Eureka pummels Tigers in opener

Central suffered a 42-0 road loss to the Wildcats.

The Eureka football team was on the outside of the state's top five in the Class 5 poll released earlier this week.

The Wildcats made believers of visiting Central on Friday night.

Eureka scored 28 points in the first half and blanked the Tigers 42-0.

Central (0-1) had lost to Eureka 38-0 last year at Houck Stadium to start what ended up as a 2-8 campaign.

The Wildcats, who didn't make the Class 5 playoffs last year and opened this season atop the also receiving votes list, assured itself another route by scoring on its first possession, then scoring a defensive touchdown on Central's first possession.

Eureka running back Sam Johnson scored three touchdowns in the first half for Eureka, including the first one on a 7-yard run. He added a 2-yard scoring run and an 8-yard TD run in the second quarter.

Eureka's second touchdown was scored midway through the first quarter when Darrell Cain intercepted Garrett Stevens' pass and returned it 44 yards for the score.

Eureka added a rushing touchdown in the third quarter, which made the score 35-0 and started the running clock, and added another in the fourth.

Mike Bigogno converted the kick after each touchdown.

Eureka was stopped on just one of its five first-half possessions.

Central, meanwhile, converted three turnovers in the first half -- all interceptions thrown by Stevens.

Central finished below 175 yards of net offense with most of its production coming through the air.