The state’s best teams hadn’t been able to do anything against Center Grove, so it was probably unreasonable to expect otherwise from the team occupying the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference basement.
The Class 6A No. 1 Trojans forced five first-half turnovers and converted on those short fields regularly, cruising to a lopsided 66-0 victory over an overmatched Lawrence Central team on Friday night.
Center Grove improved to 6-0 overall and 5-0 in the MIC.
“I appreciated the fact that our kids came out and played hard and fast and reckless,” Trojans coach Eric Moore said. “The defense was phenomenal, the offense was physical and phenomenal, the running backs ran so hard and we threw the ball and caught the ball — there were just no negatives about what the kids did tonight.”
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Click here to purchase photos from this galleryThe first quarter alone felt like it lasted an eternity — perhaps even more so for those on the visiting side.
After the Bears (0-6, 0-4) went three and out on their opening drive, the Trojans needed just one snap to get on the scoreboard. Tayven Jackson hit an open Carson Steele in the flat, and the senior running back took it the distance for a 41-yard touchdown.
Lawrence Central then fumbled the ensuing kickoff, James Schott recovered and Steele carried in for a 19-yard TD on the next play from scrimmage.
Steele scored again from 23 yards out at the 7:04 mark of the first quarter, and after another Bear fumble was recovered by Jackson Griffin, the Trojans went up 28-0 on a 5-yard run by Daniel Weems.
Another Steele touchdown run, this one a 2-yarder, was followed up by another Lawrence Central fumble that Caden Curry recovered at the Bears’ 15. Weems scored from the 1 three plays later to stretch the lead to 42 with 2:10 still remaining in the opening period.
An Austin Booker sack caused another fumble that Matt Hohlt recovered at the Lawrence Central 17, and after a spectacular diving catch by Trent Veith put the ball at the 1, Jackson called his own number to make it 49-0 and bring a merciful end to a brutal 12 minutes that lasted nearly an hour.
Center Grove had 175 yards of offense in the quarter, limited somewhat by outstanding field position — the average starting spot for the Trojans on their seven first-quarter drives was inside the Bears’ 25. Lawrence Central had minus-27 total yards in the period.
“We came out with a lot of confidence,” Booker said. “We knew how good of a team we were, and we just stuck with that and put our heads down to win.”
Center Grove pulled its offensive starters after the first, but that didn’t stop the onslaught entirely. Austin Watson kicked a 49-yard field goal midway through the second quarter, and freshman Owen Bright rumbled in for a 41-yard TD just before halftime to extend the lead to 59.
Junior Austin Green added a 72-yard scoring trot in the third period that accounted for the final points of the night. Green led the Trojans with 87 yards rushing on seven carries, while Bright ran eight times for 82 yards. The Trojans ended up with a 409-64 advantage in total offense.
Moore was happy to see some of his younger players get a nice taste of varsity action.
“The real young kids got on the field some tonight,” Moore said. “The sophomores and 2s got a lot of reps and a lot of time on the field, so it was all good. Three quarterbacks played, and 12 running backs. It’s just a good deal.”
Having played five of their first six games at home, the Trojans now face back-to-back road dates with Pike and Lawrence North. Center Grove should enter both games as a heavy favorite, but Moore still acknowledges that the trips will pose challenges.
“It’s going to be hard,” he said. “It’s going to be hard to refocus everybody and play hard for four quarters and all that stuff that goes into football — but you know what? If they want to be champions, we’ve got to show that we can do that.”
