ASHLAND — Ashland coach Leon Hart scolded his team for being selfish in the first half on Friday.

Raceland could refute that the Tomcats exhibited more selfishness in the final 24 minutes.

Either way, Ashland laid down the law, making Raceland pay a hefty fine for four third-quarter turnovers. The Tomcats blew open a two-point halftime en route to a 42-19 win over the Rams at Putnam Stadium.

“I don’t feel like a 42-19 ballgame,” Hart said afterward.

That’s because Raceland gave Ashland all it wanted in the early going. Daylin Beach ran a cutback play up the middle for a 60-yard touchdown that disgusted Hart.

“That ought to be no gain,” he said. “Instead we’re flying up the field trying to make plays instead of doing our assignments. We played selfish in the first half.”

Ashland (2-0) was also stingy with the ball, though. Other than a stint in the second quarter that saw Raceland run 21 of 22 plays on offense, the Tomcats were busy snatching away possessions from the Rams.

In the first quarter, two Raceland fumbles led to Aaron Elam-to-Malik Massey passing touchdown plays.

In the third, two fumbles and a couple of interceptions turned into a pair of touchdowns.

“(Turnovers) hurt us against East Carter, but we were able to overcome it,” said Raceland coach T.J. Maynard. “Against a very good Ashland team, you can’t overcome mistakes like that.”

Added Maynard: “Unfortunately, some of them were on us.”

Raceland quarterback Adam Elkins and Beach were guilty of a couple clumsy exchanges, but Maynard said he can’t put a finger on why the self-induced mistakes are happening.

“We’ve been noticing some stuff in practice,” said the Rams coach. “That’s on us as coaches to get it corrected.”

Ashland freshman Quinton Baker motored 55 yards to paydirt on a fake reverse pitch play to tie the game at 7-7 in the first quarter.

Baker received even bigger applause from the home crowd for the play he made just moments later. On the ensuing kickoff, Baker popped Raceland’s ballcarrier with authority. He made a couple other key special teams plays to go with his team-leading 84 yards rushing. Evan Yongue amassed 81 on the ground.

Raceland (1-1) closed the 21-7 gap methodically in the second period. The Rams consumed three minutes of clock with 10-play, 75-yard scoring drive that resulted in a Connor Messer TD catch from Elkins.

Then, after a fumble recovery by John Valencourt on Ashland’s next offensive play, Raceland gobbled up nearly five additional minutes on an 11-play, 51-yard drive. Elkins pushed past the goal line for a 1-yard TD burst after Ashland had already stuffed the Rams twice there.

Ashland senior defensive end Cade O’Bryan said the Tomcats did feel some effects of being on the field for that length.

“A little bit, but I just try to fight through, and I know our team does, too,” O’Bryan said.

O’Bryan and company took a 21-19 lead into the break.

“We underestimated (Raceland) a lot,” O’Bryan said. “They were a very good team, better than I expected and I give them credit.

“We wanted to come out and prove a point that we weren’t playing our best in the first half,” he added.

Elam connected with a wide-open Noah Wessel for a 49-yard score to put Ashland up 28-19. It was Elam’s third and final passing TD of the night.

“He’s getting more comfortable as he plays more,” Hart said of his junior QB. “Aaron made some really good throws tonight. We opened (our offense) up from the first to the second game. We’ll keep expanding it. We’ve got the ability to run and throw the football.”

Elam was 9 of 16 passing for 122 yards.

An interception by Logan Salow, who had taken over at the safety position after halftime, gave Ashland the ball just outside of the red zone with 5:10 left in the third. Yongue plowed his way in for the score from 10 yards out.

On Raceland’s next possession, Braxton Harshaw essentially put the game away as the senior intercepted a deflected pass in stride and returned it for a touchdown, giving his team a 42-19 lead.

Harshaw, who also recovered a fumble, had never played football until this season.

Hart had some kind words for his defense after all.

“I’m proud of the way they played in the second half,” he said.

AARON SNYDER can be reached at asnyder@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2664.