FLORENCE- After suffering a tough loss to undefeated Buena Vista last Friday, Florence High School defeated the Colorado Springs Christian Lions at Husky Stadium 45-7.
"We just came out and executed better," Florence head coach Jeremy Nix said. "We didn't execute well last week, we didn't play very well last week, we just needed to execute better."
The Huskies received the opening kickoff and had no trouble driving down the field. Florence's junior quarterback Levi Paxton found junior wide receiver Xavier Martinez for a touchdown. Martinez finished the game with two receptions for 16 yards and the touchdown.
Paxton then found junior wide receiver Jesiah Cornwell for a two-point conversion, giving Florence an 8-0 lead.
After a defensive stop, Paxton found Cornwell in the end zone, giving Florence a 15-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the offense picked up where it left off, with sophomore Lohgan Bottjer running for a touchdown. After a failed two-point attempt, the Huskies lead 21-0.
After another stop on defense, Paxton once again found Cornwell for a touchdown. Senior running back Jacob Kennedy would run for the two-point conversion, giving Florence a 29-0 lead.
Kennedy finished the game with 11 carries for 85 yards, while Cornwell led the Huskies receivers with four receptions for 28 yards and the two scores.
"They obviously know each other pretty well," Nix said about Paxton and Cornwell. "Our passing game has improved tremendously from the past years."
The Lions were moving the ball down the field until senior quarterback Caleb Smith's pass was intercepted by junior Ryan Howard. On the second play from scrimmage, Paxton found his sophomore tight end Gage Goodall, who made a terrific catch for a 20-yard touchdown.
It would be Goodall's only reception of the night, but it got the crowd and his teammates fired up. The extra point would be blocked, but Florence was in control 35-0.
Colorado Springs Christian's offensive struggles would continue, as Bottjer picked off a pass that set up a 23-yard field goal for senior kicker Jenkins Phillips as time expired in the first half. The Huskies headed to the locker room with a 38-0 lead.
In the third quarter, free safety Ashton Lofton picked off a pass from Paxton. Aside from the pick, Paxton finished the game 10 of 16 for 99 yards and four touchdowns. He also had seven carries for 48 yards.
The Lions looked to take advantage of the turnover, but Cornwell forced a fumble that Bottjer recovered and ran back 40 yards for a touchdown. The touchdown gave Florence a 45-0 lead at the end of the third quarter.
"He came out and he played very well," Nix said about Bottjer. "He puts himself in the right spots at the right time and that's when good things happen."
Smith would score a rushing touchdown to get the Lions on the board, but the Huskies would run the clock out for the 45-7 victory.
Colorado Springs Christian finished the season 3-5, 1-2 in Tri-Peaks League play, while Florence improved to 8-1, 2-1 in Tri-Peaks League play.
Fourth-ranked Florence will host 13th ranked Monte Vista at Husky Stadium at 1 p.m. Saturday in the first round of the playoffs.
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