Centerville Eliminates Previously-Unbeaten Garrison From Playoffs With 48-27 Win

RUSK -- The Centerville Tigers rushed for 398 yards in ousting previously-unbeaten Garrison from the playoffs with a 48-27 win their Class 2A Division II Region III area-round matchup Friday night.

Centerville running back Tulley Pickins led the way with 202 yards rushing, which included a 63-yard touchdown run. He also scored on defense by recovering a Garrison fumble in the end zone with 10 seconds remaining in the game.

Centerville (11-1) sophomore Trevor Goolsby added 105 yards on 15 carries, including a 35-yard touchdown run. Jordan Cannon, one of two quarterbacks who played for the Tigers, rushed for 58 yards, including a 2-yard touchdown early in the game.

The Tigers will play Corrigan-Camden (12-0) next week in the regional semifinals.

Garrison (11-1) struggled badly out of the gate against Centerville (11-1), the team it lost to in the area round of the playoffs last season in Bullard.

The Bulldogs lost fumbles on each of their first two possessions, with both miscues leading to Centerville touchdowns.

Centerville went on two build a 27-0 lead midway through the second quarter before Garrison began an impressive charge late.

The Bulldogs, who were held to nine yards offense in the opening quarter, were behind 27-0 when quarterback Andrew Russell threw a 56-yard pass to Khiran Arrington that put the Bulldogs in scoring position. Russell capped the drive with a 1-yard run a few plays later to pull Garrison to within 27-7

Garrison’s Cameron Rodriguez added a 37-yard field goal with 2:24 left in the second quarter to make it a 27-10 halftime score. Garrison got to within 27-17 with 4:13 remaining in the third quarter on Russell’s 51-yard touchdown strike to Chris Feaster.

Centerville countered with Goolsby’s 35-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 34-17. Garrison came right back with a 6-yard scoring run by Demetrius Bennett with four seconds remaining in the third to get to within 34-24.

Rodriguez’s field goal pulled Garrison to within a touchdown of the lead, but Centerville recovered the ensuing onside kick near midfield. The Tigers then pounded the ball straight at Garrison, with Cannon getting the majority of the runs.

Garrison’s rushing game struggled. Demetrius Bennett led the Bulldogs with 58 yards on 10 carries, while Logan Clark added 26 yards on nine carries.

Russell threw for 191 yards on just nine completions, with 107 yards coming on the throws to Arrington and Feaster.