By ROWENA PLETT

Staff writer

A Centre football game that began competitively Friday against Waverly turned into a struggle as several starters and backups were injured.

The Cougars scored first on a 52-yard run by quarterback Braxton Smith. The conversion attempt failed.

After Waverly’s first drive ended in eight points, Aiden Svoboda scored on an eight-yard run. The conversion attempt failed, but Centre led 12-8.

Each team scored another eight points before the quarter ended with Centre leading, 20-16.

Things started to unravel for the Cougars in the second quarter. Waverly scored early and then recovered two Centre fumbles, adding three unanswered touchdowns and four extra points. Waverly led, 38-20, at halftime.

The Cougars held their own at the beginning of the third quarter, scoring first on a one-yard run by Xavier Espinoza with 5:29 on the clock. Waverly answered with another eight points.

Centre’s Matthew Madron scored his first touchdown of the season on a 17-yard pass from Espinoza early in the fourth quarter.

Waverly scored the next 28 points. Centre’s final touchdown was on a six-yard run by Espinoza and a 2-point conversion run by Kyle Peterson.

With eight seconds remaining, Waverly scored another touchdown. The game ended with Waverly winning 66-40.

Centre’s rushing yards were spread among five players, Smith, 94; Jensen Riffel, 65; Espinoza, 61; Svoboda, 52; and Lane Methvin, 13.

Espinoza threw six passes for 93 yards. Madron was leading receiver, with three catches for 49 yards.

“I thought the younger kids stepped up better tonight,” coach Kelly Steiner said. “It’s very hard to overcome the adversity of losing several starters and also a few backups. I’m proud of how the kids who were still in the game continued to play hard and give it everything they had.”