First it was all Zack Smith. In the end, it was all Harrisburg as the freshmen football team smoked Du Quoin 50-28.
Smith had five touchdowns on the night, two were off kick returns as Harrisburg is 2-0 on the year.
"It almost goes with out saying that Zack Smith had a great game," head coach Gabe Angelly said. "However, he can't do it alone. The offensive line, Reeder, Martineau, Bennett, Abraham, Owens, Thai, and Perkins, did a real nice job of opening holes for all our backs. We didn't have to punt all night, and that means we were consistently moving the ball."
Du Quoin took a very early 8-6 lead after a seven yard touchdown run, but Harrisburg responded on the next drive with a Blake Buchanon five yard TD run to make it 12-8. Daniel Lewis scored HHS' first touchdown of the game from six yards out.
In the second quarter, the Indians regained the momentum on a 56-yard touchdown by the Indians, who also completed the two-point conversion.
Smith put Harrisburg back on top with a 48-yard touchdown run and provided the two point conversion to make it 20-16 in favor of Harrisburg. Blake Buchanon stopped Du Quoin's next drive with an interception that helped set up Smith's second score of the game, when he found paydirt from six yards out and added the two point conversion for a 28-16 lead.
The Indians were able to make it 28-22 at halftime after a 14-yard touchdown pass took both teams into the lockeroom.
"Du Quoin hurt us in the first half with trick plays," Angelly said. "But our guys were smart enough to make the adjustments and stop them in the second half. We told them at half time, our defense was going to have to play better for us to win, and it did."
Smith started the 2nd half with an electrifying 78-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and Lewis provided the two-point conversion.
Following a Bryant Bennett fumble recovery, Smith scored on a 58-yard run and Nick Davis hooked up with Devin Reeder for the two-point conversion.
In the final stanza, Du Quoin got back on the board with a five-yard run, but the final score went to Smith with another kick off return.
