Burleson Centennial’s ground game, defensive line lead to victory over Midlothian

In the game between two teams that run the spread option, Burleson Centennial came out on top as the Spartans defeated Midlothian, 24-7, in District 5-5A Division II game at Burleson ISD Stadium.

The Spartans (4-1, 2-1) rushed for 257 yards and three touchdowns on 41 attempts. Quarterback Kyle Burns scored a pair of touchdowns for Centennial.

Midlothian (4-1, 2-1) was able to close to within 17-7 with 19 seconds to play in the first half on a 14-yard pass from Austen Thomas to Nathan Humphreys.

Game was over when: When Centennial running back Jeff Kirven broke free for a 75-yard touchdown run with 5:59 to play in the game the Spartans were able to stretch their advantage to 25-7.

Play of the game: Facing a fourth-and-one at the Centennial 1, the interior of the Spartans defensive line stuff Midlothian fullback Ethan Hill for no gain. The play left the score Centennial 17, Midlothian 7 with 8:53 to play in the game.

Offensive player of the game: Kirven was the Spartans workhouse for the night. The junior carried 19 times for 169 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 8.9 yards per carries. He did most of his damage on two runs of 75 and 26 yards.

Defensive player of the game: Centennial senior defensive lineman Mazin Richards had two sacks and tackle for loss. Spartans senior defensive back David Robinson recovered a fumble on the Midlothian first drive of the game.

Unsung hero of the game: On a Midlothian punt in the third quarter, Centennial junior defensive back Matiroyn Easley dove into a scrum and came up with the ball at Spartans’ 11 yard line. Centennial offense then drove 89 yards on 10 plays to take a 17-7 lead on a 7-yard scoring run by Burns with 3:31 left in the quarter.

What’s next? Midlothian hosts Aledo at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 5. Centennial plays Burleson at 7:30 p.m. Friday.