Columbus North’s Asher Ratliff throws the ball while being pressured by Southport’s Aganze Mulumoderwa during Friday’s game at Columbus North High School.
Tommy Walker | For the Republic
Asher Ratliff was playing with a heavy heart Friday night.
The Columbus North senior quarterback paid tribute to his grandmother Julieanne Ratliff, who died Sunday, by writing her name in his eye black. Then, he went out and accounted for seven touchdowns, including a school-record six TD passes, to lead the Class 6A No. 9 Bull Dogs to a 54-0 rout of Southport in the Conference Indiana opener.
“She came to all my games,” Asher Ratliff said. “Obviously, a big person in my life. She’s one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met, so I’m playing for her out here.”
Ratliff, who threw for a school-record 395 yards in last week’s win at Columbus East, completed 16 of 20 passes for 322 yards against Southport. He broke the single-game record of five touchdown passes, which was held by multiple quarterbacks.
“That means a lot,” Ratliff said. “I’ve grown up watching Columbus North football, and to be a record holder now, that’s a big deal for me.”
“He’s playing lights-out,” North coach Logan Haston added. “He’s exactly what you hope for in a three-year starting quarterback. He’s seeing the field with great vision, great poise. He’s sharing the wealth, getting it to whoever is open. He’s doing all the things you would hope for.”
Senior tight end-linebacker Parker Elmore caught seven passes for 185 yards and three touchdowns and played a role on a defense that posted its first shutout of the season after giving up seven points each of the first two weeks.
“It’s definitely huge,” Elmore said. “We were real close both weeks, so it definitely feels good to put up a donut.”
Ratliff and Elmore connected for touchdowns the first two times the Bull Dogs (3-0, 1-0) had the ball, first for a 3-yard score and then for a 21-yard TD strike. Ratliff then hit Morgan Knapp for a 14 yard score for a 20-0 lead in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Ratliff kept the ball for a 1-yard touchdown run and hit Knapp for a 33-yard score. Ezekiel Scruggs scored on an 8-yard run, and North led 41-0 at halftime, triggering a running clock for the second half.
The Bull Dogs picked up right where they left off. On the first play, Ratliff found Elmore, and Elmore outran the defense for a 70-yard touchdown.
“Coach Haston puts us in good spots to make plays, and Asher is obviously a great quarterback, so he puts the ball where we can make the play,” Elmore said.
Ratliff’s final touchdown pass went for four yards to Jacob Rice late in the third quarter.
“We executed what we did all practice, just a lot of reps, a lot of things,” Ratliff added. “When the O-line works, the wide receivers work and we all work together as a unit, we’re pretty hard to stop.”
Knapp finished with five catches for 124 yards and two scores.
“I feel like tonight was a great night for all of us all around,” Knapp said. “Me and Asher have been with the team for awhile. We have our chemistry together, and this summer, we all got closer together, so I feel like these touchdowns should come easier throughout the season. We just need to keep pushing and look forward to the next game.”
The only downside to North’s victory came in a second consecutive penalty-filled week. The Bull Dogs were penalized nine times for 90 yards, including seven times for 70 yards in the first half.
“It’s definitely something that’s alarming that we need to address,” Haston said. “Part of it is, our guys are playing hard and aggressive, and we’ll live with those penalties. Other things are in our control that we have to clean up.”
North did score touchdowns on all eight of its possessions, not counting the last one, when it ran out the clock, and outgained the Cardinals (0-3, 0-1) 453-102. The competition gets tougher the next two weeks when they travel to 4A No. 8 Roncalli and 6A No. 3 Carmel.
“We talked all week about us and playing our brand of football and practicing regardless of who our opponent is, and I thought we had a great week of practice and came out and executed in all three phases tonight,” Haston said. “Just exactly what you hope to have from a great practice week, so I’m really proud of them. We have to keep this momentum going.”
Columbus North 54, Southport 0
Southport;0;0;0;0;—;0
Columbus North;20;21;13;0;—;54
CN—Parker Elmore 3 pass from Asher Ratliff (Cole Stevens kick), 9:17.
CN—Elmore 21 pass from Ratliff (Stevens kick), 5:19.
CN—Morgan Knapp 14 pass from Ratliff (kick failed), 2:14.
CN—Ratliff 1 run (Stevens kick), 9:09.
CN—Knapp 33 pass from Ratliff (Stevens kick), 4:51.
CN—Ezekiel Scruggs 8 run (Stevens kick), 2:58.
CN—Elmore 70 pass from Ratliff (kick failed), 9:27.
CN—Jacob Rice 4 pass from Ratliff (Stevens kick), 2:32.
Individual statistics
RUSHING — Southport: Riley Matlick 15-43, Braydon Brummett 4-32, Kam’ron Jones 5-19, Mason Owens 5-(-38). Columbus North: E. Scruggs 7-51, Cohen Long 1-13, Ratliff 4-9, Ashton Schwartz 1-3, James Scruggs 1-0, Max Wilson 1-(-2).
PASSING — Southport: Owens 12 for 23, 46 yards, 0 touchdowns, 0 interceptions. Columbus North: Ratliff 16-20,342-6-0; Wilson 2-3-37-0-0.
RECEIVING — Southport: JD Stanovich 5-23, Liam Wilson 2-17, Brummett 1-6, Matlock 2-1, Tristan Dudas 1-0, Myles Caudill 1-(-1). Columbus North: Elmore 7-185, Knapp 5-124, Rice 3-26, Hunter Koharchick 1-22, Nate Riker 1-15, J. Scruggs 1-7.
