SALEM — Seven different players scored as Brownstown Central’s football team generated a staggering 522 rushing yards in a 54-12 flattening of Salem on Friday night.

The Braves (4-0) ran for 340 yards in the first half alone while building a 42-6 lead. Senior Gregory Hutcheson ran the ball just five times but ended with a game-high 150 yards and two touchdowns thanks to 61- and 54-yard bursts down the left sideline.

“We thought we were bigger and stronger than them on the offensive line,” BC head coach Reed May said. “We felt we could run the ball. Anytime you can dominate like that, that’s why we came out and ran our wedge play four or five times in a row.”

BC’s “wedge” play is a direct snap to the fullback, usually Evan Stahl or Trevor Branaman, who run the ball behind the middle of the offensive line. The play typically provides a reliable five- to seven-yard gain.

On Friday, the play resulted in gashing runs of 10 to 20 yards, or more, for the Braves.

“We wanted to run right up the gut on them,” junior lineman Isaac Hutchinson said. “We knew that our O-line could get that kind of push.”

Brownstown scored three times in each of the first two quarters to put the game away. Preston Garrison’s 37-yard run, after spinning out of a hit at the line of scrimmage, started the scoring for the Braves less than three minutes into the first quarter.

Branaman (eight yards) and Hutcheson (61) followed to give BC a 21-0 lead.

Salem (1-3) got on the scoreboard midway through the second quarter with a four-yard pass from quarterback Adam Mull to tight end Seth Ponsford. The Lions’ scoring drive was aided by two Brownstown pass interference calls.

The Salem TD ended the scoreless quarter streak by BC’s defense at nine. The Braves blanked Charlestown and Eastern (Pekin) over the past two weeks and shut out Salem during the first quarter.

“We just had a bad defensive drive,” Hutchinson said. “We had a lot of pride (in the shutouts). Our school record is three consecutive shutouts (set by BC’s 1969 team). We almost had it.”

Salem’s score momentarily closed the gap to 21-6. Over the next six minutes, creative clock management, explosive offensive plays and renewed effort by the defense allowed the Braves to score three more TDs and, for the fourth time in four games this season, force the second half to be played under the mercy-rule running clock.

A 15-yard run by Jack Pack, a 43-yarder by Stahl and a seven-yard jaunt by Hutcheson pushed BC in front by 36 points heading into halftime.

“Offensively, we moved the ball and executed our game plan very well,” May said of his team’s first-half effort.

In the second half, BC closed out its scoring with an 18-yard run by Brock Dean and a one-yard run by backup quarterback Eli Hutchinson.

Besides Hutcheson’s 150-yard night, Brownstown got strong ground efforts from Garrison (5 carries, 87 yards), Stahl (4-69) and Landon Ault (3-61).

Though denied a third-straight shutout, the defense enjoyed another excellent effort with five sacks and eight tackles for loss. Senior defensive lineman Joe Roberts led with eight tackles, two for loss, and 1.5 sacks.

Also recording sacks were Pace, Cameron Markel, Caden Wischmeier and Ernest Harrison. Tackles for loss were contributed by Hutchinson, Markel, Stahl, and Brock Dean.

Salem entered Friday’s contest averaging 209 rush yards. When the varsity defense was pulled off the field early in the third quarter, the Lions had negative-23 yards on 21 rushes.

Salem ended the game with 21 rushing yards on 31 carries.

Not all of the news was good for BC’s defense, however. In the first minute of the second quarter, junior linebacker Owen Wischmeier injured his right forearm while tackling Salem running back Caris Moore.

Wischmeier departed the game immediately following the injury and was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Hutcheson, recently cleared to participate on the defensive side of the ball following a shoulder injury, stepped in for Wischmeier.

“(Hutcheson) played really well,” May said. “He knew his keys and reads. He’s a smart kid and, obviously, he’s a pretty good player. Now the thing is, we’ve got to rest him on offense if he’s going to play linebacker. I can’t run him in the slot all the time.”

Looking ahead, the Braves face two of the more physical teams on their schedule, North Harrison (3-1) and Seymour (1-3), in the coming weeks.

“North Harrison is a bigger, physical team,” May said. “And I’m sure Seymour’s pretty good, though their record may be deceiving.”

Braves 54, Lions 12

Brownstown Central (4-0);21;21;6;6;—;54

Salem (1-3);0;6;6;0;—;12

First quarter

BC-Preston Garrison 37 run (Nathaniel Conyer kick), 9:38

BC-Trevor Branaman 8 run (Conyer kick), 4:53

BC-Gregory Hutcheson 61 run (Conyer kick), 2:26

Second quarter

S-Seth Ponsford 4 pass from Adam Mull (pass failed), 6:13

BC-Jack Pace 15 run (Conyer kick), 4:45

BC-Evan Stahl 43 run (Conyer kick), 2:33

BC-Hutcheson 7 run (Conyer kick), :18

Third quarter

BC-Brock Dean 18 run (kick failed), 7:30

S-Braxton Dean 38 pass from Mull (pass failed), 2:40

Fourth quarter

BC-Eli Hutchinson 1 run (kick failed), 10:30

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing: Brownstown-Hutcheson 5-150, Garrison 5-87, Stahl 4-69, Landon Ault 3-61, Branaman 4-49, Pace 4-34, Hutchinson 3-22, Hunter Toppe 2-21, Dean 1-18, Domanik Cody 2-12, Micah Sheffer 1-4, Lindan Lanier 1-(-5), Totals 35-522. Salem-Logan Dent 6-35, Bert Engler 2-14, Noah Deaton 4-0, Caris Moore 8-(-1), Dean 1-(-2), Waylon Foster 1-(-3), Ethan Campbell 1-(-6), Mull 7-(-16), Totals 30-21.

Passing: Brownstown-Sheffer 2 for 4, 15 yards. Salem-Mull 7 for 12, 96 yards, 2 touchdowns.

Receiving: Brownstown-Lane Pendleton 1-9, Hutcheson 1-6. Salem-Dean 6-92, Ponsford 1-4.