Central's Taylor Houchin did it all Friday night. He had 250 rushing, an interception return and a 48-yard field goal. (Photo Sam Hurst/IDS)

For 47:25 minutes of Friday night’s 48-minute homecoming game between Central and Mitchell, the Cobblers played the game of their lives.

All night long, the defense shut down Mitchell at the line of scrimmage, and on offense, the Central line opened gapping holes for Taylor Houchin, who played like a raging beast.

Houchin turned in the most dominant single game performance I have ever seen on a high school football field. Not only did he rush for 250 yards and three touchdowns, he ran the wildcat offense from the shotgun, caught passes out of the backfield, returned a kickoff for 45 yards, intercepted a pass from his safety position, kicked a 48 yard field goal at the end of the 1st half (which could have cleared 58 yards), and consistently drove his kickoffs deep into the Mitchell end zone. Taylor Houchin put the entire Central team on his shoulders, and willed them to victory.

For 47:25 minutes Trent Pikula’s Cobblers looked like a team that had finally found its identity, found its cohesion, and found confidence. For all the small breakdowns of discipline, the missed assignments, the wasted timeouts, Central found the determination to fight off adversity and bounce back, to take a punch smack in the face, and give one right back, to put itself in position to win in the 4th quarter.

It was a game to be proud of, and to build on.

Central lost 34-23.

Mitchell could not move the ball. Mitchell could not stop Houchin. But for four plays, just four moments when discipline broke down, for just 35 seconds out of 48 minutes, the gods of Cobbler football blinked, and handed Mitchell the victory.

Four plays…

–With only three minutes gone in the 1st quarter, Mitchell running back Jason Greenway fielded a Cobbler punt, found a crease where Central’s lane discipline had collapsed, and returned the ball 73 yards for a touchdown.

–In the 3rd quarter, Greenway recovered a Cobbler fumble and rambled 30 yards for a touchdown.

–With 2:23 left in the 4th quarter, holding a 23-20 lead, Central once again lost lane containment on punt coverage, and Justin Greenway raced 80 yards for a touchdown to put the Kernals back on top 27-23.

The Cobbler sideline, which had been riotous in its excitement, fell into a desperate, aching, silence.

–With 56 seconds left in the game, driving toward the Mitchell end zone, Mike Norberg’s pass over the middle was batted into the air, intercepted by linebacker Dylan Hart, and returned 50 yards for a touchdown to put the game out of reach.

Four plays…

Against Central’s sustained, strong-hearted effort for a whole game, the Kernels rode four plays to victory.

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(Photos Sam Hurst/IDS)

For three quarters, Central fought from behind, patiently trusting Houchin off tackle, over and over pounding the ball forward. The score didn’t reflect Central’s domination, but in the trenches Central’s big men owned the line of scrimmage.

Down 13-9 at half, the game turned on the first two series after intermission. An inspired Central defense shut down Mitchell three-and-out to open the second half. Momentum was turning. But just as Central began to drive, Jason Greenway recovered a Central fumble and returned it for a touchdown, putting the Kernals ahead 20-9.

Past Central teams might have folded, but this team didn’t panic. Central could not score in the 3rd quarter, but Pikula continued to pound Holchin off tackle, and wear Mitchell down. The strategy paid off in the 4th, when Holchin broke free for two scores, including a 47-yard scoring dash up the middle.

With 3:00 minutes left in the game, ahead 23-20, Trent Pikula had every reason to believe that his long-suffering program had turned the corner. But two freak lapses of discipline in the span of a minute slammed the door shut with no time to recover.

It is a testament to Taylor Holchin’s character, that with 30 seconds left in the game, with team spirit broken and the game out of reach, he muscled his way off tackle for a 23 yard gain, the courageous rage of a beast unable or unwilling to accept the final verdict.

On the bench after the game, Houchin sat with his tears and his teammates. Coaches stood in stunned silence. “I’m just g**damn sick of this.” one of his linemen whispered as he smashed his helmet into the turf.

Friday night’s loss was brutal. No one can offer perspective in the moments after a loss like that. It will be difficult, now, to rally against O’Gorman. But Central players need to know…they are very close.

This team has the ability to surprise…and to win.