The Benton Tigers jumped on the Natchitoches Central Chiefs early and rolled to a 44-8 victory Friday night at Tiger Stadium.
Benton improved to 2-0. The Tigers play Southwood (1-1), which notched its first victory in two years 12-0 over Fair Park, this Friday at Independence Stadium. Natchitoches Central dropped to 0-2.
Benton avenged its lone loss in last year’s regular season. The Tigers have outscored their first two opponents a whopping 95-8.
“It was kind of the same thing we did last week really (in a 51-0 win over Green Oaks),” Benton coach Reynolds Moore said. “We just played a complete game. The offense got going a little bit more tonight, but I thought our defense improved so much in the first half we couldn’t get in an offensive rhythm. It was their fault.
“I’m just real proud of our guys. All around, I was real impressed with our guys.”
Moore said his young defense has put together back-to-back outstanding efforts.
“It was another physical game,” he said “They got some things going and our guys adjusted, found a way to get off the blocks and things like that. I guess I was just most impressed by how physical they’ve been and how this young team has kind of responded to making the big plays we’re able to make.”
The Tigers built a 28-0 lead in the first quarter and scored in a variety of ways in the game.
Natchitoches Central had six of its seven turnovers in the first half. The Chiefs’ quarterback left the game early with an injury.
For the second week in a row, Benton returned a punt for a touchdown. Last week, it was Doyle Adams Jr. Friday it was Bubba Osby, who went 77 yards.
The defense also got in on the scoring. Jalen Coleman returned an interception for a touchdown, and Kemone Perry returned a fumble for a TD. Perry also recovered multiple fumbles.
Junior quarterback Garrett Hable passed for 210 yards, according to The Times’ stats. He hit Jermaine Newton for a 21-yard touchdown. Newton also scored a rushing touchdown.
Adams tossed a 24-yard halfback pass to Legend Denler for a TD.
— Russell Hedges, rhedges@bossierpress.com
