By JEFF NATIONS / jeff.nations@bgdailynews.com

It has been a tough season for Warren Central’s football team, but the Dragons made sure to make one last good memory on their home field Friday night.

On senior night in the regular-season finale against Todd County Central, Warren Central delivered one of its best offensive performances of the season, and the Dragons’ defense stiffened in the second half to preserve a lead and produce a 30-22 victory.

It was the first home win of the season for Warren Central (3-7) and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Sending those seniors out winners on their home field was one thing – it was the Dragons’ first win at Joe Hood Field this season in four tries.

Friday wasn’t the team’s last game, though – a first-round road matchup against McCracken County in the Class 6A state playoffs awaits this coming Friday. A little momentum never hurts, and Warren Central grabbed some heading into the postseason and snapped a six-game losing streak in the process.

“I think that we played pretty hard,” Warren Central senior Cayden Hawk said. “I think that our younger classmen, they knew that it was our last time to play on the field so they came up. They stepped in, they stepped out. For instance, Tavy Dunn – he played hard tonight. Some defensive players … I mean, it was just a good night all around.”

Dunn, the Dragons’ sophomore quarterback, ran for a pair of touchdowns and passed for another as Warren Central scored all 30 of its points in the first half.

It was a breakout performance for Dunn, who has stepped into a starting role in place of injured standout QB Zarionte Howard, who missed his third straight game. Dunn ran for a game-high 112 yards along with those two TDs and notched his first career touchdown pass as part of a 7-for-13 passing night for 90 yards.

“I think I played good, but I’ve got to get better,” Dunn said. “I’ve still got a long way to go.”

The Dragons got off to a rousing start, as junior Walter Moore fielded the game’s opening kickoff and returned it 70 yards for a touchdown. Javiyion Smith’s two-point conversion run gave Warren Central an 8-0 lead just 10 seconds into the game.

Todd County Central (2-8), looking to end its own five-game losing skid, responded three plays later when Rebels quarterback Braylon Elderbrook capped a three-play, 65-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown run. Elderbrook blistered the Dragons early, completing four consecutive passes – all of more than 20 yards – to open the game and started 7-of-8 passing with two more 20-plus yard completions in that stretch. The junior finished the night 15-of-25 passing for 248 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

TCC pushed ahead on its next possession after forcing a Central punt, with Elderbrook finding Mar’Shawn Fletcher (five catches for 93 yards) on a 26-yard touchdown pass that put the Rebels up 14-8 with 6:11 left in the first quarter.

The Dragons bounced back with a 62-yard scoring drive, with Dunn snaring a wide snap with one hand, tucking the ball and turning inside for a 23-yard touchdown run. Javiyon Smith ran in the two-point conversion and the hosts led 16-14 with 3:16 left in the first.

The Rebels’ fumbled snap on a punt attempt set up the Dragons at the Todd 30, and four plays later Dunn had his second touchdown with a 25-yard run on the first play of the second quarter.

Todd tried to answer with a lengthy drive, but Jacey Likens picked off Elderbrook’s fourth-down pass in the red zone at the 10-yard line to snuff the threat.

Dunn led Central on one last scoring drive – an eight-play, 85-yard march finished off with his first career touchdown pass on a 23-yard completion to Dominique Anthony with just 46 seconds left in the first half.

“It was exciting to seem him finally making plays and doing what we know he’s capable of doing,” Warren Central coach Jeremy Harness said of Dunn. “One thing we always tell the quarterbacks – their job is to not lose the football game. I’m an offensive coach, but I think defensive-minded – I’ve never seen a great team that didn’t have a great defense.

“Defense will win us the football game – quarterback, your job is to not lose me the football game. When I say that, I mean by making turnovers and things like that. I think today was his best day of protecting the football. He still had an interception in there, but he protected the football for the most part of the game and he made some plays for us.”

The Rebels pulled closer on their opening possession of the second half when Elderbrook connected with Fletcher again on a 9-yard touchdown pass and TCC got the two-point conversion to claw back within 30-22 with 5:41 left in the third.

From there, Central’s defense held by forcing a punt and then a turnover on downs to notch the win.

Hawk added 75 rushing yards and Anthony had two catches for 42 yards and a touchdown for the Dragons.

“I think that’s real big, just to finally get another win and one as we’re going into the playoffs,” Harness said. “Now it’s just about continuing throughout this week to build and keep that momentum going into this next game.”

TCCHS 14 0 8 0 – 22

WCHS 16 14 0 0 – 30

First Quarter

WCHS – Walter Moore 70 kickoff return (Javiyion Smith run), 11:50

TCCHS – Braylon Elderbrook 3 run (Jamir Brewer run), 10:37

TCCHS – Mar’Shawn Fletcher 26 pass from Elderbrook (run failed), 6:11

WCHS – Tavy Dunn 23 run (Javiyion Smith run), 3:16

Second Quarter

WCHS – Dunn 25 run (run failed), 11:53

WCHS – Dominique Anthony 23 pass from Dunn (Javiyion Smith run), 0:46

Third Quarter

TCCHS – Fletcher 9 pass from Elderbrook (Aidan Bobbett pass from Elderbrook), 5:41