GREENWICH — Jack Stephens was a menace.
Crestview’s senior defensive end set up shop in South Central’s backfield as the Cougars roared to a 44-7 win over the Trojans.
“Firelands Conference football, most teams want to run the ball,” Stephens said. “South Central is one of those teams that wants to spread it out. They lead the conference in explosive plays.
“The defensive line came out with the mindset that we’ve got to be some dawgs. If you aren’t going to come out and play, you’re not going to be on the field.”
False Start
For the second straight week, the Cougars (3-2, 2-0) got off to a sluggish start. Crestview took a 7-0 lead when quarterback Liam Kuhn found Carson Keener behind the SC defense for a 47-yard touchdown with 9:12 to play in the first quarter.
It would remain 7-0 until early in the second period when South Central’s Greyson Fletcher scored on a 4-yard run to make it 7-7.
Crestview turned the ball over on downs in the first quarter and threw an interception in the end zone in the second. The Cougars also lost a fumble late in the half.
“It was hard to get into a rhythm,” Crestview coach Steve Haverdill said. “We had a couple of touchdowns wiped out by foolish penalties and we can’t have that.
“This is two weeks in a row now where we didn’t play great in the first half.”
Keith Abshire booted a 41-yard field goal and Ayden Reymer scored on a 10-yard run as the Cougars took a 17-7 lead to halftime.
Third-Quarter Thunder
Crestview put the game on ice in the third quarter.
Wyatt Barber scored on a 13-yard run to make it 24-7 with 9:05 to play in the third. Less than two minutes later, Kuhn hooked up with Max Durbin on a 55-yard scoring strike to make it 30-7.
Bransen Hider triggered the running clock when he scored on a 1-yard plunge with 2:47 to play in the third. Kuhn threw his third touchdown pass of the night, a 19-yarder to Abshire, with 4:25 left in the fourth.
“Our second halves the last two weeks have been better, but we’ve got to be better to start,” Haverdill said. “I told our guys we’ve plateaued a little bit and that’s not a god thing.
“We want to be moving up for the stretch run.”
Meat-Grinder
Crestview hosts winless Plymouth next week before getting into the meat of the top-heavy Firelands Conference schedule.
The Cougars host St. Paul in Week 7, go to Western Reserve in Week 8 and host Monroeville in Week 9.
“It’s tough, but you play what’s in front of you,” Haverdill said. “We have to focus on ourselves. We’re not where we want to be yet, but we still have five weeks to get there.”
