By ALEXIS BARTOLOMUCCI

abartolomucci@vindy.com

Champion

The defending Division VII state champions soared again during their season opener.

Jordan Edmondson led Warren JFK with three touchdowns and 132 yards in Thursday’s 42-21 win over Champion at Champion Community Stadium.

“I really thought we dominated just about the entire game on the defensive side of the ball,” Warren JFK head coach Jeff Bayuk said. “Overall, I’m very pleased with the first out-of-the-gate game.”

Golden Flashes head coach Nick Wagner feels his squad gave the Eagles a hard-fought battle.

“We’re a young team, we have 16 freshmen and a sophomore quarterback in Nick Stahlman that we’re breaking in,” Wagner said. “The kids never quit.

“That’s one thing this team definitely has is a lot of grit.”

Warren JFK’s Isaac Hadley was first to score a touchdown on a 3-yard run with a minute-and-a-half left in the first quarter. Nunzio Merlo’s extra-point kick made it 7-0 at the end of the first quarter.

On the night, Merlo was six for six on his conversion kicks.

“We started out good,” Hadley said. “We’re playing good as a team, but we have room to improve.”

Hadley came into the game not only excited for the season opener, but nervous because his dad was a former player for Champion. He said he wanted to make his dad proud.

After trailing 21-0, the Golden Flashes struck fast toward the end of the second quarter with two kickoff returns. Jordan Melton had an 88-yard kickoff return and Stahlman had an 85-yard kickoff return within three minutes of each other.

Champion was strong in their special teams plays, but at halftime Warren JFK led 28-14.

Edmondson, a sophomore running back, gave a lot of the credit to his teammates. He said he felt he played all right, but his teammates are the ones who gave him what he needed to complete the plays.

“It’s about my team. Without them, without the lines, without their backup and their support that never would’ve happened,” Edmondson said.

Edmondson extended the Eagles’ lead after scoring a touchdown 21 seconds into the third quarter.

The teams entered the fourth quarter 42-14 with the Eagles leading. With less than seven minutes remaining, an 89-yard pass from Stahlman to Jacob Zylka gave the Golden Flashes another six points, plus an extra point from kicker Noah Worley.

“I told them in the huddle going into the fourth quarter ‘Don’t lose the fourth quarter, don’t quit. Win the fourth quarter and let’s get our little victories,’” Wagner said. “And that’s what we were able to do tonight.”

For the Eagles, Hyland Burton caught four of Gregory Valent’s passes for 69 yards.

For the Flashes, Stahlman completed 9-of-21 passes for 126 yards. Zylka caught six of them for 126 yards.

Wagner and Bayuk said they were happy with how their teams played and are looking forward to what the season brings.