PHILADELPHIA — Neshoba Central head coach Steve Cheatham had spent last season laying the foundation for a rebuilding project. In the Rockets’ first game of 2006, they may have built the first floor.
The Rockets unveiled a new offense and routed crosstown rival Philadelphia 38-21 at Rocket Field.
“We’re headed in the right direction,” Cheatham said. We’re taking it one step at a time. It’s a great win. I’m proud for these kids and proud for Neshoba Central fans.”
The Rockets struggled to a 1-9 record last season, while the Tornadoes finished the season 12-1 and made it to the quarterfinals of the state playoffs. However, it was the Rockets that looked like a playoff team Friday, especially the first half, when they jumped out to a 21-0 lead.
The Rockets mostly ran a triple option offense last year, but ditched it in favor of a spread attack that featured quarterback Tyler McNeal in the shotgun on almost every snap.
The offense worked to perfection early, as McNeal gashed the Tornado defense on the second drive of the game with a run of 34 yards to set the Rockets up in prime field position at the Philadelphia 28. McNeal cashed it in three plays later with a 10-yard run up the middle to give the Rockets a 7-0 lead after Derek Crenshaw’s extra point.
A Donnie Tabb interception set up Neshoba for its second TD. Tabb returned the interception to the Neshoba 25 yard line, and McNeal scored two plays later on a 13-yard TD run to give the Rockets a 14-0 lead.
Philadelphia thought it had flipped field position after they punted on their next drive and pinned Central back at their own 10 yard line. However, McNeal hit Ken Robinson on a screen pass that he turned into a 90-yard touchdown gallop to give the Rockets a 21-0 lead with 9:55 left in the first half.
“We started running counters on them in there and when they bunched back in, we were able to get the sweeps on them to the outside,” Cheatham said. “We didn’t throw it very much because we were able to run the football.”
Cheatham said he was impressed with McNeal’s handling of the complex spread offense.
“He did a good job tonight. There were a few things he did wrong but he did really, really well. He was real poised back there, very confident. He’s got his confidence back..”
The teams traded touchdowns in the next five minutes, with Philly scoring on a Kendrick Lyon 14-yard run and Neshoba answering on a Robinson 45-yard TD run.
However, in the final 3 minutes before halftime, Philly lost a golden opportunity to take momentum into the locker room.
The Tornadoes scored a touchdown on a 9-yard run by Tunt Burnside to cut the lead to 28-14. But on Central’s first play from scrimmage on its next possession, Philly recovered a fumble that set them up on the Rockets’ 13 yard line. Three running plays netted 4 yards, and coach Brian Anderson decided to gamble and go for the touchdown.
However, the Rocket defense held on fourth down, forcing an incomplete pass, and kept the momentum going into the halftime break.
“We took their best shot right before halftime,” Cheatham said. “It would have made a huge difference in the momentum going into halftime. It would have took more of the wind out of our sails.”
Anderson called the stop one of the turning points in the game.
“We had an opportunity to close the gap right there and take the momentum and didn’t make the play when we had to,” Anderson said. “That’s the bottom line.”
Philly closed the gap to a touchdown in the third quarter on a Burnside 42-yard touchdown run, but Central’s defense held the rest of the way, while the offense added 10 fourth-quarter points on a Crenshaw 34-yard field goal and a Robinson 11-yard touchdown run.
Anderson gave credit to the Rockets, saying his Tornadoes lost to a better football team.
“They’ve got a good ball team,” Anderson said. “I believe in calling a spade a spade, and they’ve got a good ball team. There’s no other way to say it.”
Robinson finished the game with 84 yards rushing with two touchdowns while McNeal rushed for 52 yards and two TDs.
Burnside led the Tornadoes with 66 rushing yards and two scores.
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