The Grand Rapids Catholic Central Cougars hosted Kenowa Hills on Friday night on their homecoming evening. In a celebration for the Cougs, it was a no-doubter. They cruised to a 48-3 victory over the Knights, extending a win streak in the series that dates back to 1992.
Just two minutes into the action, the Cougars found the end zone. Kellen Russell-Dixon ripped off a 58-yard sprint past the oncoming Kenowa defensemen, giving GRCC a 7-0 lead. The Knights would respond, however, with Andy Mendez-Reyes booting a 27 yard field goal. Ahead 7-3, the Cougars pushed their lead further with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Connor Wolf to Jami Williams.
The second quarter saw GRCC’s lead explode. Early in the frame, they got a safety when the football sailed past the punter’s head. On the ensuing free kick, Kamall Hillard returned it 66 yards for a touchdown. After a quick stop, Wolf and Mill Coleman III connected for a 23-yard touchdown strike.
Ahead 30-3, the Cougars got another safety on an errant Kenowa Hills snap. They concluded the half with a 9-yard quarterback keeper by Wolf and a 27-yard field goal by Conor Neilson in the half’s final minute.
With the running clock in full effect, scoring opportunities were limited in the second half. Brock Jones provided the lone highlight, a 7-yard touchdown run, in the third quarter.
The Cougars rushed for 200 yards on 18 carries. Russell-Dixon led the way with 58 yards, while Jones (46) and Wolf (30) chipped in with strong performances on three and two carries respectively. Wolf finished 14/23 passing for 185 yards and two scores. Jami Williams had a team-high 4 catches for 57 yards, while Coleman (37) and Russell-Dixon (35) added to the aerial attack.
This is the fifth straight win for the Cougars, now 5-1 on the season and 4-0 in the OK Gold. The next two weeks will be challenging, starting with Friday’s battle against Forest Hills Eastern. The Cougars cannot overlook the 5-1 Hawks, with South Christian looming in Week 8. Kenowa Hills falls to 2-4 with this defeat.
