By TYLER HENRY
Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post
Some teams require a quarter or two to settle into a football game.
Rock Creek only needed one play.
On the opening kickoff, Eli Bell fielded the ball at his own ten-yard line, made two cuts, and took it 90 yards to the house, setting the tone for a 42-6 rout of the Abilene Cowboys.
With the special teams doing their part, the defense was next. Two drives later, Cooper Sieben snatched a ball off one of his own teammates' helmets for the first of four Mustang interceptions.
Not to be left out, Rock Creek quarterback Mack Lee got the Mustang offense on the board, capitalizing on the field position with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Perkins to make it a 14-0 game.
That was only the beginning for Lee, who would finish this game 16-22 passing with 190 yards through the air, 100 yards on the ground, and five total touchdowns.
On the ensuing drive, Aaron Hartman looked deep for Abilene, but a jump ball came down in the hands of Rock Creek’s Karson Toburen for the second pick of the game.
It didn’t take the Mustangs long to locate paydirt again, and before the end of the first quarter, Lee would punch in two rushing touchdowns to put Rock Creek ahead 28-0 going into the second.
From there, both defenses tightened the screws, with Sieben collecting his second interception in the third quarter and Abilene capitalizing on a ball fumbled at the goal line and into the end zone.
Late in the third quarter, Taygen Funston found Weston Rock to get Abilene on the board, but Lee answered right back for the Mustangs, scoring his third rushing touchdown of the day from 8 yards out to restore a 35-6 lead in the fourth.
A fourth interception from Eli Bell and a touchdown pass from Lee to Ryker Zoeller would seal the deal for Rock Creek as the Mustangs cruised to a 42-6 victory over an NCKL foe.
With this win, Rock Creek moves to 3-1 at the midway mark of the season while Abilene falls to 2-2.
The Mustangs will be back at home to take on Clay Center next week while the Cowboys return to Abilene for a battle with Marysville.
The full broadcast of this game is available for playback any time on-demand below.