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By
Ryan Atkinson, The Joplin Globe
It
turned out to be just about as perfect of a Senior Night as
possible for the Carl Junction Bulldogs.
After
a cast of seniors led the way to a 27-0 win over the McDonald
County Mustangs — setting up a showdown with Webb City for the
Class 4 District 12 title — the Bulldogs got word that Monett
knocked off previously unbeaten Cassville in overtime. The
combination meant a share of the Big 8 crown for the Bulldogs,
who are 8-1 after 2006’s 2-8 showing.
“The
turnaround is almost complete,” a smiling Cade Gosch said,
standing in the middle of his hollering teammates.
“One
more game and this thing is complete.”
The
Bulldogs are one game closer to that complete turnaround thanks,
in large part, to Hank DePriest.
The
6-foot-1, 210-pound senior had a direct hand in Carl
Junction’s two touchdowns on successive plays from scrimmage
in the second quarter.
With
Carl Junction leading 6-0 and McDonald Count facing a
fourth-down DePriest and nine more Bulldogs rushed the punter.
DePriest got there first and blocked the kick, deflecting it
high in the air. Aaron Cervin picked up the ball at the 3-yard
line and waltzed into the end zone.
“Our
punt-block has been great this year,” DePriest said. “We had
been getting close and I was just able to get a good angle and
get to the ball.”
On
the next play from scrimmage, DePriest sacked Mustang
quarterback Taylor Keen and jarred the ball loose. Martin
DeCarlo scooped up the fumble and ran 17 yards to put Carl
Junction up 21-0.
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Carl
Junction's Hank DePriest sacks Mustangs quarterback
Preston Pryce, forcing a fumble which resulted in a
touchdown by Martin DeCarlo
(Joplin
Globe Photo)
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“I
just rushed the outside and got to (Keen),” DePriest said.
“I was reading pass and rushed him and didn’t get
blocked.”
In
just 20 seconds, DePriest gave the Bulldogs a pair of easy
scores and all the points they needed for the win.
“It
feels good to do this on senior night,” DePriest said.
McDonald
County got another good night from bruising fullback Kord
Stancell, but the Bulldog defense came up big against him when
it needed to. The junior rushed for 108 yards on 25 carries, but
his one pass attempt — on a trick play late in the first
quarter — was intercepted by Cervin at the Bulldog 10-yard
line.
The
interception ended a 10-play, 77-yard drive and kept Carl
Junction’s 6-0 lead intact.
“Our
defense played great tonight,” DePriest said. “We’ve made
it a point to play strong defense and everyone came together to
do that again tonight.”
Carl
Junction senior Zak Porath — who came into the night averaging
183 yards per game — was solid again, running for 128 yards on
23 carries.
Gosch,
the senior signal-caller, connected on eight of his 13 passes
for 112 yards and a touchdown. He came out firing on the
Bulldogs’ first drive, drawing a key pass interference call,
connecting with Dakota Allen for a 37-yard gain and — two
plays later — hitting a wide-open DeCarlo for a 4-yard
touchdown.
Gosch
led a 10-play, 82-yard scoring drive in the closing minutes of
the first half. He hit Jake Stevenson for a 9-yard gain on
third-and-goal from the 10 and then slipped into the end zone on
fourth down to put the Bulldogs up 27-0 with just 33 seconds
left in the half.
The
game settled into a defensive battle in the second half. The two
squads combined for six punts, two turnovers on downs and a
fumble before the Bulldogs ran the final 3:15 off the clock.
McDonald
County fell to 3-6 with the loss and will wrap up its season on
Thursday at Neosho.
NOTES:
In addition to Cervin's interception, blocked punt recovery and
subsequent touchdown, the senior defensive leader also recovered
a Mustangs fumble.....
senior Seth Hackney recorded a sack, resulting in a 13-yard
loss..... Kyle McConnell recovered a Mustangs fumble in the 4th
quarter.... DePriest's sack was actually recorded against Preston
Pryce, one of three McDonald County quarterbacks seeing action
Friday night..... the shutout was the third recorded by the
Bulldogs this year..... 12 senior football players, 3 senior
team managers, 3 senior cheerleaders and 9 senior band members
were honored in pre-game ceremonies on "Senior Night"
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