By Jesse Swafford | CSwaff Media
Photography by Jesse Swafford | CSwaff Shots
NEW MADISON, OH — Tri-Village wasted little time taking control Friday night.
The Patriots scored 33 points in a frantic opening quarter, forced multiple Belmont turnovers and never looked back on the way to a 47-8 victory over the Bison.
The win keeps Tri-Village unbeaten at 4-0.
Tri-Village encountered some adversity on its very first offensive snap when a holding penalty backed the Patriots up. Facing second-and-22, Junior QB Cole Swafford responded by connecting with Teddy Miller for a big gain that moved the chains and helped keep the opening possession alive.
Colt Camacho finished the drive with a touchdown run, giving Tri-Village a 7-0 lead with 10:38 remaining in the first quarter.
The Patriots quickly turned defense into more points.
Tri-Village intercepted Belmont at the Bison 33-yard line with 8:46 remaining, and Swafford needed just one play to capitalize. He connected with Griffin Richards for a 33 yard touchdown pass only six seconds later, pushing the advantage to 14-0.
Special teams helped create the Patriots’ next opportunity.
After a Belmont punt, Colt Camacho delivered a long return that gave Tri-Village possession around the Bison 35. Camacho eventually finished the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run, his second score of the quarter, to make it 21-0 with 4:01 remaining.
Belmont finally found the end zone in explosive fashion.
Aaron Dandrea initially bobbled the ensuing kickoff before recovering and breaking loose for an approximately 85-yard touchdown return. The Bison converted the two-point attempt, cutting the Tri-Village lead to 21-8 with 3:44 left in the quarter.
The Patriots answered almost immediately.
Colston scored on a 3-yard run with 2:18 remaining. Although the extra point was missed, Tri-Village had stretched the lead back to 27-8.
Eight seconds later, the Patriots had the football again.
Swafford recovered a squib kick at the Belmont 19, setting up another short field. Camacho took advantage, scoring from 4 yards out for his third rushing touchdown of the first quarter. The extra point was unsuccessful, but Tri-Village had built a 33-8 advantage with 1:03 still remaining in the opening period.
The Patriots nearly added another score before the quarter ended.
Colston intercepted a Belmont pass and returned it to the Bison 2-yard line with 45.6 seconds remaining. Five seconds later, however, Tri-Village fumbled in the backfield and Belmont recovered at its own 9.
Tri-Village’s defense created another scoring opportunity early in the second quarter.
With 10:50 remaining in the half, Camacho recovered a Belmont fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. The defensive score gave Camacho his fourth touchdown of the night — three on the ground and one on a fumble recovery — and extended the Patriots’ lead to 40-8.
Tri-Village added one more touchdown before halftime.
QB Brecken Gray connected with Richards for a 36-yard touchdown pass with 5:59 remaining in the second quarter. It was Richards’ second touchdown reception of the night, with his two scores coming from two different quarterbacks.
The extra point made it 47-8, and that score held through halftime.
With a commanding advantage, the Patriots did not add to the scoreboard in the second half, but continued to control the game.
Tri-Village’s up-tempo approach had taken a visible toll on Belmont as the game progressed, with the Bison struggling to match the Patriots’ pace. Tri-Village drove deep into Belmont territory again in the third quarter before losing another fumble at the Bison 7.
The 39-point margin eventually put the game under a running clock, and Tri-Village worked through the remainder of the second half before closing out the 47-8 victory.
Camacho’s four touchdowns highlighted a night in which the Patriots found multiple ways to score. Richards caught two touchdown passes, Colston contributed a rushing touchdown, a long punt return and an interception, while Swafford threw a touchdown and helped create another scoring opportunity with his recovery of the squib kick.
More importantly, Tri-Village took advantage of Belmont mistakes and repeatedly turned turnovers and favorable field position into points.
By the time the first quarter ended, the Patriots had already scored five touchdowns and built a 25-point advantage.
The fast start proved more than enough as Tri-Village remained perfect through the first four games of the season with a convincing 47-8 win.
