RIVERSIDE

Kaden Amigon, a senior running back and kickoff returner from Columbus, didn’t take long to showcase his speed last Friday night during Highland’s football homecoming game.

Precisely 10 seconds.

Amigon, who has scored 14 touchdowns in five games and ranks No. 2 in Iowa Class A in all-purpose yardage, caught the opening kickoff short of the Columbus 20-yard line, headed straight up the middle of the field and took off like a freight train for a touchdown, jump-starting a night that included three more touchdowns. The score was just the opening act of a 55-0 Columbus victory over the Huskies.

Amigon scored three touchdowns in the first quarter alone, but it was that opening kickoff return that silenced a winless Huskie team hoping for better things.

“Execute it correctly. Execute,” Highland head coach Cory Quail said. “They’re got really, really good athletes. They absolutely do. Speed. But we did not execute the play correctly.”

In addition to chasing Amigon all night long, the Huskies also couldn’t keep up with Riley Kaalberg, a junior running back who rushed for 255 yards and 3 touchdowns on just six carries.

The final nail came on a 97-yard scoring run by Kaalberg after the Huskies had marched to the Columbus 3-yard line in the fourth quarter.

“When you’re playing a team like this, if you don’t come out and try to send your own mentality and control what you can control, it’s going to put you in a hard place,” Quail said.

After losing to Van Buren by just six points Sept. 8, the Huskies have given up 112 points in losses the last two weeks against Lisbon and Columbus.

The Wildcats (3-2) scored four touchdowns in the opening quarter, then scored twice more in the second quarter. Amigon scored on runs of 21, 28 and 8 yards, while Kaalberg’s shortest TD run covered 58 yards.

Columbus scored on eight of nine possessions, and never punted or turned the ball over.

Highland was without junior receiver Ayden Havel, the team’s leading pass-catcher, due to illness. Havel’s illness not only left the Huskies short, but caused major changes in the team’s offense.

“Just missing too many people tonight,” Quail said. “The one weapon that we really need out there … just missing Havel. Luckily we get him back next week and we’re really excited about that.”

Logan McFarland stepped in for a career night of 7 catches for 85 yards, but it was a pass play from quarterback Sage Hartley-Norman to Jack Peiffer that almost gave the Huskies a score in the fourth quarter.

Catching a pass for the first time in his high school career, Peiffer, a senior, hauled in a short pass and sprinted 33 yards down the sideline only to be dragged down by Columbus’ Cael Phillips at the 3-yard line.

Two plays later, the Huskies lost a fumble.

One play after that, Kaalberg raced down the right sideline for a 97-yard TD run.

Highland also threatened to score with its first possession in the third quarter. The Huskies drove 61 yards to the Columbus 10, but an interception by Elliott Wessley halted Highland’s scoring opportunity. McFarland had two catches in that drive.

Hartley-Norman passed for a season-high 144 yards.

GAME SUMMARY

COLUMBUS 55, HIGHLAND 0

Columbus   27    14     0   14  --  55

Highland      0      0      0     0  --    0

C: Kaden Amigon 83 KO return (Gabriel Zuniga kick)

C: Riley Kaalberg 58 run (run failed)

C: Amigon 21 run (Zuniga kick)

C: Amigon 28 run (Zuniga kick)

C: Amigon 8 run (Zuniga kick)

C: Kaalberg 58 run (Zuniga kick)

C: Cole Storm 25 run (Zuniga kick)

C: Kaalberg 97 run (Zuniga kick)

GAME STATS

PASSING: Columbus, Trevor Phillips, 6-8-69; Highland, Sage Hartley-Norman, 14-38-144, 1 INT.

RUSHING: Columbus, Riley Kaalberg, 6-255, 3 TD; Kaden Amigon, 9-150, 3 TD; Cole Storm, 1-25, 1 TD; Highland, Colten Sypherd, 5-36; Hartley-Norman, 7-7.

RECEIVING: Columbus, Leo Lara, 3-34; Cael Phillips, 2-29; Cole Storm, 1-6; Highland, Logan McFarland, 7-85; Jose Ramirez, 4-13; Remington Fields, 2-13; Jack Peiffer, 1-33.

LEADING TACKLERS: Highland, Tyler Pierson, 4.5; Harley-Norman, 4.5.