HOWARD — If last week’s performance was any indication, the Bulldogs have rediscovered their bite.
East Knox coach Andy Beatty saw a lot of things to like in last week’s 20-14 loss at Crestview.
The Bulldogs (1-1) limited the Cougars to 105 rushing yards, recovered a fumble and pitched a second-half shutout. Quarterback Jax Lester tossed a pair of touchdown passes and gave his team a chance to win.
That wasn’t the case last fall when Crestview cruised to a 35-0 win.
“I don’t really care for moral victories, but there’s a reason (Crestview) is one of the best programs in the state,” Beatty said afterward. “We went toe-to-toe with them until the last 30 seconds at the end.”
East Knox heads to North Robinson on Friday for a showdown with undefeated Colonel Crawford. The Eagles won last year’s meeting 37-7.
East Knox (1-1) at Colonel Crawford (2-0): East Knox quarterback Jax Lester threw a pair of touchdown passes in last week’s 20-14 loss at Crestview. Lester has completed 18-of-34 passes for 213 yards and two TDs through the first two weeks while Bracen Davis is tied for the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference lead with 10 catches for 117 yards and two TDs. East Knox boasts two of the top rushers in the KMAC in Blake Elliott (22 carries, 183 yards, 2 TDs) and Aaron White (28 carries, 149 yards). Elliott leads the KMAC with 35 tackles.
Colonel Crawford cruised to a 57-13 win over Oregon Cardinal Stritch. The Eagles led 50-7 at the half. Connor McMichael rushed for 139 yards and two touchdowns on just six carries, while Micah Thomas added 122 yards and three scores on 10 carries. Quarterbacks Peyton Baker and Trevor Vogt combined to complete 5-of-11 passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns. Vogt also returned a kickoff 67 yards for a score.
Fairfield Christian (2-0) at Danville (2-0): The Knights held on for a 45-43 win over Adena. Fairfield Christian led 45-21 before surrendering 22 straight points. Senior quarterback Gabe Welsh has thrown for five TDs through the first two weeks. Running back Danny Blair rushed for three scores and caught a touchdown pass in the win over Adena. Rusty Hutchinson caught a touchdown pass and returned a punt 62 yards for a TD.
The Blue Devils have scored 122 points in their two wins, including last week’s 67-point outburst at Bucyrus. Running back Cole Delaughder, who transferred to Danville from East Knox, has rushed for 219 yards and four touchdowns on 26 carries through the first two weeks. Quarterback Walker Weckesser has nine carries for 99 yards and four scores while completing 12-of-20 passes for 143 yards and a TD. Defensively, Aidan Burke ranks among Knox Morrow Athletic Conference leaders with 17 tackles, while Caleb Lucas leads the conference with three sacks.
Mount Vernon (1-1) at Delaware Hayes (2-0): The Yellow Jackets led late I the third quarter before surrendering a pair of touchdowns in a 35-28 loss at Newark. Jonny Askew rushed for a pair of touchdowns and quarterback Jake Taylor tossed an 11-yard TD pass to Luke Mullins to tie the score at 21-21 early in the third quarter. Taylor scored on a 1-yard run later in the period to give Mount Vernon a 28-21 lead.
Hayes held on for a 38-32 win over Marion-Franklin despite giving up a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns. Quarterback Jake Lowman completed 14-of-16 passes for 222 yards and four touchdowns, while Austin Koslow had seven catches for 130 yards and two scores. Garrett Brown had four receptions for 48 yards and two scores. Gavin Brinkmoeller led Hayes’ ground game with 16 carries for 69 yards.