Columbus East High School

The Columbus East football team hosted rival Columbus North on Friday night at The Fire Pit, dropping a 52-7 decision in the annual rivalry matchup. The Olympians nearly struck first, driving inside the red zone on their opening possession before being stopped on downs. East did find the end zone later in the second quarter when quarterback Kyson Villarreal connected with Keaton Lawson on a 40-yard touchdown pass. Lawson reversed field after the catch and sprinted past the defense to cut the deficit to 14-7 at the time. North added a score just before halftime and carried a 20-7 lead into the break. The third quarter proved pivotal, as the visitors pulled away with a series of big plays and turnovers that stretched the margin. Villarreal finished the night 7-of-16 passing for 89 yards and the touchdown. Lawson was the top target, hauling in two receptions for 84 yards and the score. Paxton Thompson added a 12-yard reception, while JD Rotert and Keatin Roberts paced the rushing attack with 19 yards each. Defensively, East had some strong moments in the first half. Brody Miller recorded a sack, and Joel Murphy broke up a pass to stall a North drive. But in the second half, the Olympians were unable to slow the Bulldogs’ passing attack. Despite the lopsided final score, East showed stretches of promise on both sides of the ball, particularly in the first half in front of a packed home crowd. The Olympians will look to carry those positives into Hoosier Hills Conference play this Friday night when they face the Seymour Owls at Seymour High School. Kickoff: 7 p.m.