Central and Karns came into the night with identical records, stumbling out of the gates at 1-3.
The Bobcats are in much better shape now after a 34-14 road win at Karns.
Central's defense helped get the team on the board quickly. On Karns' first possession Cedric Washington picked off a pass that deflected off a Karns player's helmet.
Xavier Johnson hooked up with Markieus Campbell for a touchdown on the next play to put the Bobcats up 7-0.
Karns tied it up on the next drive when Matt Nauman found Nathan Rivera in the endzone but it was all Central from there.
JaJuan Stinson and Johnson added touchdown runs to take a 21-7 lead into the locker room.
Gavin Adams intercepted Nauman on the first drive of the second half and Stinson scored moments later to seal the win.
Central is now 2-1 in District 3-AAA play (2-3 overall), while Karns sits at 1-2 (1-4 overall).
Central hosts Hardin Valley next week while Karns takes on two-time defending district champion Powell.