RICHMOND – Richmond-Burton didn’t need to pass.

Not only was it first-and-10, a down that gives offensive coordinators plenty of options. Genoa-Kingston had allowed 136 yards on R-B’s first 10 carries, two of which were touchdowns. Throwing the football seemed like a good way for the Rockets to disrupt their momentum.

But R-B quarterback Matthew Malecki dropped back to pass early in the first quarter Friday night. Receiver Adam Kinsella raised his hand 25 yards down field, not a Cog around him. And 63 yards later, what G-K coach Travis Frederick called a long week became even longer.

“It was bang-bang, and then you’re down quick in a hole,” Frederick said after the Cogs’ 48-3 loss that featured a running clock and scoreless second half.

Maybe R-B coach Patrick Elder realized his team didn’t need to pass, because it didn’t the rest of the game.

The Rockets (6-1, 3-0 Big Northern Conference East) ran the ball 30 times for 362 yards (12 yards per carry) and six touchdowns, little of which came after they pulled their starters in the second half. The Cogs lone score came on Chris Camargo’s 38-yard field goal in the second quarter and was set up by R-B’s muffed punt.

The opening two quarters were as dominant as it gets. G-K (1-6, 0-3 BNC East) gave up touchdowns on four straight R-B snaps in the second quarter, each of which were runs of at least 19 yards.

It could’ve been even worse. Two long R-B touchdown runs were called back because of penalty, including an 80 yarder on the game’s first play. A facemask penalty also erased a Rockets sack.

“We were beat before we even got on the bus tonight,” Frederick said. “There’s no question.”

Before Friday, G-K’s long weak was because of sickness. With his team huddled around him after the loss, Frederick hardly mentioned missed tackles or its inability to produce offense. He asked his players to rest and get healthy.

“It’s like the freaking plague around here,” Frederick said.

Frederick said he lost track of how many players missed practice last week. One crucial piece missing was junior quarterback Adam Price, who Frederick said had pneumonia. Sophomore Tyeler L’Huiller made his first varsity start at quarterback to replace Price. Freshman Griffin McNeal played the entire second half because L’Huiller took snaps for all four quarters during the sophomore game.