Harrison Central football ends skid with 41-8 win over Akron North

It was an unpredictably damp night at Wagner Field last Friday night, but the weather may have been the only thing Huskies fans couldn’t cheer for. The No. 1 crowd-pleaser was senior quarterback Brady Hyre.

Hyre had his hands on four touchdowns, running to the pylons three times in the first quarter alone to put the Huskies (1-4) in cruise control for their first victory of the season.

All around it was one of those types of games that struggling teams need every now and then, and for the Huskies it was most certainly needed now. The 41-8 victory staved off the school’s first 0-5 start since 2001, and if it wasn’t for an Akron North (1-4) touchdown on the last play of the game, the Huskies would’ve hung a bagel on the board in the process.

“It was good to see our guys execute tonight. We have been getting closer and closer to doing so but just haven’t been able to finish the job. Tonight we did; we finished the job. Our defense played really well, only giving up 44 yards rushing and just 59 yards of passing until the last play of the game when they hit the 87-yard touchdown pass," Harrison Central head coach Anthony Hayes said. "We tackled better, and it showed.

"Offensively, we needed to put the ball in the endzone, and we did. Everyone executed their individual job for the most part. We had some physical mistakes, but we had less mental mistakes, and that is a big step for us. We will continue to work hard to get better.”

As mentioned already, the Huskies wasted no time finding the gas pedal. Hyre’s feet found the endzone three times in the first 12 minutes. The Huskies first three possessions were capped off by the second-year starter, who dove in from the Akron North 2, darted in from 20 yards out and then rumbled in from the 4-yard line. Placekicker Noah Thaxton nailed all three extra points to polish off the efforts.

The second went scoreless, but as Hayes alluded to, the Huskies came out of the locker room ready to finish the job. Hyre found freshman Colson Crothers for a 45-yard strike three minutes into the second half to put the Huskies up 28-0. Fellow freshman Kingston Smith then showcased his legs, giving the Harrison faithful a glimpse of the future at the quarterback position with a 29-yard scramble to pay dirt.

The third quarter ended with a running clock and the Huskies in front 35-0. Sophomore Olin Wade rounded out all scoring for the Harrison County squad, popping into the blue turf from 2 yards out with just over seven minutes remaining in the game.

The Huskies outgained the Vikings 324-190, and without the 87-yard broken coverage touchdown with the underclassmen manning the grid, the Huskies would’ve held the Division II Vikings to right around 100 yards of total offense.

In all, nine different Huskies toted the rock Friday night for a total of 178 rushing yards. Add on the 146 passing yards, and Harrison had its first balanced evening of the season offensively.

Hyre was 9-in-16 through the air with all 146 tagged to his name. Kayne Dunkle once again led the receiving corps; he finished with 54 yards receiving. Crothers was the next best option, hauling in two tosses for 51 yards and the touchdown. Beau Rinkes, Lance Smith and Brennan Engstrom rounded out the aerial assault.

Defensively, Hyre and classmate Dunkle pulled down interceptions while another senior in Chaz Culbertson led the team with eight tackles. As a team the defense held the Vikings to just one first-down conversion (1-in-13) in third-down and fourth-down scenarios.

The Huskies are set for another favorable matchup this weekend, with the Weir High Red Riders (0-3) set to visit for the annual homecoming game.