CHAMPS WIN AGAIN | Carthage opens district play by dropping 62 on Pittsburg

PITTSBURG – Whether it’s playing a former state title game opponent in Houston, or opening district play on the road, coach Scott Surratt and the Carthage Bulldogs – 11 times state champions – are always up to the challenge.

Early-on, through the first half, even, it looked like the home-team Pittsburg Pirates might not even get into triple digits in total yards, let alone put up a fight.

But with three touchdowns scored in the first minute and a half of the third quarter, Carthage suddenly found itself trying to handle a scrappy offense.

No matter – the Bulldogs did what they always do, which is outplay everyone, and they won handily, 62-35.

Coach Surratt, though, after the game, would’ve liked to have seen a bit more crisp performance.

“Not very good, to be honest. We always want to celebrate big victories. …We didn’t play great on special teams, didn’t play great on defense, didn’t play great on offense. (Pittsburg) averages 37 points a game, and they almost hit their average… Anyway, we’re gonna get better.”

Carthage (5-0 overall), ranked No. 1 in the state in the Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Class 4A, Division II poll – and the defending state champion in that classification – is officially 1-0 in District 8-4A, Division II. The ‘Dawgs have won 36 straight games.

Their next one: at Spring Hill High in Longview, but this coming Thursday, a 7 p.m. kickoff.

After a first half of dominance, Surratt and the gang saw a lot more feisty group of Pirates in the third quarter.

Pitt got a burst from running back Tamar Palmer, a 20-yard gain into Carthage territory, and then a personal-foul flag on the Bulldogs for a late hit. That moved the Pirates 15 yards closer, of course, and then on the very next play, a 15-yard touchdown run by Palmer – he was untouched. The Pirates scored 54 seconds into the second half and cut Carthage’s lead to 28-14.

Connor Johnston managed a 25-yard return for Carthage on a pooch kick, back to his own 49-yard-line.

So much for the drama: Carthage’s Jace Harris broke free and went down his own sideline, scoring on a 51-yard run, the first play from scrimmage. Two touchdowns in just a handful of seconds by both teams, and Carthage’s lead was back to three touchdowns (35-14).

When you thought that was incredible: Palmer got free, too, on Pittsburg’s next first-down play, an 82-yard touchdown run. With 10:28 left in the third quarter – just a minute and 32 seconds into the second half – three touchdowns had been scored. Carthage’s lead: back to two scores (35-21).

Another big run by Harris, who had 82 yards on 10 carries at this point, gave the Bulldogs a first down at their own 37. Quarterback Jacob Dixon handed off to Shawn Bundy for back-to-back tough runs, all the way to Pittbsurg’s 30.

On a third-and-short at that spot, Bundy got the call again, and picked up enough to convert the first down, to the 26 for 4 yards.

Two plays later, Dixon scrambled for close to a first down, to the 17. Kingston Jones came in and replaced Bundy on the third-and-1 play, and Jones easily picked it up, down to the 12.

You might say Pittsburg’s offense came alive in the second half.

And you’d be right. Pittsburg’s Seven Duffey made a grab from quarterback Kevin Johnson and went down the Carthage sideline, a 67-yard touchdown pass. That got the Pirates within two scores again – 42-28 – with 3:56 left in the third quarter.

Carthage’s next possession: disaster. He was hit hard by Pitt’s Braeden Lafayette, but threw the ball deep – and Pirate defensive back Yahir Falcon intercepted it, at his own 31, losing his footing again.

Palmer got free for a nice gain, a 9-yard run to the 40 and a second-and-1.

Another huge play: Pittsburg lost the handle on the snap, and Carthage’s JD Edwards picked it up, racing the other way. He was ruled out of bounds at Pittsburg’s 15.

Bundy picked up 7 on a first-down run, as the third quarter clock moved under three minutes. Dixon, out of the shotgun, pitched the ball to Jaden Jeffress – who lost the ball as he was going into the end zone.

The fumble went backward, though, and was alertly recovered by Colben Foster. Jeffress looked to be shaken up on the play.

Jones scored on the very next play, a 3-yard TD run. Jesus Lopez’s extra point made it 49-28 Carthage, who had to feel like it was in a track meet at that point.

A pass by Johnson downfield to Duffey into double coverage was incomplete, and Duffey spent a bit of time on the turf at midfield.

Palmer got the call, a carry, on second down, but was smothered by Carthage’s defensive front this time – no big touchdown run.

And that left the Pirates in fourth and 12 at their own 23. Johnson booted the punt with a roll all the way to Carthage’s 39.

Bundy’s run for about 6 yards, then for 2, were the final plays of the third quarter, Carthage headed into the fourth with a 49-28 lead.

Carthage got the first down on third and short as the fourth quarter began, right on the 50-yard-line.

Dixon found a shockingly-open Edwards for a 35-yard pass play, and then Bundy scored on a 15 yards on the very next play. Lopez went out and kicked his eighth extra point of the night, and gave the ‘Dawgs a 56-28 lead with 11:02 left.

The pooch kick this time backfired a bit on Carthage, as Pittsburg’s Lafayette picked it up and got free, all the way to Carthage’s 14.

Ephram Bishop sacked Johnson early in the series and eventually the Pirates were in fourth and 14, at the 18. Johnson scrambled forever on the fourth-down play, but his throw was far out of bounds, and Carthage took over on downs at the 18, with 9:11 left in the game.

The Bulldogs would get one more score, a 19-yard run by Bundy, with 3:48 left.

Pittsburg scored again, as well, a 50-yard pass from Johnson to Camdyn Doddy with 3:28 left.

Carthage began the game on offense. Dixon, in the shotgun from his own 42-yard-line, missed on his first-down attempt, then handed off to Harris, who managed another first down on a 10-yard run.

Edwards caught Dixon’s first completion of the night for about 3 yards, to Pittsburg’s 45. Harris on second down got only 2, and the ‘Dawgs were in a third and 3 at Pitt’s 41. A receiver out in the flat just flat-out dropped it, and forced the Bulldogs into a fourth-down decision.

No time out, just a fourth down conversion attempt, and Harris got it – but he fumbled the ball at the 14-yard-line, and Pittsburg recovered, a big gain, but a turnover.

The Pirates, at their own 13, picked up about 2 yards on first down. Johnson was way off-target on his first pass, which went to Duffey across the middle but was over everyone’s head.

A pass on third and 8 from Pitt’s 15 fell incomplete. Edwards darn near blocked the punt, but instead, a 32-yard punt and no return, with Harris on the receiving end. Carthage began its second possession at Pittsburg’s 47.

Edwards helped Carthage by making an 11-yard catch to Dixon, to Pitt’s 32 and a first down. Dixon faked a hand-off on a second down play, and threw an incompletion.

On third and 5 at the Pirates’ 27, Harris managed a run right at the marker, and it was ruled a first down.

Dixon couldn’t connect with Edwards in the end zone from 22 yards out, and on third and 10, a handoff to Harris, who ran it in untouched. Lopez’s extra point was good, and Carthage had claimed a 7-0 lead with 6:41 left in the opening quarter.

The kickoff was mishandled, and Pitt wound up recovering, but had to start their drive at their own 2. Johnson dropped back to pass, couldn’t find anyone open and just almost didn’t get out of the end zone. He was tackled at the 1.

A running play on the next down was stopped by the ‘Dawgs at the 3, and that brought up a third and 9.

A miscommunication on the third-down play, as Johnson heaved the ball downfield down his own sideline – but no receiver went with it.

The punt was also not ideal for the Pirates, out of bounds at their own 37.

The next drive: ONE PLAY, Dixon to the very-good Bryston Price, a 38-yard touchdown pass, with 5:06 left in the first quarter. Lopez’s extra point made it 14-0 Carthage.

Price was wide open on the play.

A kickoff with no return, a pop-up kick, left Pittsburg with its own 26-yard-line as a starting possession. A pass for a 2-yard loss was the first-down play, and Johnson threw the ball downfield – where there was no one – on second down.

On third and long at the 25, a running play yielded just 2 yards, and back out came the Pirates’ punting team.

Carthage fielded the ball on the punt with no return, but took over at its own 48, less than 30 yards on the punt.

Edwards was hit on the end of a pass around the 30, and couldn’t hang on. On second down, Harris was wrapped up for a 1-yard loss.

On the next play, Pleasant Grove jumped offsides, giving Carthage a free play. That play: a pass from Dixon to Price that Price took 52 yards for the touchdown. Again, the extra point was good, and put the ‘Dawgs in front 21-0 late in the first quarter with 2:37 left.

Another pooch kick set Pitt up to start at its own 30, and back-to-back running plays got the Pirates within 3 yards. Carthage jumped offsides on a third-down play – Johnson’s pass was incomplete, though.

Pittsburg got its initial first down on a Carthage offsides penalty, a first down at its own 42.

But the Bulldogs forced another punt, and then Dixon connected with Edwards for 40 yards. A 15-yard penalty on Pleasant Grove two plays later set the Bulldogs up with a first-and-10 at the Pirates’ 15.

Two plays later, a short connection from Dixon to Colben Foster to the 8, and then a pass to Price inside the Pirates’ 5 – for a first-and-goal at the 5.

Kingston Jones did the honors from there, the big back bulling his way into the end zone on the 5-yard score, with 6:56 left in the half. That, combined with the extra point, gave Carthage a 28-0 advantage.

Pitt just couldn’t consistently move the ball. On third and 11 at midfield, at their own 46, the Pirates went downfield, but yet another incompletion along the Carthage sideline, an attempt to get the ball to Duffey.

Trailing by four scores, Pitt elected to punt. And that was a good decision, a punt that hit and rolled all the way down to Carthage’s 1.

Dixon, with the offensive line of 75, 50, 51, 74 and 78 in front of him, came out with his back up against his own goal line, and Harris deep in the end zone as the running back.

Harris got the handoff and almost got tackled for a safety, but he scooted out, back to the 1.

Harris caught the second down pass and was thrown down out of bounds by Pitt’s Johnson, immediately drawing a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness, a stupid, boneheaded play that gave Carthage a first down at its own 23.

The series wasn’t the best for Carthage, as Dixon was sacked by Reiko Linwood, and then he and Edwards couldn’t connect on a pass that would’ve been a first down.

On third and 4 at the 28, with everyone covered, Dixon smartly threw the ball away and didn’t try to force anything.

Rather than punt, though, the Bulldogs went for the conversion and the pass fell incomplete. Pittsburg took over on downs at the Carthage 28, with 1:57 left in the half.

Johnson and Duffey couldn’t connect on a long pass attempt on first down, but Tamar Palmer, Pitt’s running back, got positive yards on second down. Johnson’s scramble left them short of a first down by 3 yards. Pittsburg called a time out with 48 seconds left until halftime.

Running back Ke’Von Grant got way more than the first down on the next play: he got 18 yards, all the way to the 1-yard-line. Pittsburg scored on the next play, a 1-yard run by Grant, with 26 seconds left in the half (28-7 Carthage).