PHEBA – Leshon Hill ran right, there was no room. He ran left, there was no room. And forget about running up the middle.
Hebron Christian School’s defense was having none of it.
Hill, Central Academy’s star running back, struggled to find running room against a swarming Hebron defense Friday night as the Eagles held previously-unbeaten Central to less than 100 yards of total offense and forced two turnovers. Throw in a strong performance by Hebron’s offense, and the result was a 38-6 Homecoming win for the Eagles.
“Our defense played really well,” said Hebron coach David Foster. “We came into this game and we knew (Central) was undefeated, and they’d be playing with confidence. I told our defense that the only way to get that confidence out of the equation was to go take it from them. We did that tonight.”
Hebron’s defense dominated Friday night’s game from start to finish, allowing just two first downs in the first half and just five for the game. The Eagles forced a pair of fumbles and sacked Central quarterbacks Dalton Outz and Wyatt Norris five times.
Three of those sacks belonged to Hebron outside linebacker Collin Moore, the team’s lone senior. Moore, who also scored a touchdown offensively, finished his night with 14 tackles, three sacks, five tackles for loss and a fumble recovery. It was an effort emblematic of Hebron’s complete domination but for More, it was just another game.
“If he was 40 pounds heavier, there wouldn’t be anybody out there that could stop him,” said Foster of Moore. “He’s playing hurt, too. He’s got a broken rib, but that doesn’t slow him down. He’s a great football player.”
Moore also made a key stop for the Eagles early in the first half. With Hebron leading 8-0 thanks to an 85-yard kick return by junior Landon Hill on the game’s opening kick, Moore dropped Central’s best player, tailback Leshon Hil, after a gain of two yards on a fourth-and-four situation. The tackle gave Hebron the first of its four stops on fourth down.
“Their running back is really, really good,” said Moore. “We knew they could run it, and he was hard to tackle.
“We also knew they could pass the ball, so the game plan was to get after them. I don’t think we gave them much time to throw tonight.”
Indeed, Central completed just four passes and finished the night with 91 total yards. Most of those yards came from Leshon Hill, who rushed for 63 yards and Central’s lone touchdown.
The win keeps the Eagles alive in the 8-man football playoff race, as Hebron improved to 5-3 overall and 2-1 in district play. Central, meanwhile, fell to 6-1 and 2-1.
“It was a huge win for us,” said Moore. “It keeps our playoff hopes alive. As a senior, I want to keep playing as long as I possibly can.”
While Hebron’s defense stole the show, the offense was nearly as good. Junior quarterback Channing Tapley completed seven of his 13 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns while adding 59 rushing yards and another score. Junior wideouts Landon Hill and Peyton Griffin each hauled in touchdown passes for the Eagles.
The Eagles, who led 14-0 after the first quarter, led 22-6 at the half. After Moore and Tapley each added touchdown runs in the third quarter, Hebron entered the fourth quarter leading 38-6, the eventual final score.
“They were very physical, very aggressive,” said Central coach Will Walker of Hebron. “It was hard. It seemed like they had an answer for everything tonight.
“But we are 6-1, and we talked to our team about that. We just have to bounce back from this.”
Follow Brandon Walker on Twitter @BWonStateBeat
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