SHEPHERDSTOWN — Leading 52-9, Spring Mills searched far and wide for every reserve player it could find. The Cardinals’ Keon Padmore-Johnson had thrown so many “home run” scoring passes that the game clock was still running even on incomplete passes, plays that went out-of-bounds and other times when the clock normally is stopped.

Just finding enough plays for the reserves became the only problem Spring Mills had in finally overwhelming Jefferson’s winless Cougars, 52-22, to shove its record to 3-4 and leave Coach Craig Hunter’s crew at 0-6 overall.

It was Jefferson’s 17th consecutive loss. Spring Mills has its victories over three teams that have yet to win this season.

Padmore-Johnson, with useful time provided by his offensive line, launched touchdown passes that covered 50, 75, 25, 77 and 90 yards, with Rohan Parchment grabbing three of the lengthy scoring throws, and Mason Williams and Christian Henderson legging the other two to touchdowns.

Each Springs Mills score, including a recovery of a poor snap on an intended Cougar punt in Jefferson’s end zone by Chase Henson and a 12-yard run by Zion Stanard, was feted by a fireworks display that only presaged the long Homecoming fireworks demonstration that dominated the sky for a full 10 minutes following the 30-point Cardinal victory.

A lit scoreboard display that read “Welcome to Cardinal Country” must have been for the Spring Mills faithful that returned for the Homecoming evening, because the large gathering on the home side of the stadium could celebrate a 31-3 lead by halftime as Padmore-Johnson repeatedly had his receivers ruin Jefferson’s one-on-one coverage with his in-stride touchdown passes to them on almost every hand.

The Cardinals had a 17-0 lead, before the Cougars got a 23-yard field goal from Aaron Gravelle. After that, two more Padmore-Johnson to Parchment touchdowns had it at 31-3, as the Homecoming court paraded to midfield.

After seeing a 50-yard Corbin Pierson-to-Antione Lewis pass-catch combination get some Jefferson points, the Cardinals rained three consecutive touchdowns on the Cougar defense and made the constantly moving scoreboard march to 52-9.

Spring Mills brought its regulars to the sideline and hurriedly tried to find playing time for any and all who were dressed.

When the churning clock was finally down to all zeroes, the night sky was full of fireworks, exploding color and streaming light the way Padmore-Johnson had lit the night with his touchdown-bringing passes from long distance.