By Jim Irish
Cedar Creek’s defense and special teams couldn’t make the stops in a 64-14 rout by Elgin in a non-district contest at Memorial Stadium on Friday.
Elgin (2-2) scored almost every way imaginable.
The Wildcats hit pay dirt on four passes by quarterback Nathen Lewis, two long runs, a punt return, and a kickoff return.
“Anything that we called in our playbook, they were able to execute it,” Elgin head coach Heath Clawson said.
Clawson said he was encouraged with the rebound from last week’s loss to Rudder 33-7.
“We didn’t play well last week,” he said. “We talked about the things we needed to improve and sharpened up. The kids answered the bell tonight.”
"We were in position to make plays in all phases, and we didn't ..."
-- Cedar Creek head coach Josh Thomas
Meanwhile, Cedar (0-4) suffered its 19th consecutive loss dating back to 2021.
“We were in position to make plays in all phases, and we didn’t …,” Cedar Creek head coach Josh Thomas said. “We gotta do little things better. The name of the game is blocking and tackling.”
Elgin quarterback Nathen Lewis, a 6-foot-1 senior, threw touchdowns of 14 and 39 yards to Blake Thames, two yards to Jonathan Richards, and five yards to Jalen Owens.
Elgin running back Darren Harper scored the first touchdown of the game on a five-yard run. He broke a 55-yard score in the fourth quarter.
"... We talked about the things we needed to improve and sharpened up. The kids answered the bell tonight."
-- Elgin coach Heath Clawson
Elgin led 29-0 at halftime and 43-0 in the third quarter before Cedar Creek got on the scoreboard.
Elgin running back Curtis McFarlin also got in on the act, dashing 64 yards in the fourth quarter.
In the third quarter, Owens appeared to be stopped by Cedar Creek defenders on a punt return but pulled off a Houdini, escaping for a 53-yard touchdown.
“We got (Owens) bottled up, (but) he snuck away from us,” Thomas said. “A good athlete. He had a great play.”
Later in the third quarter, Elgin’s Zaire Nuells returned a kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown.
Cedar Creek took advantage of Elgin’s only turnover, a fumble on a punt return and a recovery by Dakota Baker.
Cedar Creek quarterback Dillon Dubee connected with H-back Mason Thomas for an 11-yard touchdown at 1:13 remaining in the third quarter.
Dubee scored the second touchdown on a five-yard sprint to the left with 4:30 remaining in the fourth quarter. Playing his third game for injured starter Blaze Orr, Dubee completed 12-of-22 passes for 212 yards. He had one interception after throwing into traffic in the third quarter. It was the Eagles’ only turnover of the game.
“Dubee was just trying to make a play and tried to force the ball in a tight window,” Thomas said. “It didn’t work out.”
Baker, listed on the roster as a 5-10, 145-pound junior, had his best game as a wide receiver as a substitute for injured Kole Masters. He caught four passes for 127 yards and displayed an ability to gain significant yards after the reception.
"This was his breakout game for sure."
-- Thomas speaking about Dakota Baker
In the first three games, Baker had a total of five catches for 66 yards.
“This was his breakout game for sure,” Thomas said.
Cedar Creek kicker David Sanchez had a 31-yard field goal blocked in the second quarter. His 39-yard field goal in the fourth quarter fell short.
Cedar Creek running back K’Veahon Houston, who had surgery in the offseason and hasn’t played this season, wore a brace on his leg on the sideline.
Cedar Creek plays host to Lockhart (1-3) in a District 13-5A Division II opener at Memorial Stadium at 7 p.m. on Friday.
Jim Irish is freelance writer in Bastrop, Texas
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