A fast start on Friday night for the Tecumseh football team gave them the momentum they needed to easily win their second game of the season, cruising past Graham 42-19 at Spitzer Stadium. In fact, the game couldn’t have started any faster for the Arrows.

Brandon Morgan took the opening kickoff back for a long touchdown, thanks to some key blocking from Garrett McCormick and Justin Berry, giving the Arrows (2-2) a quick 7-0 lead.

“We spent an enormous amount of time on special teams, it’s a third of the game,” Tecumseh coach Kent Massie said. “That time we put in and the efforts we put into it paid off right there.”

“They kicked it to a senior and he stepped up and made a big play. The kids take pride in special team and that set the tone for the rest of the game right there.”

“I just wanted to set the tone and show that we are back on track,” Morgan said. “My teammates did a good job to make a hole, and it was up to me to take it.”

They weren’t done in the opening period. Brody Martin scored with a run on the left side, a three yard run with 4:22 left in the opening quarter pushed their lead to 14-0. Isaiah Trimble and Hunter Hensley set up the play with key blocking to aid the Arrows lead.

Right before the end of the first period, Kenyon Watson scored on an 11-yard run with 46 seconds left in the period, and the Arrows took a comfortable 21-0 lead into the second period.

“We made a statement in the first quarter and we moved forward with that statement,” Massie said. “I told the kids to be aggressive and play physical. The kids did that.”

After Martin intercepted a pass from the Falcons, the Arrows back went to work. With only 21 seconds gone in the second period, Blake Nickell scored on a counter down the right sideline pushing the Arrows lead out to 28-0.

Graham scored in the second period to end the shutout, but Tecumseh bounced back for an answering touchdown before the half.

McCormick led off the next drive with a big 45-yard run setting up the Arrow in good position to score. Morgan broke some tackles and took the edge for a nine yard touchdown run with 4:13 left in the half giving the Arrows an impressive 35-6 lead at the half.

Tecumseh scored their final touchdown in the third period when Watson found the endzone with 5:25 left in the quarter.

“Once you get the lead, there are different ways you can handle it, and we did it the right way,” Massie said.

Tecumseh ran for over 300 yards on the ground in the victory.

Tecumseh is back in action Friday night at Urbana, with a 7:30 start.