By Jonathan Bailey
For the first time in 365 days, the Waverly Tigers stepped foot on their home field to play football. This game was important to them and their community as they continue to pick up the pieces from the 2021 flood. They came to play with a vengeance and left no room for error in this rivalry game with the Camden Lions.
The Tigers had a strong outing, amassing 454 yards of total offense while scoring seven touchdowns and holding Camden to 280 yards of offense and three touchdowns. The Tigers handily retained possession of the Battle of the Bridge trophy hardware.
Lions quarterback Will Dobson worked tirelessly throughout the night carrying the majority of the workload for the Lions’ offense. He had 140 yards rushing on 19 attempts while being held to nine pass completions out of 27 attempts. Dobson threw for one touchdown and one interception while also rushing for one touchdown with four seconds left in the game.
Running back Jaylen Boggs rushed 12 times for 35 yards and one rushing touchdown. Wide receiver Jack Odom received a 23-yard passing touchdown.
Defensively, the Lions played aggressively, nearly always surrounding ball carriers with multiple defenders. In contrast, the defense was unable to keep up with Waverly running back Easton Elliot, who ran the football as if his life depended on it. Easton carried the ball 14 times and racked up 370 yards with five touchdowns on the ground averaging 26.4 yards per carry.
CHS linebacker Karson Goodwin led the defense with one sack and 10 total tackles on the night. Sophomore Nathan Redman seconded the Camden defensive outing with six tackles and one assisted tackle for a loss. Unfortunately, senior Clayton Sneed was injured during the game and unable to complete the contest.
The rivalry will continue next year as both teams carry on the remainder of their seasons. The Camden Lions showed true grit, determination, and discipline to the very last whistle. Although they were beaten in this game, they look to be an exciting team to follow this year.
Camden Central will move on to face East Hickman High School in a home contest this Friday, Aug. 26, at 7 p.m.
