PARKERSBURG - Ed Thomas Field looks as pristine as ever - without a single blade of crab grass in sight - just as its namesake would've wanted.

And, on Friday, Ed Thomas would've been humbled by the show that took place on that turf.

For the first time in 35 years, prep football kicked off in Parkersburg without Thomas around. The Aplington-Parkersburg Falcons are still a feared unit, but they opened their 2009 campaign with heavy hearts Friday, squaring off with Dike-New Hartford without their community's longtime constant.

The Falcons overwhelmed Dike-New Hartford, 30-14, barely nine weeks after Thomas was shot to death in the program's weight room.

"I hope no one else ever has to go through anything like this," A-P co-head coach Al Kerns said after his team racked up 451 rushing yards and five interceptions to secure the win.

"I'm so proud of our kids - they responded like men," Kerns added. "They haven't forgotten, but they're moving on."

"I think it was a great tribute," said A-P senior split end Stanley Tuve.

Members from each of Thomas' 34 teams helped lead the Falcons onto the field. The bright lights of ESPN - the sports-TV conglomerate seen in 96 million homes - cast an intense spotlight on this town of barely 1,800. And, easily the most fans ever - an estimated 3,500 - encircled the playing surface.

"There's a lot to remember about Coach," said former A-P star and current Detroit Lion Jared DeVries, via a phone call. "What he stood for, one night of football can't sum that up. He was a second father to me - to a lot of people."

Through it all, the Falcon players did what they traditionally do. They performed with seemingly military precision, only allowing a pair of late, Joe Weber scoring runs. That wasn't as easy as it appeared, however.

"It was really, really emotional right away," said Falcon quarterback Coy Wiegmann, in reference to Coach Kerns' pregame speech. "It was really emotional. I started tearing up. But, right when I stepped on that field it was gametime."

"When we walked down those (stadium) stairs, I got emotional, because I was thinking of Dad," said Todd Thomas, A-P's new, 28-year-old assistant. "But then I got right back to football - and that's what he (Ed) would've wanted."

The visiting Wolverines must've felt overlooked all August. But, to their credit, they were a respectful group on Friday.

Try as they might on the field, the Wolverines simply stood at the base of a tidal wave of emotions on this night.

"We had just too many mistakes," said Wolverines coach Don Betts. "Five interceptions? Holy cow."

As one might expect, Ed Thomas' fingerprints are still all over his A-P program.

The old irony is still present: the Falcons - nicknamed after a bird of prey - rarely turned to the airways. Instead, they pounded the ball relentlessly in the run game, averaging 7.7 yards per carry. Their gruff, former head coach would've nodded in approval, without a doubt.

"Ed taught us a lot," said Kerns. "That's all we know. There won't be too many changes."

"The 'W' probably wasn't the most important thing. It was letting the kids be kids," noted A-P co-coach Jon Wiegmann. "Time heals all wounds, and it's gonna take time."

Yes, it was an emotional evening for all involved.

"I'm glad it's over," Aaron Thomas said in the high school commons afterward.

Said Todd Thomas: "As a coach, and also as a family member, we couldn't be any more proud of the kids. To have this done, this hurdle, it's a great feeling."

Sometimes, the A-P players and fans smiled. Sometimes they winced. What else can they do? Their wounds are still fresh.

"Just going out and playing, it felt good," said tailback Alex Hornbuckle after his 196-yard rushing night.

"We won't ever really fully move on," he added, "but this was a small step, a weight lifted off our shoulders."

Dike-New Hartford 0 0 0 14 - 14

Aplington-P'burg 0 22 8 0 - 30

A-P - Alex Hornbuckle 1 run (kick failed)

A-P - Austin Ryan 16 run (Jimmy Clark run)

A-P - Hornbuckle's 3 run (Hornbuckle run)

A-P - Hornbuckle 9 run (Jason Grill pass from Coy Wiegmann)

D-NH - Joe Weber 5 run (Matt Dove kick)

D-NH - Weber 86 run (James Young kick)

TEAM STATISTICS

DNH A-P

First downs 14 22

Rushes-yards 21-181 58-451

Passing yards 172 0

Comp-Att-Int 14-32-5 0-3-0

Punts.-avg. 2-46.0 3-30.0

Return yards 27 6-76

Fumbles-lost 0-0 3-2

Penalties-yards 7-36 1-5

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing

DIKE-NEW HARTFORD - Joe Weber 13-153, Mike Weidemann 2-1, Eric Joblinske 6-26.

APLINGTON-PARKERSBURG - Alex Hornbuckle 33-196, Alex Kreimeyer 3-7, Austin Ryan 9-172, Jason Grill 2-4, Alex McDaniel 1-4, Jake Everts 7-45, Coy Wiegmann 3-23.

Passing

DIKE-NEW HARTFORD - Dove 14-32-5, 172 yards.

APLINGTON-PARKERSBURG - Wiegmann 0-3-0.

Receiving

DIKE-NEW HARTFORD - Weber 2-7, Weidemann 5-85, Joey Gorby 4-53, Joblinske 3-22.

APLINGTON-PARKERSBURG - none.