BATESVILLE - A little sleight of hand by visiting Rushville had the Lions within two scores of the host Batesville Bulldogs Friday early in the second half, though the final score of 56-18 made that ultimately a moot point. Deacon Hamilton's 33-yard touchdown touched off a 27-0 response by the Dogs, allowing BHS a comfy homecoming win.

The Lions had two of the numerous exciting plays on the night as the third quarter unfolded. Quarterback Nick Jarman hit Braydon Wilson in stride for a 56-yard TD on the Lions' first play from scrimmage. It was 29-12 after a failed conversion.

Rushville then recovered an onside kick - its second such attempt since halftime - for a relatively short field ahead. Harper Miller ran for 13 yards and a first down before two false starts and a holding call set the Lions back at the 45-yard line. Keegan Bowles took a pitch from Jarman, held on long enough to get the Dogs' defense to bite and then uncorked a halfback pass to Chase Woolf for a long TD strike. On the failed 2-pointer, the Lions gave back some momentum with a personal foul assessed on the kickoff and another 15-yard penalty on the ensuing drive.

BHS followed up the Hamilton score with one more prior to the final frame. Bulldog QB Will Jaisle connected with Cade Kaiser for a long completion into Lion territory. Back Gage Pohlman later snapped off a 22-yard TD run to the left side and after a missed extra point, it stood 43-18 with 1:48 left in the quarter.

Rushville, suddenly down 25, had no choice but to air it out. Bobby Weiler batted down Jarman's first down try and Alex Krekeler intercepted his next aerial, returning it 16 yards. A Pohlman run gave BHS a first down at the Lion 28 as time expired.

On the first play of the fourth, Jaisle lofted one into the hands of Kaiser for a 28-yard score. BHS led 49-18 after a blocked kick. Rushville had the ball inside Batesville's 10 on the next possession but turned it over on downs. 

After a 12-yard gain, Pohlman gave way to freshman Zadiin Small. His 47 yards - including a 7-yard TD - along with Weiler's 27-yard rush capped the night's offense. Brady Wonnell's PAT preceded a running clock in the final few minutes.

With 74 points scored, only seven of those came in the first period. Pohlman broke a 51-yarder, tripped up by Drew McKee just before the end zone. A play later, he went in from one yard out. Wonnell made it 7-0.

The Lions were moving in hopes for a tying score but fumbled on a run play, with the bobble landing in the hands of BHS' Carter Bohman. Pohlman then danced through the Rushville defense for an excellent 73-yard TD run on the next play from scrimmage. Jaisle got the ball across the goal line for two more points.

RCHS gained just one yard on a three-and-out. Despite three procedure calls, BHS made its next drive another scoring one. After Jaisle and Pohlman carried for a total of 36 yards, the former found Kaiser for a jump ball in the end zone with defensive pass interference declined; Wonnell's kick topped the 24-yard scoring play.

Rushville answered in precisely 30 seconds. Bowles went about 40 yards on the kick return to the BHS 37, where Wilson caught a pass down the left sideline for 26 yards and Miller scored from the 11. 

Looking to pad its halftime lead, Batesville took over at its own 30 following the kick return. Jaisle converted a 4th-and-short on the first series and Pohlman brought it across midfield for the next first down with just 1:19 left. On a 3rd-and-14 from the Bulldog 48 - after an ineligible man was downfield - Jaisle hooked up with Krekeler for 25 yards. Jaisle grounded the ball to stop the clock at 10.9, then completed to Kaiser who was ruled out of bounds in the end zone. No worries - with the halftime horn blaring, Jaisle released a 27-yard heave to Krekeler for six points. Wonnell made it 29-6 at the break.

Batesville rolled up over 580 yards of offense with Pohlman responsible for more than 260 of those. Wilson caught 7 passes for the Lions, going over the century mark.

BHS stays perfect at 4-0 with fellow unbeaten East Central visiting Friday. Rushville's home opener is the War on 44 with Connersville Friday evening. The Lions have now dropped 12 straight after a 2-0 start to the 2022 campaign.

Bulldogs 56, Lions 18

R - 0 6 12 0 - 18

B - 7 22 14 13 - 56

Scoring

First Quarter

B - Pohlman 1-yard run, 2:27. Wonnell kick.

Second Quarter

B - Pohlman 73-yard run, 10:48. Jaisle run.

B - Kaiser 24-yard pass from Jaisle, 5:14. Wonnell kick.

R - Miller 11-yard run, 4:44. Kick failed.

B - Krekeler 27-yard pass from Jaisle, 0:00. Wonnell kick.

Third Quarter

R - Wilson 56-yard pass from Jarman, 10:30. Run failed. 

R - Woolf 45-yard pass from Bowles, 8:54. Run failed. 

B - Hamilton 33-yard run, 6:51. Pohlman run.

B - Pohlman 22-yard run, 1:48. Kick wide.

Fourth Quarter

B - Kaiser 28-yard pass from Jaisle, 11:52. Kick blocked. 

B - Small 7-yard run, 3:50. Wonnell kick.

Total yards: RCHS 294, BHS 583

Rushing: RCHS 108, BHS 448

Passing: RCHS 186 , BHS 135

First downs: RCHS 8, BHS 16

Penalties: RCHS 5-50, BHS 11-83

Fumbles/lost: RCHS 2/2, BHS 0

Stats: Rushville - Rushing: Miller 16-87, Jarman 4-7, Ralph Eakins 3-6, Landon Browning 2-8. Passing: Jarman 11-22-141 (Int), Bowles 1-1-45. Receiving: Wilson 7-116, Woolf 3-64, Miller 1-(-1), McKee 1-7.

Batesville - Rushing: Weiler 5-36, Pohlman 19-262, Jaisle 6-48, Krekeler 3-22, Hamilton 1-33, Small 7-47. Passing: Jaisle 8-14-135. Receiving: Kaiser 5-82, Pohlman 1-1, Krekeler 2-52.