WEEDSPORT - When a full moon broke through the clouds just after the start ofthe third quarter, the sun had long ago set on an overmatched Beaver River football team as they were trounced by Weedsport, 49-0 on Friday.

Weedsport led 36-0 at halftime and Beaver River never posed a threat to score at any time during the game.

Jason Trousdale is in his third year as head coach of the Warriors, taking overthe year after they won the State Class D Championship in 2004.

“We did a good job. We got off blocks, we tackled pretty good,” Trousdale said.

“But we've got a lot of work still to do. You play against a good football team,you've got to block and tackle well. Unfortunately, last week, we did not do that.”

There was certainly no comparing the Warriors' last two opponents. Onondaga, the number-one ranked team in the state in Class D, defeated Weedsport, 60-23, last Friday as Division-I prospect Latavius Murray had a big game at running back to snap Weedsport's home field winning streak dating back to 2002. Weedsport is currently ranked 18th in the state.

On Friday, it was homecoming for the Warriors as a few hundred of the faithful surrounded the northern edge of the hillside overlooking the field.

Late in the game, Warriors sophomore Abe Jordan took over at quarterback for senior Bryce Leitten, who finished the day with 14 rushes for 144 yards and two touchdowns, but it wasn't a demotion.

Trousdale is just trying to find the best combination on offense for his young team, a squad with only seven seniors - Trousdale later congratulated all seven for their play on Friday. .

“As far as touches, you want to get Bryce the football. He's a senior - so, I don't care if he's going to be the quarterback, or in the option, or at tailback getting the ball on a toss or a power, we're going to get the guy in the best position to win the football game,” Trousdale said.

Jordan finished the game 2-2 for 56 yards. As they've done for many years now, Weedsport ran the football successfully, throwing just six passes the entire game.

Senior Jake Ekross got Weedsport on the board first with a five-yard run with 4:03 left in the first quarter and finished with 108 yards on nine carries. He also led the defense with 15 tackles.

After a Beavers' fumble on the ensuing kickoff, junior Craig Meitz zig-zagged across the field from 43 yards out on the first play of the drive, to further establish the Warrior's ground game.

Leading 14-0, Weedsport lit up the second quarter with 22 points.

Leitten rushed several times in the last drive of the first half, finishing off with a tough five-yard touchdown run to make it 36-0 after a Zach Brown kick.

Leitten was the signal-caller the first four games of the year. Jordan was a starter on defense, and often lined up as a receiver on offense.

Trousdale noted Jordan mishandled two snaps from center, but that he played “pretty well” overall.

“He made a couple of nice passes on bubble screens,” Trousdale said. Though he also stressed that Jordan must continue to improve if the Warriors are to make an impact in the Section III, Class D playoffs.

In the second half, Weedsport played conservatively to run down the clock and keep the game respectable.

Beaver River had the ball for less than two minutes in the fourth quarter as the Warriors started a drive at the 50-yard line that featured sophomore running back Brian Quigley, whose 16-yard run on a third down and 12 put his team on their own 24.

Jordan would later score from the three to complete the scoring.

Weedsport is now 4-1 on the season, while Beaver River fell to 0-5.

Weedsport squares off against Sandy Creek next Friday.

Trousdale said that the team has three game films of Sandy Creek, and they'll begin analyzing their next opponent this afternoon.

“I think they're a pretty solid football team. It's a very winnable game, but we've got to come out and block well and tackle well,” said Trousdale. “Football is pretty easy. Some people make it hard, but if you block and tackle, you usually come out with a victory.”