Bulldog football fills open date with Cerro Gordo

Posted July 26, 2020 11:00 pm

By Spyder Dann mdann@dailyregister.com

Change is inevitable - but when it comes to Harrisburg football - the one constant for the better part of two decades has been the season opener with Mt. Carmel High School.

Until this year.

After the contract with Boonville, Indiana was not renewed in 2018 and the Bulldogs played an eight-game schedule last season, Harrisburg was able to get Cerro Gordo on its schedule to kick off the 2020 season on August 28th.

Cerro Gordo, a three-hour drive and just outside of Decatur, went 3-6 last year. Harrisburg was 0-8

From there, Harrisburg's schedule stands pat.

The Bulldogs will play at Du Quoin on Sept. 4 and the game that has been the Boonville/bye week game will now be Mt. Carmel.

On Sept. 18, Harrisburg will play at West Frankfort. The Redbirds were 6-4 last year and reached the postseason.

Massac County, whose only win last season (1-8) came against Harrisburg, will come to Taylor Field on Sept. 25 and Benton (9-2) will come to Harrisburg on Oct. 2.

Murphysboro, like West Frankfort and Benton, both made the playoffs last season and will host Harrisburg on Oct. 9.

The Bulldogs will close out the last two weeks of the season at home against Herrin on Oct. 16 and at home vs. Carbondale on Oct. 23.

This will be Gabe Angelly's fourth year as head coach for the Bulldogs. Harrisburg was outscored 402-94 last season and averaged 10.4 points on offense, while giving up 44.6 points on defense.

The last time Harrisburg made the playoffs was in 2015, under then head coach Al Way, where the Bulldogs went 7-3 and ended the year with a 47-28 loss to Quincy Notre Dame.

Spyder Dann covers prep and college sports for the Southern Illinois LOCAL Media News Group. Follow him on Twitter: @spydieshooter

Aug. 28 at Cerro Gordo

Sept. 4 at Du Quoin

Sept. 11 MT. CARMEL

Sept. 18 at West Frankfort

Sept. 25 MASSAC CO.

Oct. 2 BENTON

Oct. 9 at Murphysboro

Oct. 16 HERRIN

Oct. 23 CARBONDALE

*All Game Times Scheduled for 7 PM

2020 Harrisburg High School Schedule