Columbus East High School

Columbus, IN - When the final whistle blew in the fourth quarter at Stafford Field at Bob Gaddis Stadium, the scoreboard displayed a decisive 43-13 victory for Columbus East against the Jeffersonville Red Devils. The Olympians entered the final quarter holding a commanding 43-7 lead. With a running clock in effect, Columbus East maintained firm control over the game's final minutes. Jeffersonville managed a late touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, but the contest had already been put far out of reach by the dominant home squad. The decisive turning point occurred during a dominant third quarter, where Columbus East exploded for 22 unanswered points. Opening the second half with momentum, the Olympian offense drove down the field, concluding with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Kam Combest to Connor Fudge. Defensive momentum followed immediately as Jackson Miller intercepted a pass and returned it deep into opponent territory. That turnover set up Combest for a 4-yard touchdown run. Before the period closed, Fudge caught a short pass and turned it into a 66-yard gain, setting up an 11-yard touchdown run by Owen Hatfield on the final play of the quarter. A successful two-point conversion pass from Jayden Wilcox to Gavin Wilcox pushed the lead to 43-7. Although the Olympians started off a bit slow early on, the offense quickly found its rhythm by making strategic adjustments to attack through the air rather than relying solely on the ground game. Columbus East built strong momentum heading into halftime. Breaking a 7-7 tie in the second quarter, Miller sprinted 25 yards through the middle for a touchdown. Right before the break, Carson Gallion hauled in a long reception to reach the 19-yard line, allowing Combest to score on a 1-yard quarterback sneak for a 21-7 halftime lead. In the opening quarter, Brayden Lee set an energetic tone with an early interception. Shortly after, Combest launched a 40-yard touchdown strike to Fudge to get the Olympians on the board. The victory was supported by strong overall statistical output across the roster. Combest led the aerial assault with a career performance, completing 21 of 25 passes for 325 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. Fudge was his primary target, catching career highs of seven passes for 150 yards. Miller also played a key role in the passing game, gathering seven catches for 126 yards alongside his rushing touchdown. On the ground, Hatfield led the team with 51 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, while Daelyn Diaz added 48 rushing yards on 10 carries. Paxton Thompson added five receptions for 42 yards, and kicker Andrew Chipman contributed four successful extra-point kicks. This matchup marked the last regular season home game for Columbus East. As part of Friday's festivities, the school celebrated Senior Night to honor its senior student athletic trainers, cheerleaders, and football players. The entire community wishes these dedicated seniors nothing but the best in life's journey after high school. Looking ahead, the Olympians will travel to Bedford North-Lawrence on October 16th to wrap up the regular season and battle for second place in the Hoosier Hills Conference.