Lions defeat War Hawks in season opener

The Augusta Christian Lions kicked off their 2005 football season with a blowout win over the Colleton Prep War Hawks on Friday night, with a 49-14 score.

"We've had since last November to prepare for this game, so you expect to win your first game," said Lions head coach Bruce Lane. "How we do from Week 1 to Week 2 - that's where you measure the improvement."

The War Hawks trailed the Lions by a wide margin throughout the game. At the end of the first half, the score was 35-7.

Lane declined to predict how his team will perform this season. Instead of making long-term projections, he said he simply focuses on each week's game.

"The only opponent I know we have this season is Richard Winn because that's who we're playing in the next game," Lane said.

He said the season opener had both highs and lows.

"Defensively, we played really well, but we had too many penalties," Lane said.

Josh Whitaker, who scored a touchdown for ACS in the first quarter of Friday's game, was pleased with his team's performance and was willing to venture a prediction for this season.

"It's a good start to the season," said Whitaker, a junior wide receiver. "I think we'll go pretty far in the state."

Last year, the Lions were 6-5 and lost to Orangeburg Prep in the first round of the state playoffs.