By Kyle Yehle PrepsKC staff writer
Posted: September 16, 2017 - 12:39 AM

St. Pius X engineered a perfect opening drive for a football game. The Warriors chewed more than half of the first quarter clock, exhausted the opposing defense and scored a touchdown for an early seven-point lead.

Those would be the last points they would record for the rest of the game.

Class 3's No. 7 Center Yellowjackets controlled the match from the following possession on, notching a 30-7 home win against Pius to move to 4-1 on the year.

"What a great first drive by Pius," Center head coach Bryan DeLong said. "I was proud of our kids bouncing back and answering them in a hurry."

It only took Center three plays and under a minute to respond. Senior quarterback Amaun Ryan, wearing No. 11 after his father passed away recently, connected with fellow senior Jeremiah Wilson for a 70-yard catch-and-run to tie the game with 4:26 left in the opening frame.

"I had to spark up the team," Wilson said. "Pius drove the ball down the field and scored, and my team looked like [it was] Nevada again. I told coach [DeLong] they were playing man on me, so I put a little move on them and took off."

The next drive, the Warriors had a 70-yard pass called back due to a penalty. Two plays later, they punted.

"That was probably the turning point," St. Pius X head coach Rick Byers said. "Now it brings us back and we're minus-15. Those are the breaks."

Center extended the lead on their next possession, with Ryan throwing another strike, this one to senior Foyce Strickland for a 39-yard score.

Ryan finished 4/8 with 143 yards and two touchdowns through the air.

After halftime, Center scored on 26-yard Darius Porter run, 24-yard field goal by Ethan Robertson, and a pick-six by Isaiah Henderson.