PAINTSVILLE, Ky. — A bad start against a good team.

The South Point Pointers didn’t like their opening game results as they lost 35-7 to the Johnson Central Eagles Friday.

“They have some nice athletes and they’re pretty quick. They’re not a bad football team,” South Point coach Dan McDavid said.

The game was close the first half with the Eagles clinging to a 14-7 lead.

Kyle Underwood ran 15 yards for a touchdown to cap a 70-yard, seven-play drive. James Barrett kicked the extra point and it was 7-0.

Grimm scored from 2 yards out on the first play of the second quarter to put the lead at 14-0.

But South Point orchestrated a 70-yard, 16-play drive highlighted by a 20-yard pass from Chris Smith to Justin Thacker. Smith teamed up with Kyle Hughes on a 12-yard scoring pass and Lance Miller’s conversion kick made it 14-7 just before the break.

The Eagles ran the second half kickoff back to midfield and scored nine plays later on a 6-yard run by Underwood.

Jerrell Dean’s halfback pass was intercepted on the next play as Johnson Central was able to keep the momentum.

“That broke out backs,” McDavid said of the interception. “They had a real good defense and we felt we had to make something happen.”

After an exchange of punts, Grimm bolted 51 yards for a touchdown and the lead was 28-7 with 2:04 left in the third quarter.

The Eagles capped the scoring with a 28-yard run by Nathan Dillon with 7:16 to go.

South Point’s running game bogged down and managed just 58 yards. Smith was 7 of 16 passing for 86 yards. Heath Bridges had four receptions for 45 yards.

South Point0700=7

Johnson Central77147=35

First Quarter

JC — Kyle Underwood 15 run (James Barrett kick) 4:46

Second Quarter

JC — Shawn Grimm 2 run (James Barrett kick) 11:56

SP — Kyle Hughes 12 pass from Chris Smith (Lance Miller kick) 0:33

Third Quarter

JC — Kyle Underwood 6 run (James Barrett kick) 7:23

JC — Shawn Grimm 51 run (James Barrett) 2:04

Fourth Quarter

JC — Nathan Dillon 28 run (James Barrett kick) 7:16

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SPJC

First downs1221

Rushes-yards25-5842-353

Passing yards8649

Total yards142402

Cmp-Att-Int7-17-34-9-0

Penalties-yards4-402-20

Punts-average6-32.20-00.0

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Individual Leaders

RUSHING — South Point: Jerrell Dean 2-0, Chris Smith 11-minus 2, Jude Crabtree 3-8, Jacob Orlando 5-20, Quay Logan 5-12, Justin Thacker 7-20; Johnson Central: Shawn Grimm 26-229.

PASSING — South Point: Chris Smith 7-16-2 86, Jerrell Dean 0-1-1; Johnson Central: J.K. Ratliff 4-9-0 49.

RECEIVING — South Point: Heath Bridges 4-45, Thacker 1-20, Weed 1-7, Hughes 1-12; Johnson Central: Ian Welch 2-7, Nathaniel Dials 1-8, Chris Meeks 1-34.