CENTREVILLE — Centreville Academy proved Saturday that it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.

Trailing 12-0 at the half against Parklane Academy, the Tigers used a strong halftime speech by head coach Bill Hurst — still officially on leave as he recovers from a July heart surgery — as motivation to come back and win 13-12.

A Colton Terrell 28-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter gave Centreville the one-point lead it needed, and the Tigers’ defense shut down Parklane to secure the win.

“We just talked about what we weren’t doing, and we weren’t blocking,” Centreville assistant coach Brian Stutzman said regarding Hurst’s halftime speech.

“We just made a few adjustments as far as better blocking angles, and the kids just came out and played.”

A slow start offensively combined with a total of six turnovers made things difficult for the Tigers, but Stutzman said his players were able to turn things around after intermission.

“We came out a little flat and had a lot of breakdowns offensively,” Stutzman said. “But we came back in the second half and controlled the game. The offensive line blocked good, and we were able to run the ball better. The defense just played outstanding the whole game, and that’s what keeps you in it.”

Randy Bell led the Tigers in rushing, tallying 137 yards on 20 carries, including a 26-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to get the Tigers on the board. The PAT kick by Brock Andrus proved the difference in the game, cutting the score to 12-7.

A 58-yard touchdown reception by Parklane’s Zach Stutzman gave the Pioneers an early 6-0 lead after a missed PAT. Parklane scored again on a 5-yard run by Joseph Carr with eight minutes left in the second quarter.

Four fumbles and two interceptions gave the Tigers fits, and Stutzman admitted it was almost unheard of to turn the ball over six times and still win.

“The turnovers were horrible,” Stutzman said. “The defense bent a little but didn’t break. They gave up one touchdown on a long pass and another one where (Parklane) got good field position off a punt. For the most part, our defense kept us in the game.”

Terrell finished with 10 carries for 39 yards, and Centreville quarterback Casey Haygood was 3-for-9 in passing with 53 yards.