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- Written by: Matt Wilson - Breese Journal Reporter
Interception - Central's Koltin Varel returns an interception for a touchdown in the Cougars' 42-0 win over East Alton-Wood River. PHOTO BY MATT WILSON The Central football team moved to 6-0 for the third time in program history following a 42-0 win at East Alton-Wood River on Friday, Sept. 25.
This year's Central team joins the 2016 and 2024 squads to start the season 6-0. Central is 5-0 in the Cahokia Conference Mississippi Division. Wood River is 0-6 overall and 0-5 in the conference.
The Cougars scored 14 points in each of the first three quarters to take a 42-0 lead. The last three minutes of the third quarter and all of the fourth quarter were played with a running clock.
"This is a good feeling to be 6-0," Central coach Brian Short said. "Our guys have really been working hard, but we still have a lot of work to get done."
Central took a 14-0 lead after the opening quarter despite running just two offensive plays.
On its first possession of the game, Wood River went 37 yards in nine plays. The Oilers gained three first downs during the drive. Wood River had a first-and-10 on the Cougar 36-yard line, but lost a combined seven yards on its next three plays and had to punt.
Wood River junior quarterback Emeron Ruot was 2-for-4 passing for 33 yards during the drive. Both of those completions were to sophomore Trenton Homer.
"It would have been nice to get off to a little quicker start defensively," Short said. "They had a couple of wrinkles we had not seen yet. They did a nice job and kind of took the air out of the ball in the first half."
Escaping the grasp - Central's Cooper Martin looks to escape the grasp of an East Alton-Wood River tackler in the Cougars' 42-0 win over the Oilers. PHOTO BY MATT WILSON Central took over on its own 18-yard line. A 22-yard run from senior Login Smith moved the ball to the 40-yard line. On the next play, junior quarterback Owen Kehrer threw a 60-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Cole Huegen to give Central a 7-0 lead with 6:19 left in the first quarter.
On its second drive, Wood River had a 2nd-and-14 from its own 43-yard line. Central junior Koltin Varel stepped in front of a Ruot pass for an interception and returned it into the end zone to give the Cougars a 14-0 lead with two minutes left in the opening quarter.
Central took that lead into the second quarter.
The Cougars started their first possession of the second quarter on the Oiler 26-yard line. Kehrer completed an 11-yard pass to sophomore Koltin Schroeder to bring the ball to the 15-yard line. On the next play, Kehrer threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to senior Alex Athmer to push the Cougar lead to 21-0.
Central's second possession of the second quarter was an 11-play, 52-yard drive that resulted in a 20-yard touchdown run from Smith.
On the run - Login Smith had 52 rushing yards and one touchdown in the Central football team's 42-0 win over East Alton-Wood River. PHOTO BY MATT WILSON Kehrer was 3-for-3 passing for 16 yards during the drive. Smith had 30 rushing yards.
Wood River's next possession resulted in a fumble that was recovered by Central sophomore Wyatt Korte. The Cougars were unable to convert on the turnover and took a 28-0 lead into halftime.
Central needed just two plays to reach the end zone to open the second half. Starting at their own 39-yard line, Kehrer completed a 58-yard pass to Huegen to bring the ball to the Oiler 3-yard line. Junior Emmanuel Velazquez had a 3-yard touchdown run on the next play to push Central's lead to 35-0.
On its third possession of the third quarter, Central drove 52 yards in three plays and scored on a 35-yard touchdown run from sophomore Cooper Martin to take a 42-0 lead.
