Floyd Central’s Dylan McRae (28) runs around the end for a touchdown against Columbus East at Floyd Central High School.

Following a sluggish first half, Floyd Central’s offense came alive in the second, with some help from special teams.

The Highlanders (4-3) scored 26 second-half points on their way to a 39-23 victory at Bedford North Lawrence on Friday evening, coming back from a three-point halftime deficit.

“We came out pretty flat in the first half,” Floyd Central coach Brian Glesing said. “We were down 16-13 at the half and we had a big second-half surge. Offensively we did great in the second half and defensively, we gave up a lot of yards but our red-zone defense was great in the first half. It was a tale of two halves. In the second half we came out with lots of fire.”

Running back Jason Cundiff scored a pair of rushing touchdowns, Colt May added another, and quarterback Matt Weimer found Trevor Clark in the end zone for an early touchdown. The Highlanders began to wear down the Stars’ (3-4) defense in the second half, running off tackles down the left and right sidelines on multiple occasions.

“It was a sloppy field a bit and we had to keep it on the ground, and our offensive line, running backs and fullbacks did a great job taking care of the ball and getting first downs,” Glesing said. “Our defense was on the field most of the first half so when our offense was on the field we controlled the time of possession.”

Both teams were helped in the special teams department, as Tyler Edwards returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown in the second half while Wyatt Martin returned a kickoff 95 yards for a score. Edwards also had an interception in the game.

“The momentum really changed after that kickoff return,” Glesing said. “The momentum was in our favor the whole second half.”

Providence 35, Mitchell 8: Pioneers (4-3) running back Kaden Williams was the star of the show in the big win over the Bluejackets (4-3). The sophomore ran 24 times for 299 yards and five touchdowns on the night, including runs of 55 yards, 47 yards, 43 yards, and 37 yards.

“He had a great game,” Providence coach Larry Denison said. “Those kind of numbers speak for themselves. The offensive line blocking up front did a great job and Kaden did all the rest. He’s a good enough back that he’s going to make you pay.”

Charlestown 34, Corydon 7: The visiting Pirates (6-1) cruised past the Panthers (3-4) to win their fifth consecutive game. Charlestown’s defense was the catalyst, as the unit forced four turnovers and held Corydon to under 300 total yards. Dakota Porter accounted for a team high eight tackles, including two for a loss.