CRAWFORDVILLE, Florida — In their first visit to Crawfordville, the Thomas County Central Yellow Jackets found the host Wakulla War Eagles up to the challenge, taking the inaugural meeting of the two programs by a 29-7 score.

“We’re playing some quality football teams here early,” head coach Ashley Henderson said about his team’s now 0-2 start in the 2020 season. “We did some good things, but Wakulla was the better team here tonight.”

The game started off precisely the way Wakulla wanted it to, as Central turned the ball over on the first possession of the night. Central quarterback Persean Taylor, in his first start, threw a pass that bounced off the Yellow Jacket receiver and was intercepted by a War Eagles defensive back at the Central 41-yard line. 

Five plays later Wakulla junior running back Brendan Wilson took it in from 5 yards out to give Wakulla an early 7-0 lead with the PAT.

Central responded on its ensuing possession. After Wakulla’s kicker mis-kicked the kickoff and Central’s Chris Watkins fell on the ball at the Yellow Jacket 42, on a third and 1 play from the Wakulla 49 Central hit paydirt. On a jet sweep to the left side, senior Tykeem Wallace found a crease in the War Eagle defense and scampered untouched for a touchdown. Hector Rodriguez’s extra point tied the game at 7-7.

Wakulla started its next drive from its own 18-yard line, and methodically marched down the field for the go-ahead score. The highlight of the drive was a 37-yard pass strike from senior quarterback Desmond Greene to junior receiver Zamarion Smith.

After the War Eagle touchdown, the Wakulla place kicker took a direct snap and threw a two-point conversion pass to senior receiver Kaleb Howard to push the lead to 15-7.

After getting the ball back from Central, Wakulla was facing a fourth down play inside Central territory when Greene hit Smith again on a wide open play down the middle to the Yellow Jacket three. Wilson again took it into the right side of the end zone, and with the extra point Wakulla led 22-7 midway through the second quarter.

The Yellow Jacket defense stiffened the rest of the of the half, but Central couldn’t find any consistency on the offensive side of the ball. The teams went into the locker rooms with the War Eagles leading 22-7.

Wakulla went three and out on the opening possession of the second half, and Central put together an impressive drive deep into War Eagle territory. Inside the Wakulla 20, quarterback Taylor found an opening on the left side before a War Eagle defender grabbed him from behind and punched the ball out of his arms. Wakulla recovered at its own 11 and the Yellow Jacket threat was thwarted.

Wakulla moved the ball down to the Central 41 before facing a fourth and 6. Greene found senior receiver Jakari Ervin behind the Yellow Jacket secondary in the left side of the end zone for a backbreaking touchdown dagger.

“Our guys are playing hard, but we’re not playing consistent,” Henderson said. “We’ve got to put more plays together and stop hurting ourselves.”

Central had costly penalties and three turnovers on the night, bringing their season total to nine. Taylor ended the night 12 of 23 passing for 107 yards, and Central ran the ball 36 times for 188 yards, for 295 total yards. Dondell Green led the Yellow Jackets with 57 yards rushing on 15 carries.

Wakulla ended the night with 20 first downs and 322 total yards, with only one turnover late in the game. The War Eagles, who went 13-1 in 2019, move to 2-0 on the season with the win.

“This isn’t a period on our season, this is just a comma,” Henderson concluded. “We keep playing hard and good things are going to come from it.”

Central will travel to Barnesville next Friday for another first-ever meeting against Lamar County, who will enter the contest with a 3-0 record after defeating Jackson County 12-7 Friday night.