Leeds turned in a dominant defensive effort Thursday night to overwhelm visiting Center Point 22-0.

The win means that Class 5A fifth-ranked Leeds (8-2) will probably host the first round of playoffs next Friday. Head coach Jerry Hood said his team expects to be the second seed from Region 6 and the Leeds staff has already traded film with Arab, the likely third seed from Region 7.

Leeds could still finish first in the region if Southside-Gadsden loses to Etowah on Friday night.

To close the regular season, the Green Wave left no doubt. Leeds held the Eagles (7-3) to 75 yards of offense for the game and forced four Center Point turnovers.

“It’s the most locked-in I’ve seen a Leeds team ever,” defensive tackle Joseph Stone said after the game. “Everyone comes to practice, everyone’s focused all day.”

It certainly helped that Leeds’ offense dominated control of the ball for the entire second half. The Green Wave only possessed the ball twice in the second half, but held it for 14 plays and nearly eight minutes in the third quarter, 17 plays and nearly 10 minutes in the fourth.

“I feel like we could’ve done better with the little things,” Leeds offensive lineman Carlos Plascencia said after the game. “Overall I think we did pretty well controlling the line of scrimmage.”

The Green Wave took control early in the game.

Leeds quarterback Conner Nelson ran the ball around his offense’s right side on the third snap of the first quarter for a 65-yard touchdown. Nelson finished with 152 yards rushing, adding another 105 passing to pace the offense.

An Eagles fumble on the ensuing kickoff gave the Green Wave a short field and Chris Burge plunged in from 2 yards out. With 4:50 still to play in the first quarter, the Green Wave led 12-0.

Center Point saw drives end three more times in the first half due to turnovers.

“Very disappointed that we had that many turnovers and couldn’t do much with it for a while,” said Hood. “But at the end of the day it’s … good for Center Point, good for us, to get to play.”

Center Point was still within striking distance even after the Green Wave’s monopolization of the football, holding Leeds to an Avery Langford field goal in the third quarter.

In the fourth, Leeds faced a fourth-and-goal at the Eagles’ 14, leading 15-0.

“I was not going to kick it,” Hood said. “If they block it and run it back, then they’re an onsides kick away from having a chance to tie you up.”

Instead, Nelson took the snap from the holder’s position and rolled to his right. He found Grayson Ford wide open in the end zone for the game’s final score.

“We’ve got to put up points, can’t turn the ball over,” Center Point coach George Bates said. “Defensively, we’ve got to get off the field.

Bates and the Eagles will travel to face Hartselle in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs next week.

“We’ve got to change some things real fast or it’ll be an early exit,” he said.

Assuming Leeds hosts Arab, Hood said the game will be “the toughest first round game we’ve had” during his tenure there.

“We’ve got a 24 hour head start,” he said. “I’m proud of the kids.”