NORTH EAST, Pa. (EYT) — Ethen Knox was good last year.

He’s even better this season.

Knox was the workhorse again for the Oil City football team on Friday night, carrying the ball 42 times for 428 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Oilers to another rousing win, 52-20, over North East.

Oil City High School sports coverage on Explore and D9Sports.com is brought to you by Redbank Chevrolet and DuBrook.

Knox’s prodigious season is already among the best in the nation. Through three games, he already has 1,134 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground.

All five of Knox’s TD runs covered more than 10 yards, including a 63-yard TD against a shellshocked Grape Pickers’ defense.

The game was close in the first half before Oil City pulled away.

Dane Ley returned an interception for a touchdown to make it 14-7, but North East bounced back to knot the game at 14-14 late in the first half.

Oil City (3-0) pulled away after that, largely on the legs of Knox, who is now leading the nation in yards per game at 378, according to MaxPreps.

Knox scored seven touchdowns, tying a school record, last week in a win over Corry.

Oil City has scored more than 50 points in all three games this season.

The Oilers play rival Franklin (0-3) on Friday. Last year, Knox set the Oil City single-game record for rushing yards with 492 against the Knights.

Oil City High School sports coverage on Explore and D9Sports.com is brought to you by Redbank Chevrolet and DuBrook.