the fourth quarter gave Fort Pierce Central its first lead and defensive back Chris Fair came up with an interception on the next series in the Cougars' 20-17 victory over Port St. Lucie Friday afternoon at Lawnwood Stadium.

Central (2-0) rushed for 301 yards on 44 carries and didn't punt in the game. They did commit five turnovers - four in the first half - but ran the ball effectively in the second half.

Central running back Louis Mathieu, returning from a knee injury, rushed for a team-best 78 yards on 16 carries, and added a hard run on a successful two-point conversion. Brent Leonard's nine carries produced 73 yards.

Keion Williams scored on a 38-yard pass from Marcus Sigmon, and Brian Lenhart added a two-yard run for Central's other scores.

Port St. Lucie (1-2) was impressive for most of the game, holding a 14-6 halftime lead and 17-12 edge entering the final 12 minutes. The Jaguars didn't fumble once in their 47 rushes and had only the late interception as a key mistake.

After recovering a Central fumble at the Cougars' 20, Terell Floyd capped a three-play drive in the second quarter by diving into the corner of the end zone on a four-yard run. Quarterback Dikingson Juste scored on the next series after another fumble, rumbling 42 yards on a keeper.

The Jaguars' other score was a 45-yard field goal by Sergio Diaz in the third quarter.

KEY PLAY:

Following Blackshell's go-ahead touchdown run, Port St. Lucie converted two fourth-down plays to keep its drive alive. On first down from the PSL 45, Juste faked and threw a long ball downfield.

Central defensive back Chris Fair outjumped the Jaguar receiver and picked off the pass. The interception gave the Cobras the ball back, and they eventually ran out the clock deep in PSL territory.

QUOTES:

"(The turnovers) were a momentum-killer. They shortened the field. All those kinds of things you don't want to do against a Port St. Lucie team that ran the ball really well. But we made some adjustments and came out and ran the football. Louis (Mathieu) played really well for being off a couple of weeks. I was really happy for him," said Central coach Chris Hutchings.

"Bottom line, we didn't finish. We just have to believe we can do it for the entire game. Offensively, we did a little bit better this week, but we just have to do more. Central executed when it counted," said PSL head coach Hilary Poole, whose team rushed for 219 yards and was paced by Juste's 133 on 20 carries.