By DREW GRANTHUM/Sports Editor

It took a little bit of a wait, but the Evangel Christian Lightning moved to 2-0 on the season with a 38-0 shutout win over North River Christian on Aug. 22.

After a scoreless first quarter, the game was postponed for a brief time due to severe weather — namely, lightning, in an ironic twist — before the two squads got back under way.

When play resumed, the football Lightning took control. At the 3:20 mark in the second quarter, Mason Murphy scored on a two-yard run after Logan Smith recovered a Charger fumble on the North River 10 to put the Lightning up 6-0 after a failed conversion.

It turned out to be the only points of the half, as Evangel took a 6-0 lead into intermission.

After half, the Lightning came out swinging, putting together a six-play, 65-yard drive that was capped off by a Micah Murphy 33-yard touchdown run. The conversion attempt failed, and the Lightning held a 12-0 lead with 8:00 to go in the third quarter.

With 3:33 left in the third quarter, the Lightning’s defense stepped up to the plate, as Tyler Byrd recovered a fumble in the endzone for another score. The attempt for an extra point failed, and the Lightning held an 18-0 lead with 3:33 remaining.

Micah Murphy put Evangel on the board again with a minute to go in the third when he hit Logan Smith on an 11-yard pass for a score. The touchdown strike was set up by a Luke Smoke 34-yard punt return, and gave the squad a 24-0 lead.

Byrd struck again early in the fourth, sacking the NRCA quarterback in the endzone for a safety.

A G.T. Abraham 40-yard touchdown run and a 23-yard scamper for a score by Akil Corbin capped off the night for Evangel, as the Lightning closed out the 38-0 win.

Mason Murphy led all ECS rushers with 74 yards and a touchdown, Micah Murphy went 2-for-4 for 24 yards and a touchdown through the air.

Tyler Byrd led the way on defense with 10 total tackles and a fumble recovery.

Evangel travels to Tabernacle Aug. 29.