Staff photo / R. Michael Semple Warren JFK's Chris Campana gets tackled near the goal line by Western Reserve's David Altiere.

WARREN — The only thing hotter than the temperature on Saturday was the first-half play of the Warren JFK football team.

Using a potent run game and stifling defense, the Eagles raced out to a 26-point lead by halftime and made it stand in a 44-28 win over Western Reserve on a muggy evening at Mollenkopf Stadium.

“I was pleased with the way we came out and played. The kids always answer the bell,” JFK head coach Dom Prologo said.

The Eagles (2-0) held Western Reserve (0-2) to just one first down and -10 yards in the opening half, while the JFK offense scored on each of its first four possessions to take a 26-0 lead into the intermission.

That effort began on the ground, as the Eagles tallied 335 yards as a team on 38 carries.

Chris Campana led JFK with 120 yards and two scores on 15 touches, while quarterback Caleb Hadley ran for 80 yards and a score. Hadley also passed for 123 yards and a touchdown on a 7-for-8 night.

“Caleb is a football player. We could put him anywhere, and he’d make plays,” Prologo said. “He had a great week (of preparation), because he does every week. Tonight, we gave him more opportunities, and our kids made plays for him.”

Of Campana, Prologo added, “We’re excited for Chris. He’s a junior and has a lot of speed. We were excited he had an opportunity to have success out there.”

Prologo also credited his offensive line.

“Our offensive line, tight end to tight end, was as physical as it’s been in a long time. I was really pleased with how they came off the ball. We had our way driving (Reserve) around,” he said.

Meanwhile, it was the second time in two weeks that Reserve played one strong half and one poor half.

After racing out to an early lead before relinquishing that advantage as the game wore on at Liberty last week, the Blue Devils found themselves on the opposite end of the spectrum Saturday evening.

“We just have to continue to grow up,” Western Reserve head coach Jason Lude said. “I thought our guys fought hard in the second half. We’re playing a lot of young guys right now, and they’re fighting and battling. (JFK) played in a state championship, and that’s the kind of goal you set here. That’s the standard we have to raise our game to, and we didn’t do that in the first half.”

The Blue Devils eventually got things going. After JFK extended its lead to 32-0 early in the third quarter, Western Reserve outpaced its host 28-12 the rest of the way.

David Altiere and Dominic Ricciardi did most of the heavy lifting for the Blue Devils, as Altiere ran for 84 yards and a 40-yard score on 12 attempts, while Ricciardi scored twice — one from 29 yards out and the other from 60 — as part of a 97-yard night on just five carries.

Altiere also returned a late kickoff 85 yards for a score to bring the game to its final tally.

“Our guys fight; they’ve always battled here,” Lude said. “I’m proud of our young guys and seniors for going out and battling. We only have about 26 healthy guys right now, and they’re battling.”

Both teams are back in action next week. Western Reserve hosts Brookfield, who nearly upset Springfield on Friday. JFK, meanwhile, hosts Garfield, a team Prologo said has had the Eagles’ number in recent years.

Lude said of the Blue Devils’ upcoming matchup, “It’s another tough one, and it’s why we scheduled like that. We have to prepare ourselves for the postseason and play a tough schedule.”

Of Garfield, Prologo said, “They’re a great opponent. They’ve beaten us the last three years, and (tailback Anthony Demma) is an absolute stud. We’ll have our work cut out for us. They’re a heck of a team, so we’ll have to play our best game to play with them.”

jwhetzel@tribtoday.com