BELLWOOD — Zach Mallon of Bellwood-Antis returned the opening kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown and the Blue Devils went on to mercy-rule Mount Union, 42-0, in an Inter-County Conference contest Friday.

Bellwood-Antis has won seven straight games after an opening-season, non-conference loss to Tyrone. Mount Union (0-8) is still searching for its first win of 2018.

“We knew it was an uphill task coming in here,” Mount Union coach Jamie Brumbaugh offered. “That opening kickoff set the tone. It put us down and we never recovered.”

Bellwood scored 35 points in the first quarter, emptied its bench early, and added one touchdown in the second half during the running clock.

“We’ve struggled all year long,” Brumbaugh said. “We have had so many problems on the offensive line … so many injuries. We’re rotating a lot of guys in and out and, when you have no stability, and come in a face a team like this … well, it makes it even tougher

“They knew what we were running, they knew our limitations,” Brumbaugh continued. “They were just pinning their ears back and coming at us.”

Bellwood made it look easy by scoring five touchdowns in the first quarter — three in the first five minutes.

After Zach Mallon returned the opening kickoff for an 89-yard TD, the Blue Devils forced Mount Union into a 3-and-out on its first possession. The Blue Devils needed only four plays to cover 49 yards after a short Trojan punt. Alex Frederick got the touchdown on a nine-yard sweep.

Moments later, linebacker Troy Walker intercepted a Quinton Posey pass and ran it back 47 yards for a TD and a 21-0 Bellwood lead.

“We challenged the guys before the game that we hadn’t had a kickoff return for a touchdown as it happened,” Bellwood-Antis coach Nick Lovrich said. “It took all 11 guys out there doing their jobs … great blocking and Zach hit the hole like he was supposed to.”

Walker, one of 13 different Bellwood ball carriers, scored on a two-yard run and John Kost hit paydirt from 12 yards out to give the Devils a 35-0 advantage after only one quarter.

Starting quarterback Shawn Wolfe played one series in the third quarter and raced for a 12-yard score for the game’s only score in the second half.

Mount Union’s biggest play of the night came on a 59-yard pass-run play from Sam Rice to Trevor Skopic that carried to the Bellwood-Antis 29 in the final minute. However, the Trojans lost a fumble at the 14 and the Blue Devils ran out the clock.

Mount Union hosts Moshannon Valley on Oct. 19.

Bellwood Antis 42, Mount Union 0

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Mount Union 0 0 0 0–0

Bellwood-Antis 35 0 7 0–42

First Quarter

B–Z.Mallon 89 kickoff return (Schmoke kick), 11:47.

B– Frederick 9 run (Schmoke kick), 9:24.

B — Walker 47 Int return (Schmoke kick), 7:25.

B — Walker 2 run (Schmoke kick), 3:51.

B — Kost 12 run (Schmoke kick), 1:47.

Third Quarter

B– Wolfe 12 run (Schmoke kick), 8:14.

TEAM STATISTICS

MU B

First downs 8 11

Total yards 156 263

Rushes-yards 18-40 34-146

Yards passing 116 117

Passing (comp.-att.-int.) 6-21-2 6-8-0

Punts-avg. 8-33 2-45

Fumbles-lost 1-1 2-0

Penalties-yards 2-10 3-35

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: MU– Benson 2-22, Willooughby 4-11, Posey 8-6, Rice 1-2, Br. Woodward 1-0, Lear 1-0, Team 1 1-(-1); B– Dorminy 4-51, Boyer 2-18, Wolfe 4-16, Kost 4-14, Hollen 2-14, Guyer 3-11, Frederick 5-10, Walker 2-6, Gibbons 1-3, Z.Mallon 1-3, Shawley 2-3, S.Mallon 2-0, Miller 1-(-1), Team 2-(-2).

PASSING: MU– Posey 4-14-1-53, Rice 2-3-1-63; B– Wolfe 3-3-0-84, Miller 3-5-0-33.

RECEIVING: MU– Skopic 2-63, Lear 2-36, Baker 1-12, Bl. Woodward 1-5; B– Z.Mallon 3-33, Hale 2-64, Wyland 1-20.