Senior running back Ethan Chambers scored three first half touchdowns and the senior-laden defense stymied Seneca all night in a 56-6 rout of the Bobcats at Riley Memorial Field Friday. Chambers finished with 170 total yards-all in the first half-while the defense held Seneca to just 154 total yards.

“The guys came out and did pretty much whatever they wanted, on offense and on defense,” Penley said.

Senior Nate Holt got the scoring started for the Knights (2-8) when he ran around the right side for a 20-yard scamper to cap an 8-play drive.

It took Seneca (0-9) just two plays to respond. Quarterback Wyatt Shaffer took a keeper up the middle, shook a tackle, bounced to the outside and sprinted 56-yards to paydirt. That 56 yard run accounted for more than a third of the Bobcats’ total offense.

Times Observer photo by Brian Hagberg Eisenhower running back Cale Black (34) tosses the ball to an official following his 1-yard touchdown run during the first quarter of a game against Seneca at Riley Memorial Field, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018. Black rushed for a career-high 98 yards and this score to help lead the Knights to a 56-6 win over the Bobcats.

“We really limited them defensively, outside of that one run,” Penley said. “They only had a handful of first downs.”

Chambers grabbed his first score of the game on the ensuing possession. He finished off the 9-play drive with a 7-yard run to put Eisenhower up 14-6. A fumbled exchange on the next Seneca drive resulted in the Knights taking over at the Bobcats 28. Chambers took the handoff on the next play and rumbled all 28 yards to the endzone to make it 21-6 with just under two minutes to go in the first quarter.

“It’s been a tough season and mistakes cost us,” Penley said. “We didn’t make those mistakes tonight and we were able to be efficient.”

The Knights jumped on a loose ball on the kickoff and took over just on the Seneca side of midfield. A 36-yard pass from Owen Trumbull to Garrett Head gave the Knights first-and-goal on the 4. Trumbull tried to find Head in the end zone on the next play, but Justin Walker stepped in front to pick off the pass and took it 51 yards to set Seneca up in Eisenhower territory.

The Knights defense came up big, as they limited the Bobcats to just two yards on the drive and forced a punt.

Times Observer photo by Brian Hagberg Eisenhower’s Garrett Head (2) hauls in a 36-yard reception during the first half of a game against Seneca at Eisenhower High School, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018. The Knights defeated the Bobcats 56-6.

Eisenhower brought out the youth movement on the ensuing possession with Cael Black plunging in from a yard out to close out a 10-play scoring drive. Riley West’s 4-yard run with 3:30 to go in the half put the Knights ahead 35-6.

The defense forced another three-and-out and Chambers picked up his third score of the half on a 23-yard carry with just 17 seconds to go. It would be the final carry of his career and put an exclamation point on a season where he rushed for 1,176 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Dillon Benson and Carter Knapp each scored 1-yard touchdowns in the second half to extend the Eisenhower lead to 54-6.

Things began to get a bit chippy in the fourth quarter. A pair of Seneca players were ejected and the drive following Knapp’s touchdown featured multiple unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and personal fouls. The Knights blocked the fourth down punt and the ball skittered out of the end zone for a safety.

Eisenhower moved the ball at will on the ground. Five players finished with at least 50 rushing yards and six different players scored rushing touchdowns. Seniors Chambers, West and Holt combined for 288 yards and five scores.

Times Observer photo by Brian Hagberg Eisenhower quarterback Owen Trumbull (15) throws a pass during the first half of a game against Seneca at Riley Memorial Field, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018.

“This senior group will be remembered,” Penley said. “They’re a special group of fighters. They’re in the top 3 of groups (I’ve coached) who compete.”

Penley also said after last week’s game that he wanted to see growth from his underclassmen. Sophomore Dillon Benson had little trouble stepping in for Chambers in the second half, rushing for 51 yards and a score on eight carries. Freshman Cael Black, who has seen his role in the offense grow steadily during the last few games, set a career-high with 98 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.

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Seneca-Eisenhower stats

Seneca 6 0 0 0–6

Eisenhower 21 21 6 8–42

First Quarter

E–Nate Holt 20 run (Jake Venman kick), 8:33.

S–Wyatt Shaffer 56 run (Andy Rzepka kick blocked, 7:42.

E-Ethan Chambers 7 run (Venman kick), 3:36.

E-Chambers 28 run (Venman kick), 1:45.

Second Quarter

E–Cael Black 1 run (Venman kick), 7:13.

E-Riley West 4 run (Venman kick), 3:30.

E–Chambers 23 run (Venman kick), 0:17.

Third Quarter

E–Dillon Benson 1 run (Venman kick), 2:48.

Fourth Quarter

E–Carter Knapp 1 run (Venman kick), 8:44.

E–Safety-blocked punt out of end zone, 6:59.

——

S E

First downs 4 18

Total Net Yards 154 487

Rushes-yards 30-142 54-432

Passing 12 55

Comp-Att-Int 1-6-0 3-10-1

Fumbles-Lost 3-3 2-1

Penalties-Yards 11-140 3-40

——

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING–Seneca, Wyatt Shaffer 16-93-1, Alexander Pring 6-12, Dominic D’Antonio 4-35, Nick Cole 3-3, Team 1-(minus 1). Eisenhower, .Ethan Chambers 17-156-3, Cael Black 16-98-1, Riley West 5-70-1, Nate Holt 3-52-1, Dillon Benson 8-51-1, Owen Trumbull 1-, Carter Knapp 2-2-1, Logan English 1-2, Caleb Robinault 1-(minus 3).

PASSING–Seneca, Shaffer 1-6-12-0-0. Eisenhower, Trumbull 3-10-55-0-1.

RECEIVING–Seneca, Andy Rzepka 1-12. Eisenhower, Garrett Head 1-36, Chambers 1-14, Holt 1-5.

MISSED FIELD GOALS–None.