BROWNSTOWN— Brownstown Central’s football team scored 42 first-half points and unexpectedly overwhelmed Charlestown, 55-0, on Friday night.

Traditionally one of Brownstown’s toughest games each season, the short-handed Pirates (0-2) competed without injured starting quarterback Boomer Hester who last week ran for 172 yards.

The Braves’ defense never gave Charlestown backup QB Noah Phillips a chance to get comfortable. The Pirates managed just 11 passing yards while their run game, pushed backwards all night, ended with negative-34 yards rushing on 22 attempts.

Friday’s result forced a search through Brownstown’s record book to determine a few “last time when” facts. The shutout was the Braves’ first against Charlestown since 2003.

The 55-point margin was the second largest in the two teams’ 62-game history. Only BC’s 56-point victory in the 2013 sectional final was more lopsided.

Meanwhile, BC’s 55 points combined with last week’s 54 against Corydon marked the first time in program history that the Braves started a season with consecutive 50-point efforts.

“It was just preparation throughout the week, watching film, and our guys are doing their jobs,” BC linebacker Owen Wischmeier said. “That was the goal.”

Wischmeier was a wrecking ball on Friday night. He led the Braves with eight tackles, two of them for loss, and added a sack, a pass breakup and a blocked punt.

“We were able to execute our game plan really well,” Brownstown head coach Reed May said. “Owen, obviously, is very good. Our front three – Joe Roberts, Isaac Hutchinson, and Owen – are good-sized kids, strong kids. Isaac and Joe are strong as all get-out. And Caden Wischmeier and Cameron Markel and then our three outside linebackers – Jack Pace, Evan Stahl, and Trevor Branaman – they’re all playing well.”

Roberts, Pace, Branaman and Hutchinson had tackles for loss. Roberts, Pace and Jaxson Johnson each sacked Phillips.

“There were a lot of emotions towards this game,” Wischmeier said. “(Charlestown’s) kind of a rivalry game. They’re a good conference team, one of the better teams we play. I didn’t really expect (a lopsided score). We came out and did our jobs and dominated.”

The Braves (2-0) were just as dominating on the offensive side of the ball, scoring touchdowns on their first four possessions. Their fifth “possession” was a punt return for a TD by Preston Garrison.

A week after teammate Gregory Hutcheson ran for 217 yards in a win over Corydon, Garrison stole the spotlight in Week 2. The junior finished with 265 all-purpose yards and two TDs. He ran for 46 yards, had 83 yards receiving and generated 136 return yards.

“I went to Garrison on the sidelines and said, ‘I know why you’re doing so well. You’re (angry) that Greg had such a good game last week. You wanted to have a good game this week,’” May said. “He said, ‘You’re right.’”

Garrison’s first big play came late in the first quarter when a pass from BC quarterback Micah Sheffer found him alone on the left sideline. Garrison ran 60 yards after the catch for an 83-yard touchdown play.

Early in the second quarter, Garrison returned a punt 76 yards for his second TD. After fielding a 38-yard punt by Charlestown’s Camran Mitchell, Garrison started left then turned right. A key block by Brock Dean cleared a path down the right sideline. Speed did the rest.

“I saw a whole bunch of defenders go left, so I cut back,” Garrison said. “When I see a hole, I know I’m going full speed at it. No stopping, no slowing down. I try to run my hardest on every play.”

Garrison’s return bumped Brownstown’s advantage to 35-0 with eight minutes remaining in the first half.

Sheffer got the Braves rolling on their first possession when he connected with receiver Easton Branaman for 34 yards on a double-handoff flea flicker play. Branaman appeared headed for the score but stumbled at the four-yard line.

Sheffer ran the ball into the end zone on the next play to put BC on the scoreboard.

Hutcheson, who ran for 58 yards, followed with TD runs of 16 and five yards. A four-yard Pace touchdown run gave Brownstown a 42-0 lead at halftime and guaranteed the mercy-rule running clock throughout the second half.

Pace added a 13-yard TD run in the third quarter and Landon Ault scored from one yard out to close out BC’s scoring.

Brownstown will host Eastern (Pekin) next week. The Musketeers (1-1) fell to Tell City, 49-0, on Friday night.

Braves 55, Pirates 0

Charlestown (0-2);0;0;0;0;—;0

Brownstown Central (2-0);21;21;7;6;—;55

Scoring Summary

First quarter

BC-Micah Sheffer 4 run (Nathaniel Conyer kick), 10:16

BC-Gregory Hutcheson 16 run (Conyer kick), 6:09

BC-Preston Garrison 83 pass from Sheffer (Conyer kick), 1:12

Second quarter

BC-Hutcheson 5 run (Conyer kick), 10:30

BC-Garrison 76 punt return (Conyer kick), 8:09

BC-Jack Pace 4 run (Conyer kick), :51

Third quarter

BC-Pace 13 run (Conyer kick), 3:00

Fourth quarter

BC-Landon Ault 1 run (kick failed), 8:30

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing: Charlestown-Ryan Shields 3-2, Hayden Whalin 2-2, Christian Grayson 2-0, Keyon Davis 2-(-2), Rhys Duncan 4-(-6), Noah Phillips 9-(-30), Totals 22-(-34). Brownstown-Hutcheson 9-58, Pace 8-58, Garrison 3-46, Evan Stahl 4-19, Sheffer 3-15, Trever Branaman 3-14, Mason Cowan 1-12, Hunter Toppe 2-10, Isaac Hampton 1-2, Landon Ault 3-1, Totals 37-235.

Passing: Charlestown-Phillips 2 for 7, 11 yards; Grayson 0 for 1. Brownstown-Sheffer 2 for 5, 117 yards, 1 touchdown; Eli Hutchinson 1 for 1, 30 yards.

Receiving: Charlestown-Davis 2-11. Brownstown-Garrison 1-83, Easton Branaman 1-34, Lindan Lanier 1-30.