David W. Smith/Daily NewsWarren Central’s Cortez Barber breaks away for a kick return touchdown Friday at Warren East High School. The Dragons beat the Raiders 50-7. Click here for more photos from Friday night high school football.

The Warren Central football team made up for lost time Friday, thumping Warren East 50-7 at Raider Field.

Click here for more photos from Friday night high school football.

Playing the Raiders for the first time since 2004, Warren Central (4-1) ran for 340 yards and put the game away before halftime.

“It feels great to beat a cross-town rival,” said Warren Central running back L.A. Rigsby, who finished with 115 rushing yards and two scores. “I know we haven’t played them in a while. We practiced all week for them. They came out played hard.”

The loss came just a week after Warren East (1-4) was blitzed 64-0 at Bowling Green.

“I really don’t know how committed most of our team is to playing football,” WE coach Ben Bruni said. “It’s a shame, because I think we’ve got some good players. We continue to do things that we are coached not to do. Until we decide that we want to do things the way we’ve been taught and play hard, we’re not going to stop anybody.”

The Dragons scored on their first five possessions.

Rigsby started the scoring with a 25-yard dash and quarterback Troy Halcomb followed with a 5-yard keeper to make it 15-0 at the end of one quarter.

Warren Central continued to pour it on in the second quarter.

Eric Brown ran off left tackle for an 8-yard score early in the quarter and Cortez Barber followed with an electrifying 70-yard punt return with 8:36 left in the half.

Jordan Shanklin became the fifth Dragon to find the end zone when he raced 66 yards for his first touchdown of the season.

“When this offense is dangerous is when you’re balanced,” WC coach Mike Rogers said. “We’re pretty balanced and have a lot of guys we can throw at you. You can’t just key on one.”

Shanklin had his best night since joining the Dragons, finishing with 98 yards on five carries.

“Jordan is a great athlete and that’s well documented,” Rogers said. “He’s got to learn how to practice at a high school level and he’s doing that. He’s learning things every day. We’re glad to have him.”

The 36-point halftime margin continued to grow in the second half.

Warren Central added to its lead when Brown scored on a 19-yard pass from Halcomb. Rigsby capped the scoring on the next possession with a 35-yard scamper that put him over 100 yards rushing for the third straight game.

“I feel good, but it’s not just me getting those yards,” Rigsby said. “It’s my linemen and all my teammates helping me get it.”

Warren East’s lone bright spot came in the fourth quarter, when Darrenger Grayson capped a 12-play, 80-yard drive with a 1-yard run. Grayson finished the night with 90 yards on 23 carries.

Bruni was quick to dismiss the late drive as a moral victory for his team.

“I don’t think there is anything we can build off of from the last two weeks,” Bruni said. “I think the last two weeks have been humiliating. I think it’s been the worst football that I’ve ever been a part of.

“The good Lord blessed D.G. because it’s hard when nobody blocks for him. He fights like crazy and I couldn’t be more proud of him.”

Warren East will look to rebound when it opens district play against Logan County at 7 p.m. Friday.

Warren Central will host two-time defending Class 2A state champion Fort Campbell at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

“They’re ready for us, too,” Rogers said. Fort Campbell coach Shawn Berner “straight up told me that I couldn’t sandbag him. They’ve rested kids for a couple of weeks and they are going to be armed and ready. I don’t know what they did tonight, but it will be a huge game for them. Obviously playing the two-time defending champion speaks for itself.”

WCHS 15 21 14 0 – 50

WEHS 0 0 0 7 – 7

First quarter

WC – L.A. Rigsby 25 run (Rigsby run), 9:16

WC – Troy Halcomb 4 run (Sergio Beltran-Sosa kick), 5:31

Second quarter

WC – Eric Brown 8 run (Beltran-Sosa kick), 11:10

WC – Cortez Barber 70 punt return (Beltran-Sosa kick), 8:36

WC – Jordan Shanklin 66 run (Beltran-Sosa kick), 5:23

Third quarter

WC – Brown 19 pass from Halcomb (Beltran-Sosa kick), 10:20

WC – Rigsby 35 run (Beltran-Sosa kick), 5:08

Fourth quarter

WE – Derrenger Grayson 1 run (Manuel Ortiz kick), 8:29