Columbus East’s Keaton Lawson tries to break away from Seymour’s Kooper Smith Friday at Bulleit Stadium in Seymour.
The Columbus East football team got its first victory of the season Friday night at Seymour.
The Olympians put up the points early, and the Owls couldn’t catch up despite the second half track meet from both teams, and East won its Hoosier Hills Conference opener 49-34.
Seymour (0-3, 0-1) broke through on the scoreboard first when Everett Jackson to run 60 yards for the score to lead 6-0.
The Olympians (1-2, 1-0) scored on all five of their possession in the first half. Running back JD Rotert scored a rushing and a receiving touchdown. Quarterback Kyson Villarreal ran for a touchdown, and Keaton Lawson and Paxton Thompson each caught a touchdown pass in the late in the second quarter to make it 35-13 at the half. The Owls scored on their final possession of the first half when Alexx Milliken caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Max Coates.
Columbus East’s Conner Fudge (9), Adam Dye (34) and Christian Austin (4) converge on Seymour’s Kooper Smith Friday at Bulleit Stadium in Seymour.
The East defense caused a fumble on the Seymour’s second possession. Mykel Jones picked up a fumble to give the Olympians great field possession.
The Owls didn’t go away. They went for the onside kick and got possession to begin the second half. They would later convert when Coates ran for his second touchdown to make it 35-20.
On the ensuing possession, East had great field possession near midfield. It would later result in Rotert getting his third touchdown of the game with a 15-yard run to build the lead to 42-20 with 5:43 left in the third quarter.
Columbus East’s Brody Miller (6) converges on Seymour’s Treysean Milliken Friday at Bulleit Stadium in Seymour.
Seymour still wouldn’t go away. On the ensuing possession, the Owls marched down the field again with the drive capped off with a Traysean Hawkins 9-yard run for a touchdown to make it 42-27 with 2:56 left in the third.
A couple possession later, Villarreal ran for his second touchdown of the game from four yards out to increase the East lead back up to 49-27 with 7:11 left to play.
On the ensuing possession, Seymour marched down the field again, and Milliken caught a 10-yard touchdown pass with 2:25 left in the fourth. East was able to pick up a first down to run down the clock.
Villarreal completed 13 of 17 passes for 218 yards and three touchdowns and ran nine times for 32 yards an two scores. Rotert carried eight times for 53 yards and three touchdowns, and Lawson caught three passes for 78 yards and a score.
East will travel to Jennings County next week for another HHC matchup.
Columbus East 49, Seymour 34
Columbus East;14;21;7;7;—;49
Seymour;6;7;14;7;—;34
S—Everett Jackson 60 run (kick failed), 10:30.
CE—JD Rotert 8 pass from Kyson Villarreal (Skylar Bailey kick), 9:30.
CE—Villarreal 1 run (Bailey kick), 3:38.
CE—Rotert 2 run (Bailey kick), 3:38
CE —Keaton Lawson 16 pass from Villarreal (Bailey kick), 5:44.
S—Alexx Milliken 7 pass from Max Coates (Adrian Medina kick), 5:13.
CE—Paxton Thompson 15 pass from Villarreal (Bailey kick), :37.
S—Coates 7 run (Medina kick)
CE—Rotert 15 run (Bailey kick), 6:50.
S—Traysean Hawkins 9 run (Medina kick), 5:43.
CE—Villarreal 4 run (Bailey kick), 9:48.
S—Milliken 10 pass from Coates (Medina kick), 7:11.
Individual statistics
RUSHING — Columbus East: Rotert 8-53, Keatin Roberts 6-41, Villarreal 9-32, Brody Miller 3-14, Mykel Jones 1-4. Seymour: Hawkins 21-124, Jackson 9-74, Coates 7-41, Brody Bowles 10-26.
PASSING — Columbus East: Villarreal 13 for 17, 218 yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions. Seymour: Coates 11-14-94-2-1.
RECEIVING — Columbus East: Lawson 3-78, Thompson 3-66, Jones 3-47, Bige Asher 1-16, Rotert 2-8, Kamden Shelley 1-3. Seymour: Milliken 6-60, Jackson 2-16, Charlie Bruce 1-11, Bowles 1-5, Hawkins 1-1.
