WHEELING, W. Va. -- His face and his hand served as a perfect microcosm.

In the postgame media tent Monday, Central Catholic senior tight end/linebacker Sam Loughrey couldn't be more disgusted -- it was evident in his face.

In that same moment, blood dripped from a gash in Loughrey's hand; it was the tangible, lasting impression of what had just happened.

Central Catholic got steamrolled, 35-0, by one of the nation's finest high school football programs, Lakeland (Fla.), in the Friends of Coal Classic at Wheeling Island Stadium.

"We will see teams as big as they are during this season," Central Catholic coach Terry Totten said, "but we will never see a team as fast as this in the state of Pennsylvania. I don't know, you might not see a team as fast as this anywhere. They were great."

What wasn't great, not even remotely, was the hand dealt to Central Catholic.

Just five plays into the Lakeland game, Central Catholic senior starting quarterback Nolan Krivijanski went down after being hit. He writhed in pain and was attended to before limping off the field. Totten said Krivijanski, who had waited his turn behind quarterback Tino Sunseri for two years, has a knee injury and probably won't return until next month.

"It is such a big blow to us," Totten said just after the game. "The kid had worked hard, he had done a lot to prepare, and then this happens. It is tough, very tough."

Tough it might be, but the defending WPIAL and PIAA Class AAAA Vikings must move on. And that process will be guided by junior quarterback David Smyers, who filled in for the injured Krivijanski and went 4 for 8 against Lakeland.

"He's going to have to be ready, there are no ifs about it," Totten said. "He's the guy we have to go to now. We will have to simplify some things and do a little tinkering with the offense, but he knows, we all know, that he is the guy who we have to go with right now."

As Totten deals with the transition, the crux of the offense most likely will have to fall, even more, onto the shoulders of junior running back D.J. Myers. He came into the season as the Vikings' leading ground threat, and with an unproven passer such as Smyers, a solid few games by Myers could loosen up the Central Catholic offense.

"We are not going to panic, though, I know that. All our kids prepare as if they are going to start, and now it is time for some of them to step up and take some more responsibility."