Champaign Central unfortunately couldn't capitalize on their home-field advantage in their season opener. They took a 51-41 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Springfield Senators on Thursday. The Maroons were up 22-7 in the second quarter but couldn't hold on to the lead.
Champaign Central lost despite a true team effort on offense. The best among them was Mark Johnson, who threw for 400 yards and four TDs, and also punched in one rushing score. Ziyir Aker helped Johnson out on the ground, picking up 105 receiving yards and a pair of scores, while also rushing for 42 yards and one touchdown.
Springfield had a senior duo take command as Brody Scheffler threw for 320 yards and five TDs and Kale Thurman picked up 164 receiving yards and four scores. Deandre Brown was another key player, picking up 93 receiving yards and one touchdown.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Champaign Central will take on Centennial at 7:00 p.m. on the 5th. This will be the Maroons' first chance to prove their worth in the conference. As for Springfield, they will challenge MacArthur at 7:00 p.m. on the 5th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
