Back

North Huskies vs Central Bears - at Bundrant Stadium Oct 13, 2023

Game Stats    Game Recap   

Offense

Team Stats

Defensive Stats

Game Recap

NORTH ROMPS TO EPIC VICTORY OVER CENTRAL 72-0

In a record setting disassembling of the Central Bears, the North Huskies overcame, overwhelmed, and overawed their opponent in a fashion that had never been witnessed at Bundrant Stadium.  The final 72-0 score exceeded even the wildest expectations of the most fervent Husky fan.  Not since a 62-0 drubbing of “Evansville” Lincoln in 1961 had North achieved this level of domination.

To describe all the sensational plays and the exceptional individual performances would likely require a season’s worth of pages.  North emptied the bench in an effort to give everyone a chance to participate in the school’s most lopsided victory in its history—and at no point did the Huskies cease to dominate the Bears.  Every squad, every “next man in” applied another level of decisive victory over North’s rival.

A FURIOUS FIRST MINUTE

The only thing the Bears won on Friday night was the pre-game coin toss…

…and even that proved to be fleeting.

Senior Alex Hess teed up the football after the Bears opted to receive the opening kickoff.  Central got what they asked for—except they were unprepared for Hess’ perfectly executed on-sides kick.  Sophomore Ricky White (who would put the “special” in Special Teams on this night) recovered the kick as soon as it had gone ten yards and North had the ball at the Central 49. 

On the Huskies third play from scrimmage, senior Sam McKinney rolled left and then threw back to his right to junior Jason Rucker.  Rucker is a speedster and he was open in space—albeit several yards behind the line of scrimmage.  As soon as he caught the pass, he zipped up field.  Imagine his surprise when, after outrunning the first three defenders, he arrived at the 30-yard line and in need of a blocker.

That he needed a blocker wasn’t the surprise, the surprise was who the blocker was:  6’ 3”, 310 pound ‘Big’ Ben Brasher had run so fast down field that he was ahead of the rocketing running back.  Brasher used his momentum to pancake the last remaining defender between Rucker and the goal line and number-one turned on the after jets to get there ahead of anyone else.  Hess’ kick made the score 7-0 after just one minute of play.

THE SECOND MINUTE IS JUST AS FURIOUS

Central set up to run their first play at the 35-yard line.  Ten seconds later, it was apparent that their intent had been to run a trick play with a pass off of a reverse—but their intentions had not taken into consideration that senior Kaleb Harris has a nose for the ball and the skills to take it away from anyone not wearing Green and White.

The Bears had lined up a running back behind center and split their quarterback out wide to the left.  On the snap, the runner started to his left.  Harris used his hands to shove the offensive tackle face first into the ground and then moved past him directly into the path of the intended exchange between the runner and the quarterback.  The quarterback had started reversing back to his right to take a handoff so that he might throw a pass downfield against a defense he hoped would be fooled by the ploy.

Kaleb Harris is no one’s fool.

As the two Bears tossed the ball toward one another, Harris had already realized their maneuver was a reverse and put himself in position to slam into the quarterback as he went to receive the toss-back.  The result was a collision that ended with the ball flying into the air.  Harris grabbed the fumble and then simply ran over the Bear who had initiated the play.  30 yards later, he raced across the goal line untouched and senior Maya Baggett’s first of five successful extra point kicks gave the Huskies a 14-0 lead at the 10:49 mark of the first quarter.

BARTON PICKS A PAIR

In a first quarter that yielded 35 points for the Huskies, no one was more critical to North’s success than third year starter Keonta Barton.  He made a diving interception on Central’s next possession that ultimately led to senior Cainen Northington’s first of three touchdowns in the game.  Less than four minutes of play later, Harris provided a devastating rush of the quarterback and just as he was about to encircle the player with his arms, the quarterback let fly with a deep pass down the sideline.  Barton spotted the ball in the air and went to it like a hawk takes after a songbird—that was his ball and no one was going to get it.  Not only did he pick it off, but #27 returned it 28 yards to the Central ten-yard line where Northington would score his second touchdown.

HARRIS MANHANDLES THE DEFENSE AS WELL

In between Northington’s two scores, Kaleb Harris proved once again to be a man among boys where Central was concerned.  Having already sacked the quarterback twice on defense, Harris lined up on offense as a slot receiver.  On the snap, he stepped backwards three steps to receive a pass from McKinney well behind the line of scrimmage.  A defender correctly guessed that the play called was a ‘screen’ and came toward Harris with a full head of steam.

He hit #7 just as he caught the ball—an impact that will usually knock a receiver down and often jar the ball loose.  That doesn’t happen, though, when the receiver is Kaleb Harris.  Instead, Harris spun counterclockwise on impact, tucked the ball under his left arm, and stiff armed the defender in the back of the helmet.  In combination with that blow, the defender’s momentum carried him straight to the ground. 

Harris was still behind the line of scrimmage when the next defender approached him.  The big tight end shed him like so much water off a duck’s back and then cut quickly to his left.  As he crossed the line of scrimmage and began to run up field, he arrived at what appeared to be the scene of an accident:  bodies were strewn across the field and they were all wearing Bears helmets.

What he had arrived at was the spot where senior Delshan Davis and junior Chase Reeves had finally gotten tired of pushing the defenders ahead of them and simply decided to lay the Bears out flat on the ground.  Harris glanced at the fallen defenders and nodded to his linemen as he ran past them on the way to the end zone.

MORE OF THE SAME IN THE SECOND QUARTER

It is not often a fan attends a game and finds his team ahead 35-0 after the first quarter of play.  When that happens, it is easy to assume the fireworks are over.  Instead, Husky fans barely had a chance to catch their breath.

McKinney sandwiched a nice run in between completions to junior Hunter Skelton and Rucker and the Huskies were again knocking on the door at the nine-yard line.  With Northington lined up to his right, the play called was a run to the left.  Unfortunately, a pair of events contrived to result in disaster—but they didn’t.  First, the snap was on the ground and in between McKinney’s ankles.  The savvy quarterback quickly stooped down and Northington instinctively slowed to make certain he got a good handle on the exchange—an inexperienced runner might have fumbled right then and there.

Second, for one of the few times on the night, the Central defensive tackle got a jump on the North guard and drove him backward directly into the path that Northington was expected to run.  The nimble senior deftly pivoted on his left foot and angled closer to the line of scrimmage to avoid the Bear defender.  As he arrived at the line, it was as though the cavalry had arrived just in time to open a path.

The cavalry in this scenario was led by senior Timothy Dixon who relocated the defensive end to a space well outside the hashmarks where he was no threat.  Dixon was not alone, however, as Northington’s backfield mate had slid through the line of scrimmage and even though he is not stoutly built, Jason Rucker is an effective blocker.  He screened off the middle linebacker and Northington continued up field.  The last member of the cavalry appeared in the form of junior Grant Happe and he barreled helmet first into the safety who was defending the goal line.  Northington’s path was open and he accelerated into the end zone and the score was 42-0 less than a minute-and-a-half into the second period.

THE ROUT CONTINUES

Junior Avier Mitchell added an 8-yard touchdown run after junior Ethan Bowden dropped a Bear for a loss when Central tried to fake a punt on a fourth down at the 38.  On their next possession, Central had the good sense to punt on fourth down but the results were not what they expected.  A high snap caused the hapless punter to have to move to his right—exactly where Ricky White was rushing from.  The ball deflected off White’s outstretched arm and hit Timmy Dixon hard enough that it ricocheted backwards toward the goal line.  Suddenly a race was on for the loose football and it rolled out the back of the endzone before a Husky could grab it.  The play was ruled a safety and North led 51-0.

But the fireworks were only going to continue.

Following the free kick after the safety, McKinney hit junior James Mercer with a long pass that left the Huskies with the ball inside the Central 30-yard line and less than two minutes to play in the half.  Substituting liberally, the Huskies turned to senior Hunter Fulkerson to carry the load.  A senior who has long been a consistent performer on special teams and recorded more than his share of tackles, there have been moments where Fulkerson has contributed admirably in limited deployments.  This moment, however, the spot light was focused solely on the senior nicknamed “Fabio” for his long locks.

Fulkerson made the most of the spot light.  Four straight carries by Fulkerson led the Huskies to the five-yard line.  Central defenders were ruthlessly grabbing at the ball and seemed interested in taking out their frustration with the score on anyone who had the ball.  This was #6’s moment in the sun and if they thought they could take advantage of him, they were sorely mistaken.  God, blood, or money was not going to allow anyone to deny Fulkerson a shot at the end zone.  Finally, on first and goal from the five, his moment came and he dove into the line and through it only to find a safety standing between him and the goal line.  ‘Fabio’ lowered his shoulder and lowered the boom on the would-be tackler and they both fell into the end zone.  The extra point gave North a 58-0 halftime lead.

SECOND HALF

Kickoffs were not kind to Central.  To open the second half, North’s initial handling of the ball resulted in it rolling around at the 20-yard line with defenders closing in.  Ordinarily, that would be exactly the type of opportunity that the kicking team would hope for. 

Except the ball got picked up by sophomore Deamontey Layne.  When folks discuss who is fastest on this Husky squad, the discussion typically comes down to Northington and Rucker.  Layne picked up the loose ball at the 20 and entered his name directly into that discussion.  Zipping immediately through the middle of four defenders, he angled toward the North sideline and left smoke in the turf where his feet set fire to it as he blazed his way to the end zone with an 80-yard touchdown.  Ten seconds into the second half, the Huskies led 65-0.

The running clock reduced the second half to nothing more than 24 plays between junior varsity players.  North’s success continued throughout and Layne broke off an 18-yard run with seven minutes remaining in the game that gave the Huskies a first down at the Central sixteen.  Two plays later, sophomore ‘Q’ Pauley put the ball into the end zone for North’s TENTH touchdown of the game and Baggett capped off the scoring at 72-0.

This was likely a record that may stand even longer than the 61 years the old one stood.

BACK TO TOP

BACK TO TOP