Lakota East head coach Jon Kitna had his players watching film at 5:30 a.m. Monday after top-ranked Princeton rolled to a 48-22 win that dropped the Thunderhawks to 4-2.

"In a game like this, let's be honest, when you're outmatched, you can't be wrong," Kitna told the Journal-News after Friday's game. "You can't miss things, and we missed too much."

Princeton, No. 1 in Division I, Region 4, piled up 591 yards of total offense at Lakota East on Friday, Sept. 25. Running back Jordan Hall carried 15 times for 140 yards and four touchdowns. Quarterback Key'Sean Torbert added 227 passing yards and 130 rushing yards with two total scores, as WLWT reported.

The Vikings' ground game set the tone. Hall and Torbert combined for 270 rushing yards and five touchdowns against a Lakota East defense that had been led all season by Tra'Vion Bailey.

Thunderhawks quarterback Nile Knutson, the Greater Miami Conference's third-leading passer, went 18 of 27 for 247 yards and two touchdowns but threw a costly interception. Receiver Braxton Thurman caught seven passes for 114 yards, including a 1-yard touchdown in the first quarter.

East trailed 27-14 at halftime and never closed the gap. Knutson scored on a 3-yard run with about six minutes remaining, and the Thunderhawks converted the two-point attempt. They also blocked a Princeton extra-point try in the third quarter. But the deficit was too deep.

Both of Lakota East's losses this season have come by wide margins. Rival Lakota West beat them 48-18 on Aug. 28. Princeton's 26-point win Sept. 25 was the second blowout of the year.

The loss leaves East at 3-2 in the GMC, two games behind Princeton, which improved to 6-0 overall and 5-0 in conference play. The Vikings hold a one-game lead over Lakota West and Middletown in the standings. Sports Illustrated's statewide rankings, published Monday, placed Princeton at No. 7 in Ohio.

Kitna said the season is still in front of his team and called the Thunderhawks a good football team. He wants sharper coaching and tougher play over the final four weeks.

"We gotta coach it better, we gotta play better and we gotta get stronger," Kitna said.

Lakota East, ranked No. 8 in WLWT's Blitz 5 poll, travels to Fairfield on Friday, Oct. 2. The Falcons are 2-4 overall and 1-4 in the GMC after losing to Lakota West 38-7 in Week 6.