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Prep Football: Bulldogs strike out against Mt. Carmel

Allowing big plays, an inability to finish drives and turnovers all seemed to play a role in a 42-0 season opening loss for Harrisburg against Mount Carmel.

The two schools were able to finish their contest Saturday evening at Taylor Field after a weather delay forced a suspension Friday night with the Golden Aces leading by three touchdowns late in the second quarter.

But Saturday offered up more of the same for HHS.

Taking the second half kickoff and marching nearly the length of the field while chewing up almost nine minutes, Harrisburg (0-1) coughed up a fumble, one of three it lost in the contest, inside the Aces' 5-yard line.

That turn of events put an end to any hopes the Bulldogs might have had at getting back in the game.

Mount Carmel's Trevor Kennard promptly ran 94 yards for a score less than a minute later to help his team extend its lead to 28-0.

Kennard finished with 219 yards on just 14 carries, including two scores.

"He (Kennard) just runs to open space," said Harrisburg coach Al Way. "They just give it to him and he finds space and runs. The big thing for us is mistakes. We looked like a team that has never practiced before. It's just one mistake after another. It's so frustrating because their attitude in practice has been very good. The work ethic has been good."

Mount Carmel quarterback Daxton Peach ran in a score and tossed touchdown passes of 56 and 48 yards.

The Aces (1-0) finished with nearly 400 yards of offense compared to 188 for Harrisburg.

Junior Hunter Smith carried 18 times for 90 yards, and teammate Jordan Bartok rushed for nearly 50 yards for the Bulldogs. Axavier Doss carried 10 times for 42 yards.

Quarterback Isaiah Saulsberry completed three passes for 25 yards and an interception.

Harrisburg was without the services of one of its top two-way players for most of the game, Blake Drue, who had to leave early in the first half with an apparent injury.

Harrisburg has lost five of its past six games at Taylor Field to Mount Carmel, after the Bulldogs did manage to go unbeaten on their home turf a season ago until a playoff loss to Quincy Notre Dame.

The Bulldogs now start a three-game road trip next week at Du Quoin.

"I know Du Quoin's a good team, and then we have to go to Indiana (Boonville)," said Way. "We need to find one somewhere to kind of right the ship."

Mount Carmel 6 14 8 14 - 42

Harrisburg 0 0 0 0 - 0

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

MTC: Kennard 13 run (run failed), 6:50

Second Quarter

MTC: Peach 2 run (run failed), 10:36

MTC: Margelin 10 block punt return (Peach run), 3:09

Third Quarter

MTC: Kennard 94 run (Peach run), 1:52

Fourth Quarter

MTC: Marcotte 56 reception (Hargrave kick), 11:49

MTC: Rager 48 reception (Hargrave kick), 8:17

Team Stastics

MTC HBG

First downs 13 13

Total yards 399 188

Rushes-yards 27-295 49-163

Passing yards 104 25

Comp-att-int 2-4- 3-14-1

Penalties (yards) 9-68 2-10

Fumbles(lost) 4-1 4-3

Individual Statistics

RUSHING

MTC: Daxton Peach 12-77, Trevor Kinnard 14-219, Austin Rager 1 (-1). HBG: Hunter Smith 18-90, Jordan Bartok 16-49, Axavier Doss 10-42, Ryan Ragsdale 1-2, Isaiah Saulsberry 4-(-20).

PASSING

MTC: Daxton Peach 2-4-1 104. HBG: Isaiah Saulsberry 3-14-1 25.

RECEIVING

MTC: Jackson Marcotte 1-56, Austin Rager 1-48. HBG: Hunter Smith 1-16, Austin Hefner 1-6, Axavier Doss 1-3.