Howell Central's Air Attack Proves Too Much for Timberland

WENTZVILLE – had nothing but trouble trying to slow down Francis Howell Central's offense Friday night.

Senior quarterback Charles Miller threw for three touchdowns and rushed for one more as the visiting Spartans took down the Wolves 34-21.

Miller was able to find his receivers often as Howell Central's offense controlled the tempo of the game.

“We ran really hard today,” Miller said. “They (the receivers) made great moves on the outside. They made cuts to the outside and threw off the corners.

“They were making really great decisions and great plays.”

After a scoreless first quarter, Howell Central (3-2) scored from the first play of the second on a 16-yard strike from Miller to junior wide receiver Derrick Puni. A missed extra point made the score 6-0.

With 2:41 left in the half, Miller tossed a 41-yard bomb to senior wide receiver Jayden Lumpa to put the Spartans up 13-0 going into the locker room.

Timberland's offense struggled in the first half. The Wolves (1-4) rushed down to Howell Central's 2-yard line when senior wide receiver Tyler Shumaker lost a fumble on a fourth-down run.

Timberland would not get within the red zone again for the remainder of the half.

Wolves' head coach Craig Collins said that his team's youth and inexperience was a factor in the slow start.

“We just didn't play very well,” Collins said. “We turned the ball over, dropped passes, missed blocks.

“We have young team and we are trying to get better every week. The kids are working very hard, but we are struggling to make plays to win games right now.”

Timberland received the ball to start the second half, but quickly lost it again on its second pay. Junior quarterback Ryan Bainbridge's throw was off the mark and Puni took advantage, grabbing the interception and running it back 30 yards for a touchdown.

The Wolves fumbled on the next drive, turning the ball over and setting up an 8-yard touchdown run by Miller. The extra-point quickly turned the score into a 27-0 shutout.

Timberland was determined to put points on the board, and retaliated fast. Junior running back Lucas Jordan managed to break through the Spartan's defense for a 41-yard touchdown run.

Howell Central responded with a quick score of its own. Miller and Puni connected again for another 11-yard touchdown, bringing the score to 34-7.

Spartans head coach Todd Berck gave praise to his quarterback, but said that Puni also played a huge role in their success.

“I'm really proud of our kids for their effort,” Berck said. “The big interception by Puni there was huge. He is one of our big players and we have to give him the ball and get him some touches.

“It really loosens up our running game and helps the other wide receivers get open.”

Wolves' sophomore running back Connor Bomstad would rush for a 20-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. After a late interception by Miller, Timberland scrambled down the field to score on a 9-yard pass from Bainbridge to Shumaker, but it was not enough to spur a comeback as it fell 34-21.

Timberland will look to recover from the loss at Fort Zumwalt North next week. Francis Howell Central hosts Fort Zumwalt West in its homecoming game.