10/04/2024
BY JACK BULLOCK
HARRISBURG - When the season began Carterville head coach Brett Diel probably couldn't have imagined a worse start.

The Lions got ran off of the field in a 41-0 shellacking delivered at home by Benton.

Another loss on the road at St. Joseph-Ogden left Carterville at 2-2 after four games.

Since then Carterville has put things together.

An impressive defensive performance on Friday night on the road led to a SIRR Ohio Division victory.

The Lions held Harrisburg scoreless for the first 26-minutes of the game.

Carterville got three touchdown runs by senior running back Chance Myers along with some special teams' success as Coach Diel's club left Saline County with a 28-7 triumph.

“The line opened up the holes tonight and we knew that if we could get past their linebackers, who played up close, that we could get to that level we could get some big runs,” said Coach Diel. “The guys engaged and stayed on their blocks.”

The offense didn't rack up a ton of yards but a big punt return by sophomore Jonathan Miller set up field position for the Lions' second score and the defense held the Bulldogs to just 38-yards rushing.

Coach Matt Griffith's club dropped to 4-2 overall, 1-1 in the division after the defeat while Carterville sits at 2-0 in the Ohio.

“We just couldn't get into a rhythm tonight,” said Coach Griffith. “Things weren't clicking and they (Carterville) came right at us and ran right at us tonight. When you play this kind of schedule these good teams make big plays.”

Senior quarterback Owen Rann completed 12-of-27 passes for 147-yards and a touchdown for Harrisburg, which was the only score by the hosts.

The lone highlight was a 23-yard touchdown pass from Rann to senior Aiden Unthank with 6:28 left in the game trimming the Carterville lead to 21-7.

However the Lions responded with a quick score with Myers capping his night with a 46-yard TD run.

Myers finished with 122-yards on 12-attempts with TD runs of 46, 23 and 26.

Senior running backs Amon Cosey and Luke Johnson each added 38-yards on the ground on a combined 16-carries.

“Give our guys credit. They played physical tonight and got a good win on the road,” said Coach Diel. “Last year we were five-wide (on offense) and throwing it 40-times and now we're under center running right at people. Up front we just continue to get better each game. Our guys are blocking well and our kickoff team covered well.”

Stopping Harrisburg on downs late in the first quarter, Carterville moved down the field for its first scoring march.

Senior quarterback Nickolas Bisching completed just 5-of-8 passes for 46-yards.

But one of the passes went for 24-yards to senior receiver Parker Poole to get the Lions to the Harrisburg 23.

Myers took care of the rest with a run up the middle for the first points at 2:12 in the first.

Although the PAT kick failed, the Lions were up 6-0.

The big Miller punt return went for 37-yards to the Bulldogs' five-yard line.

It took a pair of Luke Johnson runs up the middle to get Carterville in the endzone.

A PAT pass from Bisching to senior Riley Crain made it 14-0 near the end of the opening quarter.

“I told the kids this is the first game of the season where we put all three phases together to play well,” said Coach Diel. “That punt return was a game changer. We already had the touchdown lead but to take it inside the five was huge for us.”

Carterville stopped the Bulldogs on a fourth-and-two at Harrisburg 44 before getting another score before halftime.

Unthank was the top tackler for the Bulldogs with seven.