Harrisburg Halts Du Quoin's Streak

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[On his third touchdown run of the game, Dawson Montfort carried a couple of defenders into the end zone with him. It was symbolic of Montfort's overall effort as the Harrisburg High School football team ran circles around DuQuoin in a 41-12 win Friday at Taylor Field.

The Bulldogs (1-1) picked up 315 total rushing yards, led by the senior back, who ran the ball 22 times, picked up 144 yards and scored four touchdowns. Montfort credited the offensive line for the team's success on the ground and in the game.

"Our offensive linemen did a heck of a job. They worked their butts off all winter, all spring and all summer. That's why the backs were good," he said.

While the offensive line was credited with the success of the Bulldogs attack, which chewed up more than 29 minutes worth of game clock, it was the defense that completed the biggest turnaround. After being unable to force Mount Carmel High School into a three-and-out, the Harrisburg defense did just that to the Indians on their first possession.

"We had a fire in us to drive them back and to hit hard," Montfort said about the defense.

With that accomplishment out of the way, it was only a matter of moments before the Bulldogs lit up the scoreboard.

John David Rollins fielded DuQuoin's punt at 25-yard-line, juked a defender out of his shoes, avoided a couple of gunners and dashed down the right sideline en route to a 75-yard punt return touchdown, igniting the team and the home crowd.

Looking to strike back, DuQuoin (1-1) was unable to find an offensive rhythm as its drive stalled early with another three-and-out. After receiving the ball at its own 33-yard-line, HHS methodically drove the ball down the field out of the Straight-T formation as Montfort capped the 67-yard drive with his first touchdown, a 2-yard run to give the Bulldogs a 14-0 first quarter lead.

Down 14-0, the Indians started to put a legitimate offensive drive together but was unable to put points on the board as the HHS defense accomplished another feat it was unable to do against the Golden Aces; force a turnover-on-downs. The Bulldogs took advantage of DuQuoin's offensive struggles as quarterback Reid Roper capped the team's third touchdown drive with a 5-yard touchdown run on an option play.

But the key play might have been Montfort's 15-yard rush which converted a 4th-and-inches situation only a few plays before Roper's scoring run.

Bulldogs head coach Jason Roper said Montfort's instinct and ability helped carry the team at times when it needed it the most.

"At times, it looked like we didn't block things right, or (a defender) shed a block and (Montfort) ran over a kid to get three or four extra yards," Coach Roper said.

The Indians attempted to stage a late rally as the minutes and seconds in the first half dwindled. Quarterback Matt Gossett and running back David Gayton led the Indians' offensive charge all the way down to the 9-yard-line. It was DuQuoin's best scoring chance of the half, and rather than settle for a field goal, the offense tried to take a bigger chunk out of the Bulldogs' lead, but well-defended pass break-ups by Isaac Behme and Reid Roper put the clamps on the drive as time expired in the first half without the Indians still held scoreless.

With nearly the entire second half to play, HHS found itself in a little trouble early to start the third quarter. Reid Roper fumbled an option pitch which was recovered by DuQuoin. Four plays and 37 yards later, the Indians put six points on the scoreboard as Gossett scored on a quarterback keeper, cutting the Bulldogs' lead to 20-6 with 9 minutes, 24 seconds remaining in the game.

But unlike Week 1 where Harrisburg watched its lead evaporate before losing 24-21 on the road, the Bulldogs struck back with a lengthy scoring drive. After being stuffed on a 1st-and-10 play, quarterback Reid Roper connected with tight end Noah King on an 18-yard pass play to move the chains. It was the only pass the team completed in the entire game, but it was an important hook up. Montfort would pick up 34 rushing yards on the drive, 15 of which came on the drive-capping touchdown run to give the Bulldogs a 27-6 lead with 6:12 left in the third quarter.

Coach Roper said the catch might have been the difference in the game, as it seemed to deflate DuQuoin, which had momentum after its offensive touchdown drive to start the second half.

The Indians tried to seize momentum again as it scored on their next possession. Gossett found wide receiver David Rose open on a go-route on the near sideline for a 45-yard touchdown pass with 4:24 remaining in the third quarter. The four-play drive covered 70-yards and cut the HHS lead to 27-12.

It would be the final scoring play DuQuoin would convert.

Montfort, Behme and Rollins served as a triple threat in the backfield that the DuQuoin defense had no answer for. Behme rushed for 94 yards on 14 carries and Rollins chipped in with 59 yards on the ground as well. Each member of the trio picked up a first-down conversion en route to Montfort's third touchdown, a 6-yard run that gave HHS a 34-12 lead with 11 minutes to play in regulation.

And in what turned out to be a fitting end for a career night, it was the senior back who bulldozed his way for six yards en route to his fourth touchdown. The score gave the Bulldogs a 41-12 lead they would hold onto as they picked up their first win of the season.

The Indians host Herrin (1-1) this Friday night.

"We lost to an awful good ballclub," Indians coach Al Martin said. "We've got lots of work to do. And we'll start working on getting ready for Herrin right away."

- Jeff Profitt contributed

HARRISBURG TEAM LEADERS

Passing: R. Roper 1-2, 18 yards

Rushing: D. Montfort, 22 carries, 144 yards, 4 TDs; I. Behme, 14 carries, 94 yards

Receiving: N. King, 1 catch, 18 yards

DUQUOIN TEAM LEADERS

Passing: M. Gossett 4-11, 62 yards, 1 TD

Rushing: D. Gayton, 14 carries, 64 yards

Receiving: D. Rose, 1 catch, 45 yards, 1 TD