FREDERICKTOWN – The difference was night and day – literally and figuratively. East Knox High School, came out sputtering, on the road, against an improved Fredericktown team, on Friday night. In the second half of the game, played Saturday, The Bulldogs looked more like their old selves, Rolling to a 34-7 win over the Freddies to open the 2020 Knox-Morrow Athletic Conference football season.
The game was suspended on Friday at 7:49 p.m., with both teams in a 7-7 deadlock. It was supposed to restart, later that night, but the lightning never stopped and both teams rescheduled to finish the game at 4 p.m. on Saturday – the Bulldogs would have the ball on their 45-yard line with 2:49 remaining in the first half. The delay gave both coaches, what amounted to unusually long halftime to scheme and recover.
Bulldogs’ quarterback Peyton Lester (10-of-17, 243 yards, no interceptions) passed for three of the Bulldogs touchdowns and ran for another, as East Knox put up a pair of touchdowns in both the third and the fourth quarters.
“There were a lot of penalties,” East Knox coach Cody Reese said. “There were a lot of things we need to fix on our end, but they didn't let it get them down and they fought back and continued to be resilient, today.”
The Freddies stopped the Bulldogs from scoring in the final, two minutes before the half. Then, Fredericktown kicker Zack Vogelsang snatched his onside kick from East Knox, giving his team the ball to start the second half. That would be the highlight of Fredericktown’s day on Saturday.
The Bulldogs got the ball back and, with 9:15 to play in the third quarter, Lester was looking to pass, but it took three or four looks before he found teammate Weston Melick (three catches, 112 yards) on a 70-yard catch and run for a touchdown.
“Our line set that up,” Melick said. “They gave Peyton some time. Peyton got to set his feet and got me the ball. We've been working on that in practice."
That play, followed by a 30-yard touchdown pass from Lester to Braden Kannady (three catches, 107 yards), put the Bulldogs on top 20-7, but it also took the wind out of the Freddies’ sails.
“The game turned on the big pass play,” said Fredericktown coach Will Hartley. “They were able to extend the play and then hit (Melick) over the middle. We didn't recover from that.”
The Bulldogs’ committed six of their nine penalties in the first half but did better in the second half. East Knox running back Ian Toller (20 carries, 81 yards and a TD) led the ground game that totaled 161 yards. The Bulldogs defense held Fredericktown to zero first downs and zero points in the final half.
The Freddies will be on the road at Highland, next Friday, while the Bulldogs will host Northmor. Both games are scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
