Litchfield scored early, often and in a variety of ways as it swamped Watertown-Mayer 56-14 Friday.
The Dragons’ fifth consecutive win saw them score five times in the first quarter alone — two runs, two passes and an interception return.
Litchfield lost to Annandale in the first game of the season but has not lost since. Ranked fifth in the state in Class 3A, the Dragons are scheduled to play Glencoe-Silver Lake, 1-5 overall, at 7 p.m. Friday at home.
Junior running back Brandon Jansky got Litchfield started with a 1-yard touchdown run early in the first. Jansky, who got more work than usual with No. 1 back Lukas Kuehl sitting out, finished the game with 11 carries for 114 yards.
Six backs in all got carries against Watertown-Mayer in a night that saw Litchfield rush 42 times for 240 yards.
But it was far from an all-ground game for the Dragons. In fact, Litchfield’s very next scoring play after Jansky’s run was a 4-yard pass from Garrison Jackman to Ethan Holtz.
Later in the first — after a 2-yard touchdown run by TJ Christensen and a 16-yard interception return for touchdown by Jack McCann — Jackman hit Jack McCann for a 40-yard score.
Jackman finished the game 12-for-13 for 207 yards and three touchdowns — adding a 1-yard pass to Durant Lara in the second quarter. Two others threw passes for Litchield, Elijah Sohl completing 1 of 2 for 12 yards and McCann one for 46 as the Dragons piled up 265 yards through the air.
The ball was spread pretty evenly, with six players getting at least one reception. McCann led the way with three receptions for 110 yards. Lara had four for 82, Holtz three for 29 and Ben Olson two for 16. Josh Blomberg and Christensen had one catch each.
Litchfield’s defense was solid. Though it did give up 203 rushing yards, most of those came after the game was no longer in doubt.
The Dragons forced three turnovers, with Elijah Lofton joining McCann with an interception, and Logan Bosma recovering a fumble. Anthony Taylor had seven tackles to lead the Dragons in that category, and Bosma added five. Christensen recorded Litchfield’s only sack.
Friday’s win ended a two-game losing streak to Watertown-Mayer. It also keeps Litchfield in the hunt for the top seed for the Section 2AAA playoffs if it can beat Glencoe-Silver Lake this week.
Litchfield, Rockford and Dassel-Cokato are tied for the best record in Section 2AAA at 5-1. Litchfield holds the head-to-head edge over D-C after beating the chargers 14-13 Sept. 30. Rockford’s only loss was to Pierz.
Litchfield plays host to Richfield in the final game of the regular season, Wednesday, Oct. 18.
