MONTICELLO - Central A&M is a team that got more or less stomped four times last season. And Central A&M isn't a team that's used to being stomped.

The Raiders kept that in mind for Friday's season opener at Monticello. All it took to get their marching shoes on was Zach Thrasher's 38-yard interception return for touchdown to open the third quarter.

That broke open a one-point game at the half, and Central A&M (1-0) went on to cruise to a 48-19 victory.

"We came out, it's halftime, and we're starting to get tight," Thrasher said. "That pick was big and got everybody's heads up, but it takes a team to win a game, not just one single person."

Thrasher, of course, speaks the truth. But the Raiders took command with a slew of big plays, and Thrasher was involved in most of them.

There was his 61-yard scoring strike to Bryce Ade on the first offensive play of the season.

"We had a script of plays. We figured they'd think we were going to go 2-tight wing, and get 10 in the box," Central A&M coach Mark Ramsey said. "We figured we'd take a shot to get somebody deep, and it worked out."Thrasher also had a 55-yard toss to Ade in the third quarter, the aforementioned pick six and a 29-yard touchdown jaunt to cap Central A&M's night.

Sandwiched in between there was a 64-yard touchdown from Adam Zindel (who finished with 190 yards and two scores) and a 45-yard interception returned for a touchdown from Hoyt Wages.

The knockout blows came in bunches. The Raiders led 28-13 midway through the third quarter. Just 17 seconds in to the fourth quarter, the lead was 41-13. Wages' interception return all but sealed the deal.

"We've been wanting this all season. We've been working on it all summer," Zindel said. "There's a couple games we need to get payback for losing these past couple years, and this is the one starting it. We've got to get it done."

Monticello (0-1) responded after Thrasher's pick. The Sages even got within 10 yards of the end zone. But when they failed to score, the Raiders never looked back.

"That was the straw that broke the camel's back. From that point on, we lost our composure," Monticello coach John Beccue said. "The frustrating part for me is we dropped the ball on three passes that were in the end zone. It's something I've been harping on them all year. We can do it. I don't know what it is … we just have to do better job."

Central A&M was far from perfect. There were some things to fine tune, such as 75 yards in penalties and three turnovers.

But as revenge tours go, it's not a bad start.

"Any time you go on the road in the Okaw against a good program and get a win, it's huge," Ramsey said.

tengle@herald-review.com|421-7970