Lexington Christian football rides dominant offense to 4-0 start

Lexington Christian improved to 4-0 in dominant fashion Friday night, overwhelming Estill County 55-22.

The Eagles’ offense clicked once again in a two-quarterback system shared by juniors Brayden Miller and Logan Nieves. It was LCA’s third straight blowout victory, and it was the second time the team has scored 50 points or more this season.

But like any football coach, LCA Coach Ethan Atchley still saw room for improvement, especially when it came to staying disciplined on defense.

“As we move forward here, I just look to hopefully get more kids accustomed to what their role is, and understand that four people not doing their job can give up a touchdown. One person not doing their job can give up a touchdown,” Atchley said. “And we’ll improve. The kids are working hard and we just have to continue to gel as a team and really play as a team.”

For better or worse, the only significant lapses for the Eagles’ defense came at the beginning and end of the game. Big run plays by Estill County at those times accounted for two of the Engineers’ three touchdowns. But LCA didn’t have any trouble coming up with stops in between.

The Eagles were able to keep the Engineers’ run game in check, allowing 230 yards on the ground, and left them without any other options. Estill County didn’t attempt a pass in the game.

That was, however, where LCA’s offense excelled.

Miller saw action first, and it wasn’t long before he tied up the game for LCA with a 42-yard touchdown strike to Drayden Burton. From there, he racked up another pair of touchdowns and 220 yards passing while alternating reps with Nieves.

With Nieves under center, the Eagles added an extra dimension to their offense with his ability to run. He showed that by rushing for 52 yards and two scores. Estill County also struggled to stop him in the passing game, as he added 176 yards and a TD as well.

“With both those guys, we’re almost at 12 starters,” Atchley said. “They both know we are playing both for a reason. They are both talented enough to be on the field and we’ll continue to do that. I’d rather not sit a good player on the bench and they are both good players and we want to make sure they are both on the field as much as possible.”

While it was the quarterbacks that shined brightest Friday, Miller and Nieves are just two of many young players that are showing growth from last season.

The Eagles will get an opportunity to show how far they’ve come when they travel to face Walton-Verona, the team that knocked them down to 4-1 last season, next Friday.

This story was originally published September 10, 2016 at 12:10 AM with the headline "Lexington Christian football rides dominant offense to 4-0 start."