Central Private Travels to Clinton to Take on Arch Rival Silliman

CENTRAL — Central Private will travel to Clinton for a game against arch-rival Silliman Academy at 7 p.m. Friday night at Silliman.

This is Silliman’s best team in four or five years, but Central Private believes they can win.  CPS defeated Silliman 7-6 in the jamboree three weeks ago.

Central Private began regular season play on Aug. 19.  It has lost to CENLA and the Baton Rouge Patriots.  The Patriots’ game was a shootout, which CPS narrowly lost 42-41.

Central Private head coach Mike Longmire is proud of his 25-member team, eight of whom play on offense and defense.  However, he’s far from satisfied with the team’s performance to date.

“Our offense is moving the ball well, but our defense needs a lot of improvement,” he said.

Longmire is happy with his offensive line — center Rhett Sequin, right guard David Basham, left guard Logan Prather, right tackle Brennan West, and left tackle Marcus Sandifer.

Running back Ryan Bowman has been a standout for the Rebels, as has split end Lance Wicker.

Turnovers have been a major problem for Central Private.  Last week, they suffered four interceptions and three fumbles.

Some of the most consistent players have been Ryan Bowman, Brennan West, and Landon Boudreaux.

Central Private returned to its old district this year and will play against Centreville Academy, Silliman, Oak Forest, and Bowling Green.  Centreville is one of the top teams in the state.

The Rebels have major road trips coming up to Natchez and Rayville.

Coach  Longmire said fan support for the Rebels has been good this year and he hopes many people will be able to follow Central Private on its road trips.

PHOTO BY SELSER PHOTOGRAPHY