KNOCKOUT! | Carthage scores early, in the middle, and often, and Jasper doesn’t, in a 42-0 shutout

Carthage 42, Jasper 0 (at Jasper): In a final tune-up before district play – as if they needed it – coach Scott Surratt’s Carthage Bulldogs were on the field for 10 minutes with Jasper Friday night before they knew anybody was out there with ‘em.

Carthage, winners of last year’s UIL Class 4A-Division II state football championship and of every game they’ve played since week two of last year, were winners again here at Jasper on Friday, a 42-0 victory. It felt more like a pop quiz before the tests begin Oct. 10, with a trip to Center to open District 7-4A, Division II play.

Next week, though, Carthage (now 4-0 on the season) hits the road – the long road – to Bay City to play San Benito (0-5) in a neutral-site game. One has to play those sorts of games when one’s team beats the heck out of people in the immediate vicinity. Give credit to Carthage and to Kilgore, Chapel Hill and others for being willing to sign non-district games against one another every year.

Here at Jasper, quarterback Jett Surratt – coach Surratt’s son – got it going early, finding Jace Harris for a 12-yard gain into Jasper territory, to the Bulldogs’ 42. After a 2-yard loss on a running play, Surratt was slinging it again, this time to Bryston Price, all the way down to Jasper’s 11, a 33-yarder.

But a false start and a pair of incomplete passes equaled a turnover on downs, and Jasper claimed the ball at its own 7.

Raja Garza-Adams hauled in a pass from Trevor Beatty and put Jasper in business. This looked like the Jasper of old, a 50-yard pass to the Carthage 43-yard-line.

But it begin to go south. Quickly. Carthage stopped a first-down run, holding Jasper to a 2-yard gain, and then Beatty was incomplete on second down. Carthage’s Vernon Pittman got a tackle for loss on third down, and on the fourth-down attempt – no. The ball went over the punter’s head. Carthage claimed possession, its second of the game, at Jasper’s 26, with seven minutes to go in the first quarter.

A 3-yard gain on a run on first down and Surratt was pulling the trigger again, this time to Trey Gant, who caught the ball for a 21-yard play, all the way to Jasper’s 12. The next play: a 12-yard touchdown, caught by J.D. Edwards, and a 6-0 lead. Jesus Lopez easily booted the extra point and Carthage, with six minutes left in the quarter, had a 6-0 lead.

On the kickoff, after Jasper claimed possession at its own 20, Caleb Smith of Carthage threw the Jasper ball-carrier for a loss, and then disaster struck for the Bulldogs – but not the Carthage ones.

The ball was on the turf, a fumble, but not for long. Carthage linebacker DaQuives “Qui” Beck, a Texas A&M verbal commit, scooped it up and scored, a 22-yard return. The point after was good once again, and Carthage had doubled its lead to 14-0.

College prospects are all over this Carthage roster. One of them is Carson Crawford.

And he’s good.

And if you’re an offensive player, when he’s on defense, you want to run from Mr. Crawford. Sometimes, though, you don’t get away. And that’s what happened on first down of Jasper’s next possession, a sack by Crawford on Beatty, and a loss of 4, back to Jasper’s 4-yard-line.

Two plays later: ANOTHER sack, this one by Zay Owens, and a 7-yard loss, back to Jasper’s 4.

But Jasper didn’t have to worry about Carthage’s next possession, at least not immediately.

That’s because Tylin Williams fielded the ball at the Jasper 45 AND WAS GONE, a 45-yard CARTHAGE TOUCHDOWN on a punt return. Christian Monreal, who kicked the second extra point, kicked this one as well, and Carthage led 21-0 with two minutes left in the first quarter still.

The Bulldogs – the Carthage ones – held Jasper to a three-and-out and forced another punt. This time, Carthage was set up at its own 48, early in the second quarter.

Surratt connected with Edwards again on second and 11, to Jasper’s 38 and a new set of downs.

Remember Crawford? Well, he’s also a tight end, on offense. And he catches the ball pretty well. Jasper found that out, too. Surratt completed a pass to Crawford to Jasper’s 23, an 8-yard gain and a first down.

After Benny Smith reeled off a 14-yard run to Jasper’s 17, Surratt threw his second touchdown pass of the day, this one to Price – yes, a 17-yarder. Monreal’s kick: good again, and that added up to a 28-0 Carthage lead with nine minutes still left in the half.

Major Armstrong, a cool name if you think about it, got Jasper some good real estate with a 7-yard pickup, and then another, to the 38 and a first down. Jasper kept the ball on the ground for six straight plays, and moved the ball into Carthage territory.

The minute, though, that Jasper strayed and called a pass play, bad things happened for them. And the bad things were named “Qui Beck,” who sacked Beatty for a 3-yard loss, as the first-half clock began to tick down.

That drive would eventually stall, as Carthage forced Jasper to a turnover on downs right at midfield, right on the 50.

Edwards caught 18-yarder down to Jasper’s 32, and after the two-minute time-out, Jasper managed to pick off Surratt, but the interception was nullified on a penalty.

Three plays later and Surratt does what he does: he took advantage of it. He found Kason Burchette for a 15-yard touchdown, and with Monreal’s fourth extra point of the night, Carthage claimed a 35-0 lead.

That would be the halftime score. Carthage added one second-half touchdown, and preserved the shutout.