HOWARD — East Knox set the tone of Friday’s game on its very first possession, and dominated Centerburg from start to finish to win its first game of the season, 33-7.
The Bulldogs (1-3, 1-1) ran for 202 yards on 39 carries, but had big-play success with its passing game. Quarterback Tyler Clement and receiver Khai Haralson combined for two touchdowns of 60 yards and longer, and overall East Knox completed 4-of-6 passes for 169 yards. The Trojans (0-5, 0-2) did most of their damage through the air, completing 21-of-34 for 184 yards.
The Bulldogs received the opening kick, and used up over nine minutes of clock on their way to a touchdown. Colton Tucker finished the drive with 2:53 to play in the quarter with a 2-yard run which put East Knox up 7-0.
With their defense able to hold Centerburg down, the Bulldogs took to the air for its next two scores. With 11:11 left in the second quarter and the ball at the Trojan 12, Clement and Haralson hooked up for their first touchdown pass, an 88-yarder to go up, 14-0. What worked then worked again later in the quarter, and with 2:32 remaining the East Knox twosome hit on a 62-yard touchdown to take a 20-0 lead into halftime.
The Bulldogs turned to its running game to use up the clock in the second half, and Devin Wears broke through the Centerburg defense for a 73-yard TD with 9:13 left in the third quarter to put East Knox up 26-0. Wears gave the Bulldogs a 33-0 lead in the fourth quarter when he took one in from 9 yards out with 8:39 to play. The Trojans finally got into the East Knox red zone in the fourth quarter, and freshman Dakota Mead threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to T.T. Thompson with 4:44 to play to break up the shutout.
Wears finished with 136 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries, and Haralson caught two passes for 150 yards and a pair of scores. Jason Ratliff ran five times for 23 yards for Centerburg, and Thompson caught 13 passes for 95 yards and a touchdown.
East Knox will try to win again on Friday at 7 p.m. at Northridge. Centerburg will travel to Danville.
