Centerville rallies in fourth but gives up big plays late in loss at Coffman

Coffman avenged that defeat with a 22-14 victory against Centerville on Friday in the second week of the high school football season.

“We need to be better,” Centerville coach Brent Ullery said. “Certain parts of our games need to be better.”

In a matchup of 1-0 teams, the Elks took their first and only lead of the game on a 33-yard touchdown run by Braylon Newcomb with 7:56 left in the game.

“He’s an older player,” Ullery said. “We have a lot of players that are really great and made a lot of really nice plays out there. When it came down to it, they made more plays. They had a great game plan. They came after us, and they were the better team tonight.”

Coffman answered on its next possession. Quinn Hart, who completed 14 of 20 passes for 142 yards while running for 132 yards on 18 carries, threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Eli Losey with 5:22 to play. After the conversion run failed, Coffman had a 19-14 lead.

Centerville’s next drive ended when Drake Wells threw his second interception of the game. It was Centerville’s third turnover. Coffman did not turn the ball over.

“Three to zero,” Ullery said. “You’re not going to win too many games doing that.”

Coffman capitalized when Matthew Schramm kicked a 46-yard field goal, his third of the game, with 3:30 to play. Centerville got the ball back but was forced to punt. Coffman then ran out the clock.

Coffman led Centerville 10-7 at halftime, taking the lead on a 39-yard field goal by Schramm on the final play of the half.

Earlier in the half, a promising first drive by Centerville ended with an interception in Dublin territory. Neither team scored in the first quarter.

Hart got Coffman team on the board with a 36-yard touchdown run with 6:45 left in the half.

Centerville tied the game on the next possession. Wells scrambled to buy time and found Newcomb in the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown.

Wells completed 17 of 26 passes for 143 yards after completing 16 of 22 passes for 180 yards in a season-opening 30-12 victory against Lakota East.

Newcomb rushed seven times for 58 yards and caught five passes for 40 yards. He scored two touchdowns for the second straight week.

Centerville plays another Columbus-area team in Week 3. Pickerington Central (2-0) comes to Centerville after beating Wayne 25-20 on Friday in Pickerington.