LAKE MILLS — The ground attack was so potent for the Lake Mills football team that the Bulldogs only took to the air once.

“I don’t remember a game in the last 15 years where we only threw one pass,” said Lake Mills coach Bill Byrnes. “It was just because of the way we were able to run the football.”

The Bulldogs controlled the line of scrimmage and racked up 323 rushing yards on Friday during a 32-8 home win over Central Springs.

“It was good for morale to get a district win,” Byrnes said. “We told these kids not to panic and to keep working hard. I’m proud of the effort they gave.”

Although Lake Mills (1-3 overall, 1-1 District 3) won its first game in Week 4, the team faced tough competition early in the season. The three teams that beat the Bulldogs have a combined record of 7-2, while the next three teams Lake Mills will play have a combined record of 3-6.

Josh Peters led the Bulldogs with 177 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries.

“He played really well,” Byrnes said. “He’s a shifty runner, and he makes a lot of cuts. We like to get him out in space.”

The Bulldogs’ first score came on a 1-yard quarterback sneak up the middle by Granger Kingland with 3:15 left in the first quarter.

The floodgates opened in the second quarter, and Peters scored on runs of 27, 36 and one yard. In the second half, Andrew Olson found the end zone on a three-yard run. He rushed for 85 yards on 16 carries.

Aside from a powerful offensive performance, the Lake Mills defense held Central Springs to 155 yards of total offense and forced four turnovers, including a pair of interceptions and fumble recoveries.

“It was our best effort of the year,” Byrnes said. “A lot of credit goes to the defense for creating turnovers.”

The Bulldogs beat Central Springs for the third straight year. Last season, they won 41-14, and in 2012, Lake Mills won 28-20.

Next, the Bulldogs will play their Homecoming game at 7 p.m. Friday against Eagle Grove, a team that is 0-3 and has yet to score a point this season.

Statistics are in the Scoreboard: Sept. 19 post.