SOUTH HARRISON USES DEFENSE TO BEAT CALHOUN, 21-0

(10/04/2014)
By Gaylen Duskey
realfang@citlink.net

Calhoun started the season with a mere 20 football players and during Friday's 21-0 loss to visiting South Harrison it had 17 dressed. Three players lost in six games is not too bad when it comes to attrition.

The problem is who the three players are. The two big losses are linemen Dustin Holcomb and Coy Bailey, both all-LKC caliber.

Friday night playing without them on offense the Red Devils managed 81 yards total offense and just four first downs. Playing without them on defense South Harrison rolled up 265 yards rushing and 19 first downs. Those numbers, especially when taken together, are just not the kind of numbers that are conducive to wins.

And Calhoun didn't win.

But it hung tough.

After a 0-0 first quarter South Harrison finally began to assert itself in the second quarter of the rain-plagued game.

First freshman Camden Barnette, who led the Hawks with 94 yards on 12 carries, scored on a 17-yard run at the 11:31 mark.

Then, with 3:47 remaining before half Gerardo Bee scampered in from seven yards out to make the score 13-0 following a missed extra point pass.

South Harrison got its final score on a 15-yard run by another freshman, Freddie Canary, at the 9:10 mark of the third quarter. Chase Jenkins' extra point run set the final score as the Red Devils hung tough and didn't allow the Hawks any more points. Unfortunately for Calhoun the Hawks' defense also hung tough and didn't allow the Red Devils any points, barely allowing them to even get close to scoring.

Casey Ritchie led Calhoun with 28 yards rushing and 31 yards passing on seven of 14 attempts. Cole Ritchie chipped in with 24 yards and Logan Moore added three.

Dakota Jarvis caught three passes for 15 yards to lead the Red Devils while Ethyn Miller two for one yards and Cole Ritchie caught one (10 yards) and Seth Moore one (5 yards).

Calhoun, 2-4, will try to get back on the winning side of things this coming Friday although a trip to St. Marys to play the top-ranked Class A Blue Devils is a heady challenge. South Harrison, 3-2, is at home to play Tyler Consolidated.