A revitalized Central still was no match for the Washington football team Friday.
The Panthers surpassed 200 yards through the air and on the ground in a 35-16 season-opening victory over the Lions at Peoria Stadium.
“For the first game, some great things came out of the win,” WCHS head coach Darrell Crouch said. “The defense played exceptionally well.”
While Washington’s first-team defenders were in the game, Central produced negative yardage.
Four different Panthers scored as the No. 6-ranked team in the Associated Press Class 5A preseason state poll built a 35-0 lead in the third quarter.
“We did a pretty good job trying to mix it up a little bit,” said Crouch about the offense. “I really feel like running the ball is one of the things we have to improve on.”
Quarterback Isaac Fisher showed he is at full strength by finding seven different receivers for a total of nearly 210 yards.
Fisher also ran for more than 60 yards. Connor Underwood topped the team with 74, while Dylan Reel also generated over 50. All three reached the end zone.
Ryan Grebner made a game-high six catches. Zach Little had three receptions, with two of them resulting in first-half TDs.
Dakota Bullard and Underwood also made multiple grabs as the Lions did little to slow Washington’s passing game.
The offensive line, which features just one senior starter and two sophomores, had a solid night in the trenches.
“We’re pretty happy with those guys,” Crouch said. “We’ll try to get a little better each week.”
This week in practice is a big one as the Panthers prepare for No. 5 Richwoods and set up the rest of the season.
“The biggest jumps improvement-wise should be from week one to week two,” said Crouch.
Central gained Woodruff players after the closure of that high school and its new head coach is Tim Thornton, who orchestrated the Warriors’ football turnaround.
