Central all but sealed the district 13-6A runner-up spot Friday afternoon as they shut out Hialeah 48-0 at Traz Powell Stadium.

The Rockets (7-1, 3-1 District 13-6A) recorded their sixth shutout of the season, holding the usually potent Thoroughbred running game to 42 yards.

Central's running game, however, churned out 241 yards on 30 carries, led by senior running back Brandon Gainer with 103 yards.

Rockets coach Telly Lockette said the team has renewed their commitment to running.

``We just had to get back to the simple things,'' Lockette said. ``We have some very talented guys up front and some great running backs, so we just wanted to get them going early and control this game.''

Central's defense was equally impressive, holding Hialeah (4-3, 1-2) to 37 passing yards, forced the T-Breds into two safeties, and returning an interception for a touchdown.

Midway through the first quarter Central took the lead when quarterback Jeff Godfrey connected with Durell Eskridge for a 44-yard strike. The lead was extended to 8-0 after a successful two-point conversion.

Godfrey, who is amongst the county's passing leaders, finished the game with 177 passing yards while completing 13 of 16 pass attempts for four touchdowns and an interception. Godfrey also added 36 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Though the Rockets are playing without the services of junior receiver Charles Gaines due to a shoulder injury he suffered against Northwestern, they got big games from receivers Eskridge and senior Joshua Reese. Eskridge led the Rockets with four catches for 61 yards and two scores, while Reese added 78 yards on four receptions and a touchdowns.

• Pace 46, Somerset 0: Led by quarterback Stephen Morris, Monsignor Pace jumped on Pembroke Pines Somerset Academy quick and never looked back as the Spartans routed the Panthers in a Class 2B District 8 matchup before a large Homecoming crowd at Pace.

In just over one half of work, Morris, a University of Miami commit, completed 9 of 14 passes for 204 yards and fired six touchdown passes to five different receivers. The Spartans, ranked No. 13 in The Miami Herald South Florida poll, improved to 5-2 overall and 4-1 in the district while Somerset fell to 2-5, 2-3.

Morris turned it on in the first quarter with scoring passes to Jabari Gorman (15 yards) and Normando Harris (5 yards) before throwing three more in the second to Trenton Greene (10 yds), Kendall Montgomery (1 yard) and Sherrick Lewis (40 yards) as Pace built a 40-0 halftime lead prompting a running clock in the second half.

``It's important that you come out in games like this and jump on your opponent early and never let them think they're in the game and we've done that each of the last three weeks,'' said Pace head coach Alvin Slaughter. ``Ever since our loss to Chaminade three weeks ago, I stressed the importance of taking care of the football and not turning it over and I don't think we've turned it over once.''

-- BILL DALEY