The Ste. Genevieve Dragons kept their points per game average up Friday during the Homecoming festivities at Dragon Stadium, as Senior Ayden Butcher had a massive game with 185 yards on the ground and scored three touchdowns. The Dragons took care of business and plastered Fredericktown 44-6 to move to a perfect 4-0 on the season.
Butcher scored his first touchdown on a 45-yard run at the end of the opening quarter that put Ste. Genevieve up 14-6. The second of Butcher’s scoring plays came in the third quarter on a 16-yard run that put the Dragons up 37-6. Then Butcher’s final flurry came in the fourth quarter when he took off from 21-yards out and found the goal line to make it a convincing 44-6 lead.
As a team, Ste. Genevieve scored six touchdowns on the ground, and as the man of the match, Butcher was responsible for half of them. He had help though, as Aiden Boyer scored twice and Jack Farlow added a rushing TD. Not to be outdone, Boyer ended up with 179 yards on the ground in what was a truly impressive effort.
The Dragons out-gained the Blackcats 523 yards to 111 with 372 of those yards coming from the running game. Making their mark as a run-first team is somewhat of a new development, but it seems to be working. Boyer was efficient through the air as well though, going 8-for-17 with 157 yards, but failed to throw a touchdown. It turns out he didn’t have to though, because Ste. Gen’s running game was virtually unstoppable.
Surprisingly, Fredericktown had the lead for nearly eight minutes of the opening quarter after quarterback Carter Cheaney found receiver Ethan Marler with a five-yard pass. That play found the goal line to give the Blackcats an early 6-0 lead after Fredericktown was unsuccessful with the extra point attempt. These were short-lived heroics though, as the Dragons were not to be outmatched in this one.
That lead was fleeting to say the least, as Boyer took the first play of the next Dragon possession to the house from 68 yards out to spoil any thought of a Blackcat upset. Homecoming night for Ste. Genevieve would be unspoiled and very much a success on all fronts.
With the win, the Dragons are now averaging 55 points per game in their first four contests. They have a bit of history on their side as well, owning Fredericktown in all possible aspects. In fact, they’ve won 14 of their 15 matchups and dusted them 55-33 last season. So this win was nothing unfamiliar to the Dragon faithful.
Ste. Genevieve (4-0) and Head Coach Jay Pope will look to stay perfect in Week 5 as the Dragons travel to Park Hills to take on the undefeated Central Rebels. Kickoff will be at 7 p.m. at Park Hills Central High School.
