The ball just didn’t bounce Carroll Academy’s way in last Friday’s 42-6 loss to rival Winona Christian School in Carrollton.
The Stars scored three touchdowns each in the first and second quarters to build a 42-0 halftime lead, which made the second half speed right along. The Rebels got a late touchdown in the fourth quarter.
“It was one of those where it all went wrong for us,” said Carroll head coach Tommy Acy. “We went for an onside kick to start the game, and the kick only went three yards.
“We would hit their running back in the backfield and didn’t make the tackle. He would just slip through the arms against guys who normally make the stops. It seemed like everything we did went wrong, and at the worse times. We had way too many mistakes, and it wasn’t just one or two guys. It was all the way down the line. I don’t know if it’s just a focus issue or what. We definitely need to get it fixed before our next game.”
The Rebels, who fall to 3-4, got a 3-yard rushing touchdown from Cohen Blaylock in the fourth period. Blaylock only had 13 yards on four carries.
Carroll finished with minus-nine yards rushing on 18 carries as a team. Senior quarterback Collin Hurst was stopped for minus-31 yards rushing and competed 7-of-16 passes for 64 yards with one interception.
Blaylock had one catch for 32 yards, and Reed Thomas had three receptions for 28 yards.
Jake Truitt and Jack Grones led the defense with six tackles apiece, and Hayes White had five stops. Blaylock finished with four tackles.
The Rebels hit the road to battle the Colonels of Indianola Academy at 7 p.m. Friday in the District 2-2A contest. Carroll is 1-0 in the district thanks to a 33-6 win over Greenville Christian School in early September. Indianola is 2-5 and 0-1 in district as it dropped a 35-13 decision to Greenville St. Joe last week.
“We’re 1-0 in the district, so we control our own destiny as far as winning a district title,” said Acy. “Our goal to win the district is attainable if we take care of business Friday night. We just need to fix what is broken by then.”
