09/15/2023
BY JACK BULLOCK
CARTERVILLE - Quarterback Brandon Skelcher had one of those moments in time Friday night.

After being a backup last season, the 6-1 senior took over controls of the Lions this fall.

His Friday night game game against rival Herrin was a stellar performance.

Skelcher was 19-of-20 passing for 328-yards and seven touchdowns.

You read that correctly: Seven TD's.

Five of the scoring throws went to junior wide receiver Nickolas Bisching, who also had an outstanding game.

In a game between long time rivals, who are now in the same division of the SIRR, Herrin was no match for the Lions.

The hosts scored at will in the first half and rolled to a 49-0 halftime lead that triggered a continuous clock second half and a quick night for everyone involved as that remained the score until the final horn.

Head coach Brett Diel spoke about how his team didn't play well the previous week in a 12-8 win over West Frankfort.

“We felt like last week we (our team) maybe were a little bit reactionary. I thought we played the whole game (against West Frankfort) trying to react and we really spent some time this week saying that we were going to throw the first punch (in a football sense),” said Coach Diel. “When we win the toss we usually defer but we said tonight we're going to take it (the opening kickoff) and go at them as fast as we can for a half or as long as we needed to go.”

He didn't have to worry much in their matchup Friday night his club delivered the TKO early in the game as they smothered the Tigers.

Herrin didn't any real success in any part of the game as the Tigers now sit at 1-3 overall.

Head coach Taylor Perry saw his club have its first three possessions last a total of 3:26 of game clock.

Carterville took the opening kickoff and scored on its seventh play of the game with Skelcher connecting on a 15-yard pass to Bisching for the Lions' first score.

A two-point conversion attempt that was stopped was one of the few times on the night where Carterville failed.

After the first Tigers' possession lasted just four plays and :58, Carterville scored again with a third down pass from Skelcher to junior Riley Crain that added to the lead.

This time the two-point conversion run by junior Chance Myers pushed the lead to 14-0.

Moments later, the Lions executed a perfect onside kick as Crain kicked the ball rolling up the middle where he recovered the ball himself at the Herrin 49-yard line.

“Our special teams guy Coach Bittle was wanting to open up with it (onside kick) but I didn't want to be that aggressive,” said Coach Diel. “Offensively I wanted to get a feel for the game first. We got that second score pretty quick and they (coaching staff) were in my ear about it and I said 'let's do it' and we executed it perfectly. I thought that was a dagger for them (Herrin) right out of the gate.”

After a failed run lost four yards back to their own 47, Skelcher dropped back and found senior wide out Braden Wakey over the middle of the field.

Wakey went the distance; 53-yards for the score and a 21-0 lead after another PAT.

Another three-and-out by Herrin and a punt to the Lions' 23 set up the next Carterville drive for points.

Skelcher was 6-of-7 passing in a 77-yard scoring march.

Facing a second and seven at the Herrin 15, the senior quarterback rolled to his right on a drop back and found Bisching wide open in the middle of the endzone for the Lions' fourth touchdown of the first quarter.

Crain nailed the PAT for a 28-0 spread.

The Tigers next three plays produced zero yards as they punted back to the hosts.

A 70-yard, four-play drive took less than two minutes for the hosts.

The fifth TD pass from Skelcher went to Bisching again, this time over the middle for 56-yards and a 35-0 lead with 11:08 left in the second quarter.

Herrin didn't get its initial first down until its next possession, as the Tigers moved the ball into Carterville territory.

The drive failed as Herrin senior quarterback Logan Clough was intercepted by Crain, who returned the ball to the Carterville 42.

The Skelcher to Bisching combination struck again on the second play of the next Lions' series.

Skelcher faked a pass short and found Bisching on the fly after a double-move got him open.

Fifty-five yards later and another Crain PAT made it 42-0.

Herrin had the ball just two plays on its next possession, which ended with a fumble that was recovered by Carterville's Jamieson Jones.

Herrin finally got a defensive stop and then moved the ball into Carterville territory looking for something to go right.

Clough got his team to midfield on a nice run and then a 13-yard pass to junior Talan Nemuth.

But on the next play, Clough was intercepted by junior linebacker Luke Johnson, who returned into Herrin territory at the 35.

A 19-yard TD toss from Skelcher to Bisching closed the scoring with :12.0 left before intermission.

The reserves played the uneventful second half as the continuous mercy rule clock took effect.

The Lions moved to 4-0 on the season with the victory.

Bisching caught a total of seven passes for 176-yards and those five scores.

Johnson led a strong defensive showing with his interception to go with four solo tackles

Carterville added 63-yards rushing on 20 carries with 5-7 junior Chance Myers getting 36 of the yards on eight attempts.

“The kids executed. They (Herrin) gave us some stuff over the middle and we took it,” said Coach Diel about the big plays the Lions made. “For the first time this season both sides of the ball we got after it and attacked. It was fun.”

The Tigers ended up with seven penalties for 80-yards.

Clough finished with just 44-yards in the air on 5-of-13 attempts with two interceptions.

Carterville will host 4-0 St. Joseph-Ogden next Friday night in a battle of undefeated teams.

“Our guys probably don't know too much about them but I do,” said Coach Diel about St. Joseph-Ogden who is the next Carterville opponent. Diel coached against the Spartans in his days as an assistant coach at Tolono Unity. “They're good this year and they have some good athletes. They're going to sling it around the field, too, so next week will be a fun one to watch.”