Columbus East turned in a very impressive performance during Friday night’s Class 5A Sectional 15 game at Bulleit Stadium.
The Olympians scored four touchdowns in the first quarter, increased their lead to 42-0 at the half and finished with a 63-0 win against host Seymour.
“Their quarterback and running back are very good,” Owls coach Mike Kelly said. “They are elite athletes, and we are working to improve our athleticism. Those are things we can work for in the future. We have goals and expectations we want to meet in the next season, and moving ahead, this is something we can work toward and improve in, for sure.”
The Owls (4-6) picked up one first down on each of their first two possessions, but they ended up punting three times in the first quarter. Alan Perry was intercepted on the Owls’ other possession.
The Olympians (9-1) got their rushing game going early, as Jamon Hogan ran 15, 51 and 2 yards for touchdowns in the first quarter.
Jonah Wichman returned an interception 31 yards for a score.
Following East’s fourth score, the Owls moved the ball from their own 20-yard line to the East 16 before running out of downs. Perry completed two passes to Alazae Louden for 24 yards, and the Owls were helped by 20 yards of penalties on East.
Seymour put together a nine-play drive good for 50 yards with Tyler Bullard catching three passes from Perry for 21 yards.
The Olympians kept the running game in high gear in the third quarter by rushing for three more touchdowns. Major scored on a 12-yard run, and Mark McDonald added scores on 37- and 76-yard runs.
The Owls had a nine-play drive late in the third quarter and early in the fourth quarter come to an end when they lost a fumble.
Hogan topped the Olympians with 134 yards on 10 carries.
Perry topped the Owls in rushing with 42 yards on 13 carries and completed 13 of 23 passes.
The Owls had five first downs in the first half but only one in the second half.
“We had 45 plays in the first half, which is more plays than we had in the entire game last week,” Kelly said. “We just couldn’t finish those drives that we had, and those are things we’ve got to be able to do.”
For Seymour’s 12 seniors, it was their final game.
“We have a great senior class,” Kelly said. “They do things right, and they challenge themselves and come to work every day with a businesslike attitude. I appreciate all they did for this football team for the last four years.”