It was not the first football game that the Christian County Colonels or first-year head coach Ethan Atchley wanted.
The Colonels turned the ball over seven times and fell to host Warren East 55-6 Friday night in the season opener for both schools.
Raiders quarterback Dane Parsley threw for 116 yards and a touchdown and he ran for 60 yards and three scores to lead Warren East. The senior, who also plays safety, also had two picks in the game.
Warren East scored on their first possession, driving 75 yards in seven plays. Parsley capped the drive with an 11-yard run. Steven Rodriguez hit the first of his seven extra-point kicks for a 7-0 lead.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Colonels fumbled and the Raiders recovered. Four plays later, Jacob Miler hauled in a 19-yard touchdown pass for a 14-0 lead.
Jackson McCool scored on the next possession for a 21-0 lead and lineman Jayden Richey picked off a pass inside the Colonels’ 10-yard line and returned it for a score to make it 28-0 halfway through the first period.
Parsley made it 35-0 late in the first quarter on a 5-yard run and the Raiders got to the running clock early in the second period after a 1-yard scoring run by McCool made the score 41-0.
Christian County’s only score came on the ensuing kickoff when Zyon Wharton returned the kick 86 yards to cut the lead to 41-6.
Parsley’s third touchdown run, this one 29 yards, made it 48-6 just before halftime.
With the clock running in the second half, neither team possessed the ball much. However, the Raiders used a 4-yard pass from backup quarterback Brandon McClusky to Weston Akins to finish off the scoring.
McCool led all rushers with 96 yards on 15 carries. Braydon Lightfoot had 86 yards receiving on four catches.
Colonels’ back-up quarterback Sebastian Dazey threw for 49 yards on 6-for-10 passing all in the second half. Josh Bridges had three catches for 27 yards as the Colonels managed only 85 yards of offense.
The Colonels return to action Sept. 7 against Hopkinsville.
Photos by Malori Wilson