St. Paul Johnson running back Justice Moody exploded through the Central defense on a 68-yard touchdown run on Thursday afternoon, scoring the final points of his team’s 26-8 victory at James S. Griffin Stadium in St. Paul.
On the home sideline, Central quarterback Charlie Doerr dropped his head as he sat alone on the end of the Minutemen bench.
Moody carried three times for 100 yards and caught two passes for 22 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, the Johnson Governors came up with a big win as St. Paul’s five programs will vie for the Skyway TC-Red subdistrict this season, just one reason for Doerr’s disappointment.
A play that left him despondent shortly before Moody’s dagger began with a heave towards the right corner of the end zone with 9:32 remaining.
Central receiver James Brown had a step on Johnson’s Dea’majeon Henderson-Moore. But by the time the slightly underthrown pass arrived, the Governors defensive back had cut in front of Brown, leapt high and made an interception that changed the game’s trajectory. Central trailed 20-8 at the time.
“We had to get a stop and our defense played tremendous,” said Johnson coach Richard Magembe, whose team avenged losses to Central the past two years and improved to 2-1. “As long as we’re hustling, there’s always an opportunity for a turnover. (Henderson-Moore) is known for plays like that.”
Doerr finished with 17 carries for 52 yards but took a pounding while doing so, limping off the field after the game with a sprained knee.
“He always gets back up, no matter how hard he gets hit,” teammate Damarius Palmer-Bell said.
Doerr, a junior, completed just one of his nine pass attempts for 14 yards.
A first-year varsity starter, he said he doesn’t yet have the best connections with his receivers and was somewhat intimidated during the first half. He saw Brown make a sharp cut towards the end zone’s back corner, but produced a jump ball instead of hitting him on a line.
“Props to the corner for getting it,” Doerr said. “And of course, then they go score.”
Johnson took an 8-0 lead in the first quarter when Ali Farfan threw 16 yards to Anthony Stevenson, who slipped behind Brown at one of the end zone’s front pylons. Farfan threw to Moody for the 2-point conversion.
Johnson, which has won only four of its last 18 games with Central, pushed its lead to 14-0 with 3:27 remaining in the second quarter on Farfan’s 29-yard throw to Stevenson. The conversion attempt failed.
Central (0-3) couldn’t run out the clock at the end of the first half, turning the ball over on downs at its own 39-yard line just 11 seconds before intermission. The Minutemen committed a personal foul on a tackle and Farfan soon hit Moody on a 9-yard pass. The conversion attempt failed and the visitors led 20-0 heading into the break.
Central got on the scoreboard after a Johnson punt snap scuttled through Eloy Kang’s legs and out the back of the end zone for a safety with 7:28 remaining in the third quarter.
On the ensuing possession, five Doerr runs in seven plays propelled a drive that ended with Willie Harris plowing home on a 4-yard run. The conversion attempt was no good and the hosts trailed 20-8 with three minutes remaining in the third.
Henderson-Moore’s interception and Moody’s second touchdown rescued Johnson, which savored the triumph against its city rival.
“We could have performed way better than we did,” Stevenson said. “We stooped down to their level, but we got our revenge, which is what matters.”
Farfan completed 8 of 17 passes for 84 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception. He also ran seven times for 28 yards and teammate Jacoby Wiggins carried six times for 60 yards. Stevenson’s only two catches went for touchdowns.
Johnson hosts Highland Park on Sept. 19 and Central visits Minneapolis Southwest the same day.
0 Comments