DANE FUELLING
WZBD.com
Columbia City scored often and early, allowing the Bellmont offense nothing and forcing six turnovers for a merciless 76-0 rout of the Braves and setting a new school record along the way.
The Eagles have been playing football since 1922 and they’d never scored 76 or more points until Noah Geiger and company did it Friday against the Braves, who were sent to their 45th consecutive defeat and their 71st in the last 72 games.
Columbia City scored four touchdowns in the first quarter and five in the second quarter to build a 63-0 halftime lead, then clamped down on the Bellmont offense and held them scoreless during the running clock in the second half.
Geiger ran for four touchdowns and finished with 65 yards on the ground on 14 carries, while Jordan Parrett finished 5 for 7 for 79 yards as the Eagles didn’t risk throwing it, picking up 361 yards rushing in the contest.
Columbia City took the opening kickoff and ran it back 39 yards to set up a short field and Geiger got his first TD after a seven-play drive.
The Braves fumbled on the next possession and handed the home team the ball on the 16 and Braxton Fuller scored two plays later. Bellmont picked up a first down on the subsequent drive, but failed to convert on 4th down on their own half of the field.
Geiger took it into the end zone on the next two possessions, with a Henry Faurote punt wedged in between. The senior also handled the Braves’ only kickoff of the game.
Geiger’s second touchdown was set up by a controversial play. Already up 21-0, Columbia City set up in a weird formation on the first play of the drive on their own 48. Setting up with four receivers wide right, Parrett bounced a pass laterally to the back receiver, while several CC players acted like the pass was incomplete. Haris Wagner picked up the ball and tossed it long down the middle of the field to a wide open Lukas Duncan, who was dragged down at the two by cornerback Oliver Faurote, who never gave up on the play. Whether the trick play was warranted in the context of the ultimate outcome of the game was a point of discussion around the stadium.
Less than sportsmanlike behavior continued when Fuller caught a touchdown pass down the right side from 35 yards out, slowing down at the goal line to taunt the Bellmont defenders. A taunting penalty was rightly given by the officials.
Things got worse in the second quarter for the Braves on the next drive as Ian Berry stepped in front of his receiver on second down and took it to the house for 40 yards and the defensive score.
Geiger’s fourth touchdown came after Bellmont turned it over on downs and Columbia City got a hand on Faurote’s punt with two minutes left to take the ball on their own 40 with 1:50 to play. Lukas Duncan took it to the house for a 60-yard run on the very next play to make it 63-0.
Bellmont’s first two possessions of the second half ended in turnovers, with Charlie Faurote being dragged down at the 1 and fumbling into the end zone for a fumble recovery touchdown for the Eagle defense and an interception by Dylan Faust.
A long Columbia City touchdown run by Jayden Williams was called back for a hold and the Bellmont defense got their first stop of the night, but they immediately gave it right back with their fifth turnover, a fumble after a nice catch that should have moved the sticks.
RJ Getts and the B team offense put together the final Eagles’ scoring drive in the fourth quarter and Columbia City got their sixth turnover of the night on the very first play of the next Bellmont drive before running out the clock.
Charlie Faurote finished 16 for 31 with 115 yards passing. Mason White had eight catches for 28 yards, while Cole Barger had five catches for 55 yards.
The Braves had -14 yards rushing on the night.
Note: All stats are unofficial. No stats or information were received by WZBD from Bellmont.
SCORING SUMMARY
Quarter 1
8:52 – CC – Noah Geiger 3-yd run, Jaxson Johnson PAT good, 7-0
7:35 – CC – Braxton Fuller 9-yd run, Johnson PAT good, 14-0
2:25 – CC – Noah Geiger 2-yd run, Johnson PAT good, 21-0
1:43 – CC – Noah Geiger 2-yd run, Johnson PAT good, 28-0
Quarter 2
10:42 – CC – Braxton Fuller 35-yd catch from Jordan Parrett, Johnson PAT good, 35-0
10:18 – CC – Ian Berry 40-yd interception return, Johnson PAT good, 42-0
6:01 – CC – Lukas Duncan 24-yd run, Johnson PAT good, 49-0
4:18 – CC – Noah Geiger 1-yd run, Johnson PAT good, 56-0
1:35 – CC – Lukas Duncan 60-yd run, Johnson PAT good, 63-0
Quarter 3
8:33 – CC – Andrew Forthmiller fumble recovery, Colin Howell PAT good, 70-0
Quarter 4
3:58 – CC – RJ Getts, Howell PAT no good, 76-0
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