Thorobreds drop 69-10 to Highlands Bluebirds with a spirited effort

Rarely in a game with the final score of 69-10 would the coach of the team with 10 points speak of the effort his team put forth in glowing terms. But that was the case Friday night after the Thorobreds fell to the state’s No. 1 4A team, the Highlands Bluebirds at the Athletic Complex.  
“I am very proud of the effort the players gave tonight,” said Coach Jim Carr. “We are by no means satisfied with the outcome, but we are proud of the effort and the fight that the young men put forth tonight.”
It took only a little more than two minutes for the Bluebirds to get on the board as Colin Seidl scored the first of his team’s 10 touchdowns on a 37-yard pass play from Donovan McCoy.  
A Luke Brockett extra point made it 7-0 with the first quarter barely underway.  
After a Harrison County fumble, Highlands was driving again, but Robbie Stroub intercepted a McCoy pass to stop the drive on the Breds 8-yard line.  
Five minutes later, Highlands scored on another pass play, this one from two yards out as Justin Weyer scored on the throw from McCoy.
The Brockett kick was again good making the score 14-0.  
The Breds sustained a seven-play drive of their own driving to the 27-yard line before senior Daniel Klapheke nailed a 37-yard field goal to make the score 14-3 with one minute left in the quarter.  
On the first play following the kick off, Jason Feggins scored on the same screen pass that Seidl had scored on earlier and with the first quarter ending made the score 21-3 following the Brockett kick.
Feggins scored the next time Highlands had the ball on the screen pass again this time from 56 yards out to make the score 28-3 following the point-after.  
Harrison County mounted a short drive but turned the ball over on downs after seven plays from scrimmage.  
Highlands again moved the ball down the field through the air as they put the ball into the air six times before Jac Collinsworth grabbed a 14-yard McCoy throw for the touchdown that with the extra point made the score 35-3 with two minutes still to play in the first half.
Harrison County’s most exciting play of the evening came next as speedy sophomore Justin Hunter took the Brockett kick off 75 yards for a touchdown.  
Hunter weaved his way around and ran through some Highlands players as he sprinted the distance that, with Klapheke’s kick, made the score 35-10 with just under two minutes left in the half.  
The mighty Bluebirds took only 54 seconds to retaliate as they marched 59 yards in three plays to score with just under a minute left in the half for the 42-10 half time score.
Highlands scored twice in the first eight minutes of the second half to start the continuous clock and the game moved quickly there after.  
The Thorobreds continued to battle against tremendous odds with the final score of 69-10 the end result.  
“After the game we talked with the players and let them know that we were proud of the effort,” said Coach Carr.  “We emphasized that the team that was across the field on this night was the type of team that we want to build here at Harrison County. We have a lot of work to do, but the players have the mind set to do just that.”
Highlights for the Breds were not as few as one might think with the score the way it ended.  
The Breds held Highlands to  12 yards rushing as they were able to sack the quarterback on several occasions.  
Stroub was 6 for 15 for 71 yards with Hunter catching two balls for 32 yards and Elijah Gross catching two for 30 yards.  
Sophomore Zack Mastin carried the ball 10 times for 70 yards and junior Zach Royce picked up 18 tough yards on 13 carries.  
Junior Brandon Morris had three really nice kick-off returns as he battled for yardage on each kick off.  
Coach Carr was quick to point out the hard work that the line was doing.  
“We were outmanned, but the line worked hard and gave Robbie some time to throw and opened some holes for the running backs. In the end we just couldn’t stop the screen pass.”
The Thorobreds will host Holmes (4-2) this Friday night at the Athletic Complex.  

Donald Richie

Jovon Williams blocks the pass to Highlands’ Ryan Greene last Friday at the Harrison County Athletic Complex.

Carol Richie

Senior Morgynn McDaniel cheers on the Breds last Friday during the Highlands game at the Harrison CountyAthletic Complex.