The Carterville, Ill., Lions held the Hopkinsville rushing game to minus-20 yards while rolling up 244 of their own and defeated visiting Hoptown 35-15 in a high school football game Friday night.
Hopkinsville slipped to 3-3 on the season and will jump into Class 6-A, District 1 play on Oct. 3 when McCracken County comes to the Stadium of Champions.
The Lions’ Carter Jones gave Carterville (5-0) a 7-0 lead on a 1-yard run with 53 seconds left in the first quarter. Gavin Johnson made the extra point.
Hoptown took advantage of a fumbled punt and James Bradley Jr. rumbled 22 yards for a score. Gavin Harton’s extra point tied the game at 7-7 with 5:59 to go in the first half.
Jamieson Jones ran 21 yards to paydirt and the two-point conversion was good with 2:44 to play in the half as the Lions took a 15-7 lead into the break.
The Tigers were called for three penalties on their first possession of the second half and had a punt blocked. Jamieson Jones made Hoptown pay with a 7-yard run and Gavin Johnson’s kick pushed the lead to 22-7 with 8:59 to go in the third.
Hopkinsville cut the lead to 22-15 on its next possession as Jasiah McCarley threw a 24-yard scoring pass to Bradley Jr. with 5:03 to go in the third. Bradley Jr. also had the two-point conversion.
The Lions scored on their next possession, which took more than 4 minutes off the clock. Andrew Johnson scored on a 2-yard run and Gavin Johnson’s kick made it 29-15 with 53 seconds left in the third period.
After a Hoptown punt on its next possession, Carterville marched 58 yards in 10 plays, all on the ground. Jonathan Miller’s 11-yard run with 5:06 to play pushed the advantage to 35-15.
McCarley finished the night with 167 yards on 15-of-28 passing with one interception. Aiden Jesse caught five passes for 64 yards.
File Photo by Danny Vowell