CEDARVILLE — Fumbles on the opening kickoff and the first play from scrimmage and a botched punt put East Clinton in a 20-0 hole six minutes into its matchup at Cedarville Friday. The Astros would eventually go on to lose 54-6.

“We talked all week, with a team as young as we are and as banged up as we are, that there would be some adversity. Things would happen in the game that would set us back. How would we respond to it?,” EC head coach Steve Olds said. “I don’t think our effort changed. But the turnovers and bad punt snap, before you know it, it’s 20-0, and we just never recovered.

“Tonight, we took one on the chin. We’re going to have to take our medicine, and try to get better next week.”

Colt Coffey scored two plays after the first fumble and four plays after the second fumble, and Jackson Pyles connected with Jackson Howdyshell from 29 yards out two plays after the botched punt to build that 20-0 advantage.

After an EC three-and-out, Cedarville (2-0) went on a 10-play, 41-yard drive spanning 4:05 to go up 26-0. Jake Winter did the honors this time, on the first play of the second quarter.

Coffey tacked on another TD after another EC (1-1) three-and-out to put Cedarville up 33-0 with 8:09 left in the first half.

Winter would reach paydirt again, this time through the air, hauling in a 32-yard pass from Pyles two plays into Cedarville’s next drive, which also started after an Astro three-and-out. The score put the Indians up 40-0 with 5:31 left in the half.

Astro Dameon Williams returned the ensuing kickoff to the Cedarville 24 to set up his 12-yard scoring scamper six plays later to make it 40-6 at the 2:23 mark of the second quarter.

But the joy on the EC sideline was short-lived as Howdyshell housed the ensuing kickoff to give Cedarville a 47-6 cushion at the intermission.

The second half was played with a running clock.

Isaiah Christian tacked on another Indian TD, from a yard out, with 69 seconds left in the third quarter to set the final score.