Commodores jump on Trojans at start

By MIKE SPRAGUE
Sports Correspondent

OAKLAND CITY—Perry Central scored on its first five possessions in trouncing Wood Memorial 40-7 in football Friday.
“This was a bounce-back week,” Perry Central Coach Greg Gibson said. “Tonight our (starters) played well. I thought we got off the ball quick and we had some running lanes. When we threw the ball our routes were crisp.
“We had a good week of practice and we brought it tonight.”
The Commodores ran the ball seven times in their first 68-yard drive. Austin LeClere carried five times, picking up gains of 22, 9, 10, and 17 yards before running over the left side for a 5-yard touchdown.
On Wood Memorial's first possession, a bad handoff on the second play from scrimmage was recovered by Perry Central’s Ryan Aders at the Trojan 32. The Commodore defense held the Trojans to 126 yards of total offense.
LeClere, Mason Krygielka and Levi Hilgenhold carried the ball on the Commodores’ ensuing five-play drive.
LeClere scored his second of three touchdowns, extending the Perry Central lead to 14-0. For the game he rushed 11 times for 132 yards.
The Commodore defense came up with a turnover on downs as Wood Memorial faked a punt from the Perry Central 49. Jonah Day attempted a pass, overthrowing his intended receiver.
On the next play Dacota Schaad threw a pass to a wide open Devin Martin for a 51-yard touchdown.
In the second quarter, Perry Central’s Nathan Shaw ran a 35-yard counter play around the left side for  a touchdown, increasing the Commodores’ lead to 27-0.
The Trojans then drove from their own 30 to the Commodores’ 43, where they had to punt.
The Commodores moved the ball from their 22 to the Trojan 9, gaining four first downs. LeClere made the longest run of that drive, 17 yards, but Schaad also completed a 22-yard pass to Martin.
On first and goal Schaad threw a 9-yard touchdown on a  slant pass to Aders.
“He has such good hands for a big kid,” Gibson said of his tight end. “He could easily be a wide receiver. We’re going to use him more in the second half of the season.”
In the second half the Trojans opted to go with a running clock. Neither team scored in the third quarter, though the Commodores had a great drive going.
After starting at their 42-yard line, they rushed to the Trojan  1.
Krygielka finished the Commodore scoring with a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Sam Trader scored Wood Memorial’s only touchdown on a 5-yard run late in the game.
Perry Central improved to 4-2 while Wood Memorial dropped to 0-6.
Perry Central will travel to Paoli for a PLAC game Friday at 7 p.m.