MONROE CENTRAL quarterback Tucker Howell looks for a receiver Thursday night at the Unified Sports Complex in Richmond. The Seminoles were beaten by the Wildcats.

RICHMOND – The Edison football team was staggered early against Monroe Central, however, the Wildcats responded in a big way as they scored the final 42 points of the game to pull away and defeat the Seminoles, 42-8, in the season opener Thursday night at the Edison Unified Sports Complex.

“It was definitely an awkward start,” Edison (1-0) head coach Mike Collopy said. “We thought we had a fumble, and a scoop and score. Our kids played hard. We made some mistakes. We are going to do a better job of coaching them starting tomorrow.”

The visitors drove 77 yards on their first drive to open the scoring, and the Seminoles had another touchdown called back on an inadvertent whistle.

“We almost had disaster happen,” Monroe Central (0-1) head coach Josh Ischy said. “We missed an assignment. They could have had seven points, but they ruled it an incomplete pass.

“We were able to drive down the field. We executed. It could have been a different first half.

“We had six points taken off the scoreboard. We had some bad breaks. If we had those points, it could have been a close game at half. It could have been a one-score game.”

Leading 8-7, Monroe Central appeared to extend its lead on a 52-yard touchdown pass, however, an inadvertent whistle brought the play to a premature end.

Monroe ended up punting on the drive, and the Wildcats marched right down the field to take the lead – a lead they never relinquished.

“I thought they threw the ball more than they showed in their scrimmages,” Collopy said. “We anticipated that. They are well coached. They are physical.”

All six of the Wildcats’ touchdowns were scored on the ground.

Monroe Central was unable to contain Edison’s 1-2 punch of quarterback Gage Cline and running back Mason Eisnaugle. The dynamic duo combined to run for 280 yards and five touchdowns.

“Cline is a good player,” Ischy said. “He gets all of the notoriety, but they are fundamentally sound. They are physical.”

The Seminoles had a difficult time tackling the Wildcats’ signal caller.

“One hundred percent,” Ischy said. “Defensively, we played eight guys who have never played at the varsity level before. We did some things incorrectly.

“One thing is I am super proud of my kids for how hard they played. Edison played hard. Coach Collopy has his kids playing super hard. He seems like an intense type of guy.

“I think the biggest thing was their numbers got to us. They were able to wear us down. We ran out of gas, but our kids kept fighting.”

Cline tallied 142 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries. He scored on runs of 52, 1 and 2 yards. He also threw for 94 yards.

Eisnaugle ended the night with 138 yards and two touchdowns. He scored on runs of 3 and 9 yards.

T’Kai Jett collected Edison’s other touchdown on a 12-yard run in the fourth.

Monroe Central opened the scoring when Tucker Howell threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Logan Powell giving the Seminoles an early 6-0 lead. Xavier Kinney then caught the 2-point conversion pass from Howell giving Monroe Central an 8-0 lead with 7:43 left in the first quarter.

Edison answered right back as Cline scored on a 52-yard scamper, and Liam Watson’s extra point pulled the Wildcats to within 8-7 with 6:34 remaining to be played in the quarter.

In the second, Cline scored on a 1-yard run, and Watson’s PAT made the score 14-8 with 10:18 left in the first half.

Eisnaugle then scored on a 3-yard run, and once again Watson’s booted the extra point making the score 21-8 with 4:15 remaining on the clock.

Cline opened up the scoring in the third quarter on a 2-yard run, and Watson’s extra point was once again true as the hosts extended their advantage to 28-8 with 7:36 left in the quarter. Eisnaugle scored on a 9-yard run, and Watson’s conversion kick made the score 35-8 with 1:32 remaining in the third.

Jett ran around the end for a 12-yard score, and Watson kicked the extra point making the score 42-8 and bringing the running clock into play.

“Our offensive line did an outstanding job,” Collopy said. “Coach Fogle, Coach Marcino and Coach Evans work with those guys every day. They did what we expected them to do. I am proud of them.”

Howell finished the game with 119 yards through the air and 12 yards on the ground.

Carter Knowlton, whose 43-yard catch set up Monroe Central’s lone touchdown, tallied two catches for 72 yards on the night.