Published: September 29, 2007 12:50 am            

Kats overpower Red Devils in 41-point beating

The start of Kokomo’s home football game against Richmond got off just a few minutes late Friday night as the Red Devils took a long time to emerge from their lockerroom in the school and make it onto the turf at Walter Cross Field.

Maybe they sensed what was waiting for them.



Once the game started, Kokomo got to work administering a 47-6 beating. The 41-point difference is Kokomo’s largest margin of victory ever in the series. The Kats were ruthlessly efficient, racking up 248 rushing yards and scoring 41 points in the opening half while holding the visitors scoreless. The game was no longer in doubt by halftime.

“It’s a big win because we did not play our best game last week [in a win at New Castle] and it’s nice to come out and show some dominance and dominate a game from the beginning like we did,” said Kokomo coach Brett Colby, whose team improved to 6-1 overall and 5-0 in the North Central Conference.



“It was nice to come out and do that from the [opening] kick because we haven’t done that a lot this year. Huntington at home was the only time we’ve really gotten out and played with a lead like this. We were able to maintain that lead and maintain our focus the whole game. That was big.”

Kokomo scored on all six of its possessions in the first half and ended the game with 394 rushing yards. Eight Kokomo backs rushed the ball three or more times, led by Justin Patterson’s 11 carries and 152 yards. Braxton Shelton added 109 on just five carries.



“They do what they do well,” Richmond coach Eric Gillespie said of the Kat offense. “They’ve got physical kids that run it well. It’s an offense that’s tailored to the type of kids you’ve got. The kids make it an even tougher offense than it would be for most because they’ve got some talented athletes that run it too.”

Richmond threatened in its first possession, using a big completion from quarterback Chavis Whittaker to drive to the Kat 25 before stalling out on fourth down. The Kats took over on downs and never looked back. Patterson and Shelton combined to rush eight times as the Kats covered all 75 yards on the ground, ending with a five-yard TD plunge by Patterson as he followed his blockers into the end zone.

On Kokomo’s next possession, Patterson went 23 yards on the first play, then broke free from an inside rush to scamper 33 yards to paydirt on the second play for Kokomo’s second score.



After stopping the Devils again, Shelton raced 61 yards on the first play (with Patterson tearing downfield to block the last defender) to score Kokomo’s third TD.

Colby was glad to stop Richmond’s opening drive and liked what the Kats showed in the running game.

“They got inside the red zone and we didn’t let a score happen, which has been our defensive story a lot this year,” Colby said. “We were able to run the ball very efficiently, which sets everything up. You know we didn’t want to have to throw if we didn’t have to.”

The Kats tallied three more TDs in the first half. Dylan Green scored on a three-yard plunge, Casey Shipley ran right for a four-yard score. And Larry Baker went up the middle for a three-yard TD on the final play of the half for a 41-0 halftime lead. Oh yeah, the Kats mixed in one pass — a 35-yard play from Taylor Carpenter to Quinton Douglas.

Patterson added a 37-yard TD run in the second half, and Richmond scored in the final minute of the third quarter on a 17-yard Parris Gray run.

Colby was pleased with Kokomo’s offensive execution and praised his team’s defense against the run. Richmond ran 22 times for 108 yards. The Devils gained 73 yards in the air on 5 of 15 passing, but Kokomo’s Thaddeus Jefferson and Curt Hutchins each snagged an interception.

Hutchins led the Kat defenders with 11 tackles. Jacob Schick had seven and Alston Andrews six.

The Kats went deep into their reserve of players, using three quarterbacks and a slew of backs. Freshman T.T. Catlett added 40 rushing yards in his first varsity game and Green added 31.

Colby noted that Kokomo can strengthen its place atop the league in next weekend’s home game against Logansport. The Berries have just one NCC loss.

“The kids have responded well and we’ve put ourselves in position for this home game next week,” he said. “It’s going to be a dandy.”

        

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