CONCORDIA, Mo. - Knox County scored 44 unanswered points after the opening quarter and rolled to a 58-14 victory over St. Paul Lutheran on Friday night at St. Paul Lutheran Stadium.
Carrsen Hayes accounted for six touchdowns, rushing for 169 yards and four scores on 17 carries while completing 10 of 12 passes for 79 yards and two touchdowns. The senior quarterback helped the Eagles turn a 6-6 game after the opening quarter into a 36-14 halftime advantage.
Knox County broke through first when Hayes scored on a 7-yard run with eight minutes remaining in the opening quarter. St. Paul Lutheran answered on a 1-yard touchdown run by Keenan Boldridge, tying the game at 6 with 2:12 left in the period.
The Eagles seized control almost immediately after the second quarter began.
Hayes scored from a yard out just five seconds into the period, and the ensuing two-point conversion gave Knox County a 14-6 advantage. He later connected with Creighton Karhoff for a 25-yard touchdown, extending the margin to 22-6.
Boldridge kept the Saints within striking distance by scoring his second 1-yard touchdown with 5:35 remaining before halftime. St. Paul Lutheran added the two-point conversion to pull within 22-14.
The response from Hayes took little time.
On Knox County’s next possession, the quarterback broke free on a cutback and raced 79 yards for his third rushing touchdown of the half. The Eagles added another score before the break when Karhoff reached the end zone on a 5-yard run with 38 seconds remaining.
Karhoff finished with both a rushing and receiving touchdown in the victory.
Knox County’s defense also delivered a key play late in the half. Blayce Howerton intercepted a St. Paul pass and returned it 35 yards, ending a Saints possession and helping the Eagles carry a 36-14 lead into the locker room.
The Eagles continued pulling away in the third quarter. Hayes fired a 13-yard touchdown pass to Isaac Shahan with 7:10 remaining, then added a 13-yard scoring run later in the period. Knox County’s defense also stopped St. Paul on fourth-and-inches deep in Eagles territory.
Hayes’ fourth rushing touchdown increased the lead to 50-14 with 2:47 left in the third, putting the running clock into effect for the fourth quarter.
Knox County added its final touchdown with 42 seconds remaining when Jackson Ausmus, wearing No. 19, caught a 13-yard pass from a reserve quarterback. A successful two-point conversion established the final 58-14 margin.
St. Paul’s Jaxson Clayton returned the ensuing kickoff before being tackled on the final play of the game.
Boldridge led the Saints offensively with 194 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. The senior averaged more than 10 yards per attempt despite Knox County keeping St. Paul from completing a pass in 11 attempts. Both of the Saints’ touchdowns came during the first half.
The Eagles displayed several different offensive threats. Karhoff caught a touchdown and ran for another, while Shahan added a receiving score. Ezra Scoggin contributed a 49-yard run, and Howerton’s interception helped Knox County win the turnover battle.
Knox County also benefited from Ryan Park’s work on kickoffs, repeatedly forcing St. Paul to begin possessions after touchbacks.
The Eagles finished with three sacks and recovered a fourth-quarter fumble in addition to Howerton’s interception. St. Paul recorded sacks by Max Harrington and Keaton Marsh.
Hayes was named the Hawkins Harrison Insurance Player of the Week during the Beck’s Hybrids Scoreboard Show following his six-touchdown performance.
Knox County improved to 1-0 and will return to Ella Campbell Field for its home opener next Friday againt Lamoni. St. Paul Lutheran fell to 0-1.
(This recap is based on game coverage by the Hometown Radio Sports Network. All statistics are unofficial and subject to correction.)
