Burleson Centennial quarterback, passing game blows by Midlothian in district play

Over the years, Burleson Centennial has become known for a ground-churning running game out of the Navy Spread formation.

Friday night against Midlothian, the Spartans unleashed its passing game with devastating effect.

Centennial quarterback Phillip Hamilton threw for three scores and 184 yards in the first half as the Spartans built a 21-point lead over Midlothian on the way to a 41-13 District 4-5A Division 1 victory at Burleson ISD Stadium.

Hamilton completed 7 of 11 passes for 184 yards in the first half, including four passes over 15 yards. For the night, the sophomore connected on 9 of 11 passes for 232 yards and four touchdowns.

David Clerk, who also ran for a score in the first half, tallied three catches in the first half for 111 yards and a score. Also in the first half, Malyke Whitted nabbed a pair of touchdown passes and had three catches for 41 yards. He ended the night with 70 yards receiving on four receptions.

In the first half, the Spartans rushed for 147 yards on 22 carries. Centennial had 331 yards of offense at halftime on 33 plays. The Spartans finished with 451 yards of offense (219 rushing and 232 passing).

The game marked the first time this season Centennial (3-1 overall, 2-0 district) has played at home.

The Panthers (3-2, 1-2) suffered their second consecutive district loss.

The last time the teams met, Centennial eked out a 23-21 victory last season. The Spartans are 3-0 against the Panthers, including a 24-7 win in 2018.

Both teams scored on their first possessions and it looked like it might be a back-and-forth, high-scoring affair.

Centennial scored on an 8-yard run by Clerk and the Panthers countered with a 41-yard strike from Nicholas De Los Santos to Xavionte Jackson.

The problem for Midlothian was that Centennial’s defense made several big first-half plays to halt drives.

After failing to take advantage of a fumble recovery at their 37, the Panthers were forced to punt after six plays. The punt pinned the Spartans at their 9. Two plays later, Hamilton hit Clerk open downfield for an 88-yard score and a 14-7 lead.

Centennial’s defense made a stand on Midlothian’s next possession dropping De Los Santos for a 3-yard loss on fourth-and-three at the Spartans 25. The stop led to a 21-7 lead when Hamilton hit Malyke Whitted for a 12-yard score.

Following a punt, Centennial took over at its 46 with 1:18 to play before half. Hamilton moved the Spartans down the field and found Whitted for a 10-yard score with 18 seconds remaining in the half.

The drive covered 56 yards on five plays and took 56 seconds off the clock.

In the second half, the Spartans kept things going as Clerk scored on an 8-yard run and Hamilton threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Koby Clark.

Midlothian scored late on a 27-yard run by David Smith.

Next week, Centennial hosts Mansfield Legacy while Midlothian hosts Red Oak.