10/07/2022
BY JACK BULLOCK
MURPHYSBORO - The Murphysboro Red Devils jumped out to a 26-0 lead and survived a Harrisburg comeback bid to clinch a IHSA playoff berth on Friday night.

The Red Devils got big plays from Devon Clemons and Karmello Abernathy and a controversial officials decision in their favor to help them move to 6-1 overall and 4-0 in the SIRR Ohio with a 32-21 win at home.

Abernathy returned the second half kickoff 71-yards for a touchdown and Clemons ran for three scores in the win.

Harrisburg, who was needing a win after a tough loss the week before against Benton, dropped to 2-2 in the division and 4-3 overall.

The Bulldogs will need two wins in their final two games to become playoff eligible.

After trailing the whole first half and the first play of the second half, Coach Matt Griffith's club responded with three-unanswered TD's to get to within 26-21 with 11:25 left in the contest.

Then the biggest play of the game, and officials decision, helped Murphysboro keep the ball on a key fourth-and-two at its 39-yard line with 9:26 remaining.

The Red Devils went for it with Clemons getting the ball as he ran up the middle.

Harrisburg senior lineman Andrew Unthank appeared to have Clemons wrapped up behind the line of scrimmage.

But Clemons broke free and headed for the endzone for what would have been a 61-yard TD.

However one of the officials whistled the play dead while Clemons was in the grasp and his progress stopped.

The officials huddled together for a few minutes and then ruled that they should replay the down.

At this point the Harrisburg bench was issued a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, giving Murphysboro a first down at the Harrisburg 41.

The Red Devils then drove the rest of the way down the field, burning up seven minutes of clock when Clemons scored on an eight-yard run with just 2:19 remaining.

Although Harrisburg managed to drive down the field into Red Devils' territory on its next possession, the Bulldogs turned the ball back over on downs and the hosts ran out the clock.

“The boy's always hang in there and fight. But there were a couple of mistakes on our end. We're just a few steps away from getting there,” said Coach Griffith. “With the good teams we play we have to play near perfect games and tonight we fell short on that.”

In the first half it looked as if there wouldn't been any controversy at all as Murphysboro had its way and led 20-0 at intermission.

After surrendering one Bulldog first down on the opening drive, the Red Devils forced a punt.

The hosts, celebrating their Homecoming on this crisp Friday night, drove 89-yards in eight plays for the game's first score.

Clemons, who led Murphysboro with 145-yards on 23-attempts, ran the final four plays of the drive, scoring from three-yards out with 3:28 left in the first quarter.

Coach Carter had a dilemma on Friday night.

His kicker, junior Ethan Sunny, was hurt on the opening kickoff and was helped from the field with a leg injury.

So the Red Devils had to go for two after each score from then on.

Murphysboro senior quarterback Drew Caldwell passed to senior running back Ethan Finke for the two-point PAT for an 8-0 lead.

Harrisburg failed to move the ball on its next possession and a short punt gave the Red Devils back the ball in scoring position at the Bulldogs' 44.

It took Murphysboro just four plays to find the endzone again.

A pass from Caldwell to Abernathy covered 39-yards to the Harrisburg five-yard line.

A delay of game penalty against the Red Devils only slightly held up the drive.

Three-straight Clemons' runs, helped by an off-sides penalty, ended with the senior going across the goal line from three-yards out.

A two-point conversion failed with Murphysboro ahead 14-0 with 11:56 remaining in the second quarter.

The Bulldogs managed to move the ball into Murphysboro territory twice in the second quarter but failed to score each time.

A six-play march down the field from their own 45 to the Red Devils' 24 stalled.

Harrisburg senior running back Ross Rider carried the ball four times in the drive.

With a fourth-and-one, Rider was stopped for a yard loss as junior defensive back Trey Gillespie and sophomore linebacker Emanuel Wells made the stop.

Coach Carter's club then moved the ball downfield.

In the eight-play drive, Caldwell connected with junior tight end Josh Cano with a 46-yard pass and run all the way to the Harrisburg 14.

However the Bulldogs stopped Murphysboro on a fourth down when Caldwell missed on a pass to Abernathy.

(CONTINUED)
Taking over the ball at their own 13 and, after a motion penalty, moved the ball back to their own eight, Harrisburg basically gave the Red Devils a score.

Harrisburg sophomore quarterback Owen Rann fumbled trying make a handoff and the ball flew into the air where Murphysboro's Wells was right there to grab the ball and walk straight into the endzone for a touchdown.

Another failed PAT left the score at 20-0 Murphysboro with 4:27 left.

Getting the ball back at the 50 after a short kick, the Bulldogs again got into the red zone.

Rider, along with juniors Karmello Downey and Tevin Godsey, rushed the ball eight times, reaching the Murphysboro three-yard line with :03 left.

However on the next play the clock ran out as the Bulldogs committed a motion penalty which ended the half.

The second half couldn't have opened any worse for Coach Griffith's crew.

Abernathy took the second half kickoff, saw an opening to the left side and broke through to go all the way 71-yards for the touchdown.

Although they failed on another PAT, Murphysboro was in control at 26-0 with 11:48 left in the third.

“That was our 'hands' team out there, believe it or not because we thought they might on-side kick,” said Coach Carter about the kickoff return. “But Karmello found a seam and hit it.”

At this point, Harrisburg began to get things going offensively.

The Bulldogs moved a quick 53-yards in four plays, with the highlights being a 34-yard run by Godsey and a 19-yard pass play from Rann to Downey getting the ball to the one.

Rider plowed into the endzone on the next play to get the Bulldogs on the board and the extra point made it 26-7.

A long kick down the left side ended up being fumbled out of bounds by Murphysboro sophomore Ari Granados at the Murphysboro 10.

The Red Devils moved backwards with a pair of penalties, two incomplete passes and a tackle for a loss. With a fourth-and-long, Caldwell's punt out of the endzone only made it to the Murphy 29.

Harrisburg got a long pass from Rann to Godsey who was ruled out at the one-yard line.

Two plays later Rann sneaked into paydirt.

The PAT made it 26-14.

The next Harrisburg drive started on fumble on the kickoff by the Red Devils' junior Zack Naas, which was recovered at the Murphysboro 23.

But a fourth down pass from Rann to junior tight end Braden Burtis was broken up by Murphysboro junior Sam Herring which turned the ball over on downs.

After their defense forced a three-and-out and a Murphysboro punt, the Bulldogs scored again.

In the seven play drive, Rider ran the ball four times including the final three carries for 11-yards, capping the drive with a one-yard plunge.

The third PAT by Trenton Price with 11:25 left in the fourth quarter had the Bulldogs back in the chase at 26-21.

However things didn't go well on the next possession by Murphysboro for the guests.

After an Abernathy return to the 31, the Red Devils on consecutive plays got no gain on a run by Naas, an incomplete pass by Caldwell going deep to senior wide receiver Grayson Guthman and an eight-yard run by Abernathy which got the ball to the 39.

The next play turned into a back-breaker for the Bulldogs.

After the inadvertent whistle, the do-over and the penalty, the Red Devils ate up the clock on their scoring drive and escaped with an important win.

By the time Harrisburg got the ball back, there was just 2:19 left.

Caldwell ended up 6-of-14 for 95-yards passing while Rann was 8-of-17 for 128-yards.

Rider (67), Godsey (41) and Downey (31) were the rushing leaders for the Bulldogs with 139-yards on 28-rushes.

Senior tight end Charlie Fehrenbacher and Godsey each caught three passes from Rann while defenders Unthank and Burtis had seven and four solo tackles respectively.

Abernathy rushed three times for 57-yards for Murphysboro.

The Bulldogs will face an uphill climb to reach the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

Herrin will come to town next Friday and then Carterville on October 22.

Coach Griffith and company will need to win both of those games and hope for the best.

“We made the adjustment at halftime in that we told them we have to play our game and when we needed it our defense stepped up,” said Coach Griffith. “We just fell a little short tonight. We have to bounce back and get ready for practice.”

The Red Devils have clinched a spot with the win and they will face Benton next Friday on the road for a showdown for the Ohio Division title.

Both teams share identical records at 4-0, 6-1 with each of the two losses coming to 7-0 Carterville.

“He is special (Clemons) and he is tough to bring down. I like to distribute the ball around and not ride him too much but at some point he has to have the ball,” said Coach Carter. “We get a shot to win the conference title next week. They (Benton) know what we do and we know what they do so it will be a battle.”