Trinity Lutheran prepared for a hard-running South Decatur team, but there was little they could do to contain two rushers.

The Cougars remain winless in 2018, as they dropped their third game 31-7 to South Decatur on Friday at home.

The game was called with five minutes left due to lightning.

South Decatur ran the ball 53 times, only passing twice, and mostly used Kenny Meadows and Jacobi Shook to capture the win.

Meadows led South Decatur with a monstrous 212 yards on 29 carries with a touchdown. Shook led the team with three touchdowns.

Trinity’s Trent Shoemaker led the team with 153 yards on four receptions and the Cougars’ only touchdown.

It was something Trinity coach Mike Wilson prepared for, but their size and speed was too much for the Cougars. Wilson said South Decatur’s offensive line also gave the Cougars problems.

“Their front line was just something that gave us problems,” he said. “Their running game is difficult because you can’t bring them down with one player.”

South Decatur scored on their first drive, as they ran 65 yard on nine plays, all on the ground.

Meadows got five touches, but it was quarterback Wyatt Gatewood that kept the ball to score on second-and-goal with 7:39 remaining in the first quarter.

The extra point was no good, as South Decatur fumbled the snap and the Cougars went down 6-0.

The Cougars couldn’t do much on their first possession and punted the ball to South Decatur. Then the team charged six plays for 52 yards on to score its second touchdown in as many possessions with 4:21 left in the first quarter.

Meadows carried the ball five times for three first downs on the drive, but the two-point conversion was no good for South Decatur to take the 12-0 lead.

The Cougars looked to have a big play when quarterback Tyler Goecker threw a 56-yard pass that would have put the Cougars inside the 5-yard line. The pass was called back on a holding penalty, and the Cougars punted four plays later.

South Decatur started with the ball on their own 15-yard line but used nine plays — all rushes — and three first downs to set up its third score when Shook ran for a 5-yard score.

Shook scored with 9:29 left in the second quarter, the two-point conversion was no good and South Decatur went up 18-0.

The Cougars drove down the field, but Goecker was picked off by Meadows at the South Decatur 24-yard line.

The Cougars then held South Decatur and forced a punt, and the Cougars took over on their own 40.

Goecker connected with Shoemaker on the first play from scrimmage for a 60-yard score with 4:59 left in the half.

Lawson Woods kicked a PAT, and the Cougars were down 18-7.

Neither team scored again in the first half, but the Cougars were knocking on the door with six seconds left. Goecker, however, was sacked as the first half came to a close.

“We had momentum there, and I think if we score there, we would do well,” Wilson said.

The second half was much like the first: More running and scoring for South Decatur.

After the Cougars went three-and-out on their first possession, South Decatur ran the ball six times, and Shook scored on a 25-yard run to make it 25-7.

The Cougars put together a good drive, but it ended with a turnover on downs. That possession took the Cougars from their own 25 down to the South Decatur 30 before quarterback Jack Marksberry’s pass to Shoemaker was incomplete.

South Decatur scored on its next possession and drove downfield on 11 plays. On fourth-and-short, Shook ran 11 yard for the score to bring South Decatur ahead 31-7.

Wilson said he felt confident in the team’s ability to pass the ball and continue to rotate underclassmen in the game to bring relief to players.

“That way, less people have to play on both ends of the ball,” he said. “I also think we are really able to pass the ball and looked good from that standpoint.”

Wilson said he would like the team to build more success on the ground, though, and Friday’s game was evidence of that.

“That way, we are the ones controlling the clock,” he said.

South Decatur;31

Trinity Lutheran;7

South Decatur;12;6;7;6;–; 31

Trinity;0;7;0;0;–;7

First quarter

SD – Wyatt Gatewood 2 run (kick failed), 7:39

SD – Kenny Meadows 3 run (Jacobi Shook run), 4:21

Second quarter

SD – Shook 5 run (pass failed), 9:29

TL – Tyler Goecker pass to Trent Shoemaker (kick good), 4:59

Third quarter

SD – Shook 25 run (kick good), 6:04

Fourth quarter

SD – Shook 11 run (kick no good), 8:56

INDIVIDUAL TRINITY STAT LEADERS

Passing: Goecker 3 for 15, 78 yards, TD, 2 INT; Marksberry 4 for 11, 74 yards.

Rushing: Goecker 12-25, Marksberry 2-5

Receiving: Shoemaker 4-153 TD, Hackman 2-5, Woods 2-12.