Hughes sophomore running back Nehemiah Engleman scored two touchdowns and junior quarterback Kyell Alexander added another as the Big Red pulled away in the second half to earn a 20-0 season-opening win against Dunbar on Thursday at Welcome Stadium.
“Every time we started getting a drive, we shot ourselves in the foot with a penalty or a turnover,” said Wolverines coach Darran Powell. “This is essentially like our second scrimmage. We only had one, but no excuses. We just got to get better. We got to really check ourself and see if we actually want to play this game of football because it takes a lot more than what we’re giving right now.
“We just got to bounce back and get back to the drawing board tomorrow.”
The Wolverines forced two turnovers in the first half - a fumble recovery by senior Cameron Averette and an interception by senior Derrick Hardy - but they weren’t able to efficiently move the football.
Dunbar drove the ball to midfield to start the second half, but Hughes senior Bryson Mitchell recovered a fumble in Wolverines territory. A few plays later, Alexander hit senior Ishmail Henderson on a 16-yard pass to set up first-and-goal from the 1-yard line. A few plays later, Alexander scored to make it 6-0.
After forcing a Wolverines punt, Engleman scored on a 2-yard run. The Big Red converted the two-point play on a pass from Alexander to senior Jabar Jones to make it 14-0.
In the fourth quarter, Engleman scored on a 15-yard run to make it 20-0 and seal the victory.
The Wolverines drove deep into Big Red territory late in the fourth quarter, but weren’t able to punch it in before the clock ticked to zero.
Dunbar lost its season opener for the fifth straight season.
The Wolverines travel to Big Walnut, a Division II program located in Sunbury in Delaware County, on Friday, Aug. 29.
“We’ve got to get back to the drawing board,” Powell said. “It’s a long season. Now we’re going to see if we’ve got the fight or if we’re going to lay down.”
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