An Eventful Opening: First Week in Columbus Football
- Jake Reed
- Sep 5, 2025
- 3 min read
By Jake Reed
Week one is officially over. Or is it? This week’s been one for the books. From lightning delays to a trip to Maryland, Columbus Football is being tested very early on.
A Never-Ending Start to the 2025 Football Season
The Explorers planned to take the field against Miami Southridge Thursday, August 21 at 4 p.m. The long-awaited opening to the season had fans and players pumped. Unfortunately, during stretches, Tropical Park began to rumble a little too much. There was a lightning warning.
This fall, Explorers’ fans anticipated the firepower-filled offense led by transfer quarterback Kingston Rust, a sophomore. On the very first drive, they made sure to get off on the right foot with running back Shawn James, a junior, punching in the first official score of the season. Southridge was unable to answer back due to a shutdown performance from our defense who forced a fumble.
Following the first drive, our offense struggled to find the footing they had acquired early on. After a series of turnovers on offense, the defense was able to maintain ground for Columbus and keep the score at 7-0.
Suddenly, history repeated itself with another lightning warning. The game was rescheduled again and was to be finished on Monday, August 26. This time, Southridge came out with the momentum making the score 7-7 relatively quickly.
Fortunately, Rust was able to bounce back. He bypassed a difficult Southwest secondary and connected with sophomore wide receiver Bernard Cannon for a touchdown, while defensive backs D’Andre Ward and Tedrick Lee tightened coverage.
He’s beginning to prove that he can not only make plays from the pocket but also out on his feet. Rust led Columbus’s offense in rushing yards, and despite a very intense game with many collisions, he was able to get right back up.
Columbus offensive and defensive lines were starting to takeover the show, when—for the third time— lightning ended the game early. The game was stopped at 14-7 in the 3rd quarter and is to be resumed on October 6.
Despite the chaos, the Explorers found confidence in their performance “I love the energy and the way the team is playing. I think we have a lot to prove, and I’m really excited for what we can do this season,” says K/P John Allen, a junior.
The Test in Maryland
The Explorers packed their bags and headed out at 4 a.m to face national powerhouse Good Counsel. Columbus's offense got off to a rough start, opening with two three-and-outs. Quarterback Chris Barrow was given an opportunity and gained some momentum, but it wasn’t enough.
Fortunately, on the other end, the defensive presence kept the action going. Barosela, Nua, Hall, and Rowell all delivered key stops and kept Columbus in the game. There was a back and forth between both teams for a while, but it resulted in a Good Counsel touchdown.
Right before halftime, Ivan Houston answered back with a touchdown, returning a blocked field goal kick from Angel Orozco. The score, 7-7 going into the next half, was unable to turn to Columbus's favor. The Explorers' offense was able to march into Good Counsel territory a few times, but never close enough for field goal range or a score.
With turnovers stalling our progress, the hosts were able to score another time, making the score 14-7. Despite final efforts from both ends of the ball, the Explorers were unable to answer, and Good Counsel held on to the win.
Moving Forward
Week one had some flashes of great potential. The lesson is clear: resilience. Between lightning delays, cross-country travel, and tough competition, Columbus is just warming up to the fight it wil put forward this season. It's still early on, but the Explorers have their sights set on a deep playoff run. The clean execution required of a winning season begins today at Tropical Park vs. Aquinas at 7 p.m.
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