Tyler Simpson is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Central High School for AZPreps365.com.

PHOENIX— Haunted by the loss of star wide receiver Carter Allen, who was sidelined by injury late in the first half, Central High School lost 21-20 to longtime rival Camelback High on Friday evening.

Allen is the glue that sticks everyone together on the Bobcats. After a leaping 18-yard first-half touchdown catch in which the senior landed on his back, Carter was sidelined for the rest of the game due to muscle spasms. And then Central collapsed. “Obviously when Carter Allen went down, it was a huge blow for us,” said coach Chandler Hovik. “We got to come out and find ways to get other guys involved.”

Allen played every snap of the first half, but Central struggled in the second half in his absence.

Leading up to the game, it was considered “The Battle of the Central Corridor” since both teams are located in central Phoenix. It was also the fight for first place in the 5A Metro region as both were undefeated entering the contest.

The Spartans took the lead early in the first quarter with a rushing touchdown by their transfer quarterback Max Martin, but the scoring stopped after two turnovers by Camelback. Central linebacker Joe Munoz had two first-half turnvoers, scooping up a fumble late in the first quarter and securing an interception early in the second.

The Bobcats would score three unanswered touchdowns in the first half. Two were scored by Allen, the first when he took a Wildcat snap from the three-yard line. Anthony Pacheco caught the second touchdown from the 28-yard line on the corner of the goal line, reaching out for the pylon. A missed extra point would send the teams to halftime with Central ahead, 20-7.

That missed extra point would come back to bite the Bobcats in the second half as they were unable to put up a single point and also had a missed field goal. “We had a great chance to go down, but we just came short,” said coach Hovik. “It’s a full team effort, we just didn’t do enough the second half."

The Spartans put up two scores in the second half from huge runs by running back Shawn Pereira and Martin, both scoring a touchdown.

Camelback committed five turnovers, but the Spartan defense was tenacious, not allowing Central into enemy territory the whole fourth quarter. The Spartans tallied six sacks throughout the night, two of them on Central’s last drive.

“We just moved a couple of guys around and told our defensive ends to step out a little bit,” said Camelback coach Brandon McNutt about its second-half adjustments.

After the Bobcats turned the ball over, the Spartans were set up with a fourth-and-three. Camelback handed the ball off to Pereira as he tried to lean forward for the first down. The sideline referee signaled a Camelback the first down, but Central defensive coordinator Ed Saldana thought he was short.

“The ball placement was definitely short,” said Saldana. “It was two piles, and he gave them the spot of the pile with the offensive line and receivers were at.”

Pereira was in the back pile so Saldana got frustrated and tried to talk to the referee, but he would not budge. With 1:12 left in the game, the Spartans ran the clock out and won 21-20.

The Bobcats fall to 2-1 in 5A Metro region play and will take on Apollo next Friday Night.

“It’s our homecoming, but Apollo will not be feeling sorry for us,” said coach Hovik. “So our boys are going to have to come out ready and watch film tomorrow.”