Oak Forest muffed a punt following the first play of its MAIS game against Bowling Green last Friday night.

The host Yellow Jackets did not do much wrong after that.

Oak Forest ran for six touchdowns and Tyler Hasson returned a fumble 89 yards as the Jackets rolled to a 49-0 victory.

“We had a mental mistake early on and I was worried about coming out flat,” OFA head coach Jason Brabham said. “We played hard but made some mental mistakes but I was just super proud to see Bradley (Brumfield) step up and cause that fumble and Tyler scoop and score. That’s what you have to do when you get in a bind. You have to have players step up and make plays and they certainly did that.”

Oak Forest (2-0) finished with 322 yards rushing and 351 yards overall. Zachary Henry ran eight times for 66 yards and two scores while Kaylin Stewart had 61 yards and two touchdowns on five attempts, all in the first half. Collin Kent added 55 yards and Jude Giardina 47. Jeb Malley and Bransen Schwebel also scored in the first half. The game went to a running clock after the Jackets took a 35-0 lead midway through the second quarter.

“They did a pretty good job up front,” Brabham said. “ We got to play everybody. That was a great opportunity for them to get on the field this early in the season. Hat’s off to the guys making the pays when they needed to and coming in and making some adjustments on blocking schemes.”

Bowling Green (0-2), meanwhile, was held to 72 yards, 23 rushing, and committed four turnovers. Brady Goings was 5-of-12 for 49 yards and an interception. Grant Alexander ran eight times for 21 yards.

“We talked about not turning the ball over and making mistakes because then you’re giving them points,” Bowling Green head coach David Currier said. “They are going to take them anyway but we didn’t want to give them anything. Any time you give them the ball, that’s bad news so we have to eliminate that.”

The Bucs got the first break when Cody Wilhite recovered a muffed punt at the Oak Forest 18 following the opening possession of the game. But three plays later, Brumfield stripped the ball from Alexander. Hasson picked it up at the 11 and raced down the right sidelines, giving the Jackets a 7-0 lead with 8:12 left in the first quarter.

Brumfield also set up the second score by recovering a Goings fumble at the Bucs 27 on the ensuing possession. Stewart went off the left side from the 1 five plays later, making it 14-0 at the 4:52 mark of the quarter.

Oak Forest went 43 yards in four plays to take a 21-0 lead with 2:24 left in the first. Hasson hit Connor Alston for 21 yards, setting up a 4-yard run off the left side by Malley.

Dylan Dover intercepted a Goings pass at the OFA 48 and returned it inside the Bowling Green 5 on the next possession. A hold on the return brought the ball back to the 49 but the Jackets needed just two plays to make it 28-0 on a 13-yard run by Malley and a 36-yard keeper off the right side by Schwebel on the first play of the second quarter.

Oak Forest got another two-play drive to go up 35-0. Hasson’s 30-yard run was followed by a 27-yard dash off the left side by Stewart with 7:05 left.

Henry capped the first-half scoring with a 14-yard run off the right side with two minutes left. He added the only score in the second half, a 16-yard run off the left side with 7:35 remaining.

Oak Forest travels to Presbyterian Christian for a key early season Conference 2AAA game Friday. 

Bowling Green returns home Friday to take on Wilkinson County Christian Academy.