NEW MADRID -- New Madrid County Central rode Dereke Tipler and Desmond Sims to an impressive 46-26 victory over Dyersburg (Tenn.) on Friday night, using a split-back offense for the first time this season.
Both Division I prospects had monster games, accounting for 36 of NMCC's 46 points. Tipler rushed for 271 yards on 17 carries, scoring on touchdowns from 38 and 52 yards out. He also returned a punt 70 yards for a TD, and finished with an incredible 331 all-purpose yards.
Sims had 128 yards on 12 carries, with touchdown runs of 43, 11 and 35 yards.
"We decided to go with the two horses in the backfield for the first time all year, and it really paid big dividends," said NMCC coach Steve Rogers. "It's something we picked up down in Arkansas, and it was real good to us tonight. (Dyersburg) had never seen it. It just gives other teams in our district something to work on. Desmond and Derek both had great ballgames."
Dyersburg came into the game with a 6-1 record, state ranked in Tennessee 5A. The Trojans had already clinched home field advantage in the playoffs, leaving some to wonder how NMCC would match up with the high-profile opponent after last week's surprising loss to Sikeston.
Any doubters were quickly silenced as the Eagles put 20 points on the board in the first quarter off two Tipler TDs and one from Sims.
"We just put a good old fashioned butt whipping on them," said Rogers. "I'm very proud of our kids. We put two good halves together, and were able to stay on them the whole game. This is a good boost for the guys going into districts."
Dyersburg coach James Counce refused to comment after the game.
"(Dyersburg) came in wearing black when they should've been wearing white," said Rogers. "I don't know who they thought they were going to intimidate, but very few people come in our house and push us around."
Dyersburg scored its first touchdown in the second quarter on a 16-yard run by Ben Akes. NMCC answered the score with Sims' second touchdown of the game, set up by a 17-yard tipped pass hauled in by Tipler.
The Trojans were able to strike right back as quarterback Josh Dye hooked up with wideout Orentheus Taylor for a 29-yard touchdown, shaving the lead to 26-12 with 1:06 left in the second quarter.
Dyersburg then recovered the ensuing kickoff and made a strike at the end zone. Dye found Wesley Warner wide open on the five yard line, but the ball slipped through his fingers and NMCC held on for a 26-12 halftime lead.
"I was concerned at that point, because I had flashbacks to last week," said Rogers. "I wondered if jumping out to a lead, then letting the other team back in it, was becoming a trend for us."
Rogers' concerns were quickly put to rest in the second half, as Tipler broke loose for a 41-yard gain, followed by a 35-yard touchdown run by Sims to put the Eagles up 33-12.
Dyersburg fumbled the ball on the following possession, and the Eagles took advantage of the field position. Quarterback Brian Murph found paydirt from 16 yards out, increasing the Eagle lead to 39-12.
"It's a big win, and the guys deserved it," said Rogers. "We had a good week of practice and the guys worked hard."
With 5:57 left in the third quarter, Dye scored Dyersburg's third touchdown on a four-yard run to make the score 39-20. Tipler followed with a 52-yard score, then Dyersburg sophomore John Bolan added a touchdown at the horn to make the final 46-26.
In the passing department, Dye put up a whopping 26 attempts with just seven completions. Taylor snared five for 56 yards. For NMCC, Murph threw for 39 yards on three completions with one interception.
Terrance Smith caught two passes for 22 yards. Roderick Simmons led all Dyersburg rushers with eight carries for 64 yards.
NMCC played the game without tight end Derrell Minner, linebacker Lionel Smith, nose guard Issac Smith, guard Tim Chism, and lineman Terry Long. All but Minner, who is questionable, are expected to return next week.
"Our walking wounded got another week to heal up, and we came out of this game with no injuries," said Rogers. "We should be jet-ready Friday night."
NMCC (6-1) will play host to Dexter Week 8 for the first game of the 3A District 1 play. NMCC has claimed the district nine times overall, winning the last six straight.
"If you told me we would be 6-1 against the teams we play when I took the job, I would've thought you were nuts," said Rogers. "I figured we would be 5-2 or 4-3. I'm looking forward to districts. We're not taking anything for granted."