BUTLER — Austin Howard had a noticeable limp Friday, yet he claimed nothing was wrong.
“I didn’t hurt anything,” Lewis County’s senior running back said. “I
just had a couple bangs near the end of the game … nowhere really specific.”
Howard and the Lions gave Pendleton County a bundle of bangs – a 34-20
win at Sharp Middle School.
Lewis County is off to a 4-2 start – the first time that’s happened
since 2014.
The Lions can also thank Howard, quarterback Ayden Cooper and receiver
Trey Gerike for being 2-0 in Class 3A, District 6. Howard ran for 172
yards and two touchdowns, and Cooper and Gerike hooked up for two more
scores.
What was maybe more important: Howard, Cooper and Gerike believe a
nascent winning culture is blooming.
“(Head coach) Gene Peterson and (assistant) Presley Marshall coming in,
having us play their way,” Howard said. “We listen to them and execute
exactly what they say, how they say to do.”
Peterson said his team is playing harder.
“My way is doing things correctly, playing with enthusiasm, executing on
the field,” Peterson said. “And then being a good citizen when they’re
off the field.”
The Wildcats narrowly out-gained the Lions on the ground, 219-211.
Friday’s difference was Lewis County’s passing game – Cooper threw for
165 yards and two touchdowns to Trey Gerike, while Pendleton County
gained just 25 yards.
Pendleton County fell to 0-7 overall and 0-2 in the district. Wildcats
coach Kyle Pettit nevertheless praised Tyler Redden for good reason –
six carries for 100 yards and a 47-yard touchdown and a 25-yard
touchdown catch from Ethan Verst.
“We had a sophomore running back (Redden) score a touchdown at the end,”
Pettit said. “He’s a very talented young kid and only a sophomore –
first year playing football, ever.”
Howard began and ended Lewis County’s first touchdown drive. He took the
opening kickoff 44 yards to the Pendleton County 44, and after Cooper
found Braedyn McGlone with a 9-yard pass, he was mostly untouched on his
35-yard run.
Two miscues dearly cost Pendleton County on its opening possession:
McGlone sacked Verst for a 2-yard loss, followed by a minus-7-yard punt.
Cooper’s 27-yard run set up his 24-yard play set up the 24-yard
touchdown toss to Gerike with 5:14 to go in the first.
A little less than four minutes later it was 21-0, Lions. Cooper hit
Jaxon Rister twice for 22 yards and then connected with Gerike from 20
yards out.
After Cooper’s 1-yard plunge extended Lewis County’s lead to 28-0,
Redden showed Lewis County the back of his No. 22 jersey on a 47-yard
run with 32 seconds left before intermission.
The Lions and Wildcats exchanged rushing touchdowns in the third
quarter. Howard scored from a yard out, and Chance Pollard found the end
zone from 6 yards away.
Verst’s 25-yard touchdown pass to Redden with 1:18 left in the game
ended the scoring.
“We played fairly well on defense in the first half,” Peterson said.
“Second half, not so well. … Fortunately we had enough points, we were
able to withstand that.”
LEWIS CO. 21 7 6 0 – 34
PENDLETON CO. 0 6 8 6 – 20
FIRST QUARTER
LC-Austin Howard 35 run (kick fails), 11:07
LC-Trey Gerike 24 pass from Ayden Cooper (Howard run), 5:14
LC-Gerike 20 pass from Cooper (Wesley Wilburn kick), 1:22
SECOND QUARTER
LC-Cooper 1 run (Wilburn kick), 2:57
PC-Tyler Redden 47 run (run fails), 0:32
THIRD QUARTER
LC-Howard 1 run (kick fails), 3:25
PC-Chance Pollard 6 run (Ethan Verst run), 0:12
FOURTH QUARTER
PC-Redden 25 pass from Verst (run fails), 1:18
LC PC
First downs 20 14
Rushes-yards 35-211 35-219
Comp-Att-Int 11-18-1 1-12-1
Passing yards 165 25
Fumbles-lost 0-0 1-0
Punts-Avg. 2-27.0 4-21.7
Penalties-yards 8-64 8-65
Lewis Co. rushing: Howard 25-172, Cooper 8-28, McGlone 2-11.
Pendleton Co. rushing: Morgan 11-83, Pollard 8-12, Redden 6-100, Verst
10-24.
Lewis Co. passing: Cooper 11-18-165.
Pendleton Co. passing: Verst 1-12-25.
Lewis Co. receiving: Gerike 3-67, Rister 2-22, McGlone 4-37, Howard
1-31, Puente 1-8.
Pendleton Co. receiving: Redden 1-25.