Warren East just couldn’t get out of its own way.

Wayne County controlled the tempo the entire game and ran away in the second half with 21 unanswered points in a 41-16 win at Warren East High School on Friday night.

The Cardinals (3-0), ranked No. 2 in the Class 4A Associated Press prep football poll, ran the ball 53 times for 285 yards and held possession for 33 minutes and 34 seconds to wear down the Warren East defense while keeping the Raiders’ explosive offense off the field.

Even when Warren East (2-1) had possession, it only hurt itself.

“I think it’s really the weather,” Raiders quarterback Dwayne Cook said. “We couldn’t execute tonight, and we’ll get it next week. They did their thing and did it pretty good. We’ll see them again.”

Cook completed just two passes and had three interceptions, one which was returned 45 yards for a touchdown. The Raiders failed to convert a fourth-down attempt inside the Wayne County 9-yard line and also had a punt blocked in the first half that set up an easy Cardinals touchdown.

The kick return team fumbled in the second half to keep the Raiders’ offense off the field, too.

Wayne County capitalized on every opportunity. Warren East simply did not.

“We made some mistakes we hadn’t made the first two weeks,” Raiders coach Jeff Griffith said. “Interceptions are going to happen, but we can’t have them returned for touchdowns. We had mistakes in the kick game you can’t have against the second-ranked team in 4A.

“It’s not like we were playing chopped liver tonight. That’s a pretty dang good football team.”

Warren East knew that Wayne County would be the ultimate test in validating its first 2-0 start since 2012. Wayne County went 11-3 last year and lost in the 4A semifinals to champions Johnson Central.

Traditionally a passing team, the Cardinals dominated on the ground on an unusually cold September night while wind gusts and sheets of rain battered the game.

Wayne County lined up in the wishbone formation and let German Ruiz pound the ground for 160 yards on 24 carries while three other rushers had at least seven carries.

Quarterback Lorenzo Linsey still completed 6 of 7 pass attempts for 68 yards.

“We couldn’t get off the field,” Griffith said. “They lined up in the wishbone and I expected them to do that. I’m familiar with coach (Shawn) Thompson and his style in this weather. It was first-and-10, second-and-six, third-and-two and first down. It was that way the entire second half.”

Warren East at least started hot and stayed in the game the first half.

On the first play of the game, Trevor Naftel broke loose through the middle for a 65-yard touchdown run, but Wayne County scored two quick touchdowns to lead 12-7 after one quarter.

The Cardinals stretched the lead to 20-7 on an 11-play, 66-yard drive that chewed nearly six minutes off the clock.

Warren East got right back in the game when Cook completed his first pass to Caleb Huskey over the middle for a 53-yard touchdown. Huskey caught the ball with one hand at the 30-yard line and beat three defenders on a footrace to the end zone.

Huskey and Cook have connected for 428 yards and five touchdowns through three games.

Warren East had a chance to tie the game in the closing seconds of the first half, but settled for a 22-yard field goal from Eddie Cano to trail 20-16 at halftime.

The Cardinals scored on a 21-yard touchdown pass from Linsey to Stetson Simpson on the opening drive of the third quarter. Trailing by 11 at that point, Warren East drove the ball to the Wayne County 9, but Cook was stuffed short on a fourth-down attempt.

From that point forward, Warren East fell apart with three turnovers over the next four plays and allowed Wayne County complete control of the clock.

Naftel led the Raiders with 158 yards on 17 carries.

“I thought we had played hard, but other than the first drive we didn’t play well,” Griffith said. “We had a chance to tie the game at the end. I’m probably kicking myself for making it a one-score game in the second half when we should’ve kicked another field goal. You’re playing the second-ranked team in the state and you have to play to win, especially in the second half.”

WCHS – 12 8 14 7 – 41

WEHS – 7 9 0 0 – 16

First quarter

WE – Naftel 65 run (Cano kick), 11:42

WC – Ruiz 13 run (conversion failed), 9:15

WC – Linsey 4 run (conversion failed), 3:06

Second quarter

WC – Linsey 2 run (Massengale pass from Linsey), 7:08

WE – Huskey 53 pass from Cook (conversion failed), 6:12

WC – Cano 22 kick, 0:03

Third quarter

WC – Simpson 21 pass from Linsey (Woods kick), 9:38

WC – Weaver 45 interception return (Woods kick), 0:53

Fourth quarter

WC – Wallace 2 run (Woods kick), 1:06{&end}