Cardinals Roll Past Fillmore Central in Dominant Offensive Performance
By: Jack Poppe
In their Week 7 matchup, the Doniphan-Trumbull Cardinals hit the road again, this time heading to Geneva to take on the Fillmore Central Panthers. If you were expecting a defensive battle, this was not the game for you. Friday’s contest was a high-scoring affair where the Cardinals’ offense exploded for 62 points, cruising to a 62-28 victory.
“We came out aggressive on both sides of the ball,” said head coach Jordan Conner. “Our offensive line set the tone early, and we executed well in the red zone. Defensively, we gave up some big plays, and battled some adversity early in the game, but I thought we responded well in the 2nd half and kept the momentum on our side.”
The Cardinals wasted no time setting the pace, scoring on their first two possessions. Behind a powerful short run from Senior Running Back Haydan Smith, and a 24-yard Pass from Senior Parker Volk to Senior Jack Poppe.
Doniphan-Trumbull jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. Despite a few strong pushes by Fillmore Central, the Cardinals kept their lead from start to finish.
Senior Quarterback Volk led the way, throwing for 6 Touchdowns to just 1 interception. Volk connected often with his go-to targets, Poppe and senior wideout Taylon Bennett, each finding the end zone multiple times, while senior tight end Aiden Stone caught the other on an acrobatic 30-yard touchdown. On the ground, junior running back Andrew Waters and Smith once again provided a reliable one-two punch, combining for over 120 rushing yards, while each scored a touchdown.
“I thought our offense really clicked,” said Bennett. “We stayed disciplined and kept drives alive. The O-line gave Parker time, and that opened things up downfield.”
While the scoreboard reflected a shootout, the Cardinals’ defense made key plays to halt Fillmore Central’s momentum — including multiple fourth-down stops and a timely interception in the third quarter. What kept the Panthers in the game were the Cardinals' penalties. The Cardinals had 18 penalties, with a majority coming in the first half, which kept Fillmore Central in the game.
Junior linebackers Max Ross and Waters anchored the defensive effort, flying to the ball and making big tackles throughout the night.
“Obviously, we gave up more points than we wanted to, but we made up for it with stops when it counted,” Ross said. “We know there’s still work to do, especially in finishing tackles and cutting down on chunk plays.”
With the win, Doniphan-Trumbull improves to 6-1 and continues to climb the Class C2 rankings. According to NePreps, the Cardinals hold the #10 spot heading into Week 8. They’ll look to carry their momentum into next week’s matchup as they host Hastings St. Cecilia for Homecoming, an opponent who is coming in at 1-6.