EPHRATA - Caleb Garza ran for 243 yards on 23 carries and three touchdowns as Othello put an old-fashioned whipping on Ephrata, 59-7.

The loss on Friday drops the Tigers record to 1-4 in CWAC play.

"They got after us a bit," coach Jay Mills said. "I thought we competed well the entire game. But they are a good team and imposed their will on us."

The game got underway on a cool breezy fall evening as the Ephrata won the coin toss and deferred to the second half.

Garza took the opening kick and returned it to the 23-yard line. Huskie quarterback David Garza fumbled the snap on the second play of the game, but recovered the ball and promptly marched Othello to the Tigers 8-yard line.

Two plays later, Garza found the end zone. The PAT was good to give the Huskies a 7-0 lead.

Ephrata, determined not let the visiting team bust things open early, answered back with a 63-yard TD pass from Tyler Clark to Mica Ohl on the Tigers first possession of the quarter. The extra point split the uprights to tie the score 7-7.

"That gave us a lift," Mills said. "But unfortunately, we gave up six on their next possession."

The play, was an electrifying 90-yard return for a touchdown on the ensuing kickoff by Caleb Garza that quieted the home crowd, and put Othello up 13-7. The PAT failed as time ran out in the first quarter.

"We had him in our grasp a couple of times, but couldn't pull him down," Mills said.

The Tigers went three and out on their next possession and had to punt. Othello returned the ball to the 46-yard line and was moving at will, but a Jacob Crowder interception in the end zone stopped the Huskies threat.

Ephrata move the pigskin to the Othello 21, but turned the ball over. Five plays later, Garza found the end zone again, but the 2-point conversion was no good, and the Huskies were up 19-7.

Othello hit pay dirt for a third time in the first half on a 2-yard run by Joey Gomez. The 2-point conversion by David Garza was good to put the visitors up 27-7.

Ephrata mounted another scoring drive as the half was winding down, but Clark was intercepted at the Huskies 5-yard line.

Othello rounded out the firs half scoring on a 16-yard halfback pass from David Garza to Trevor Walker to put the Huskies up 33-7 at the break. The 2-point conversion failed.

The Tigers were held off the scoreboard in the second half of play, but Othello racked up 26 points to come away with an easy win.

"This was a tough loss, but we aren't out of it by any means," Mills said. "We still have four games left and have a good shot of making the playoffs. We can get back on track with a win at Grandview Friday."