Fireworks opened Homecoming Night at Harrisburg last Friday. By the final whistle, the Bulldogs had another reason to celebrate.

Harrisburg defeated Linn 14-0, earning its first victory of the season and Parker Howard’s first win as head coach. It also marked the first Central State 8 Conference game of the season for each squad.

Both teams walked onto the field Friday thirsty for their first win, but it was the Bulldogs who combined their strongest defensive performance of the season with a productive ground game to break through.

“It was a really special night,” Howard said after the game. “I’m extremely proud of all our boys. Every single person on this team had a part in this win.”

Harrisburg struck first late in the opening quarter after junior defensive back Hunter Winscott came away with a Linn turnover. Winscott scored the Bulldogs’ first touchdown with 3:07 remaining in the quarter. The two-point attempt was unsuccessful, giving Harrisburg a 6-0 lead.

The Bulldogs added to the lead in the second quarter. Winscott found the end zone again with 6:04 remaining before halftime, then caught the two-point conversion to push the advantage to 14-0.

That proved to be all the scoring Harrisburg needed.

Winscott finished as the Bulldogs’ leading offensive producer with 131 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries. He also caught two passes for 11 yards.

Sophomore Brody Combs remained in the quarterback position for the third straight week and completed eight of 15 attempts for a total of 84 passing yards. Junior Kadyn Weldon, who was previously named the starting quarterback before he was sidelined with an injury, returned to the lineup at slot receiver and contributed throughout the offense. Weldon caught four passes for 50 yards and added 34 yards on 12 carries. Junior Tucker Lasley had an 11-yard reception and carried once for two yards.

Howard said keeping Combs at quarterback was not a reflection on Weldon’s ability to play the position.

“We were proud of how Brody was doing,” Howard said. “We wanted to try some different things on offense.”

Howard also praised the way Combs has handled an increased role during a season filled with injuries and lineup changes.

“Brody has a lot of poise,” Howard said. “He’s a great kid. He’s the type of kid that’ll be good at anything that he wants to be good at, just because of his attitude and work ethic.”

While Winscott and the offense supplied the points, Harrisburg’s defense made sure they were enough.

Junior linebacker Will Cole led a disruptive Bulldog defense with nine solo tackles and 12 assists, including six tackles for loss and two sacks. Weldon recorded two solo tackles, six assists, and a forced fumble. Sophomores Rylan Smiley and Isaac Stone each recovered a fumble, while Lasley added two tackles for loss.

Linn was able to move the ball at times, but Harrisburg repeatedly prevented those drives from turning into points.

“You’re going to make mistakes. Make sure you’re making them at 100 miles an hour,” Howard said. “The offense is going to make some plays. We’re going to make some plays. You’ve got to be ready for the next play.”

Howard said the Bulldogs’ ability to respond after allowing a successful play was one of the keys to the shutout.

“They hit us on a couple of big ones,” he said. “But we made the tackle and made them snap it again. Just being resilient all night.”

That resilience showed again late in the fourth quarter. Freshman defensive back Jasper Miller intercepted a Linn pass near midfield to stop another Wildcats possession and help preserve the shutout.

Howard singled Miller out afterward.

“Jasper Miller, for example, made a huge interception for us late in the game,” Howard said. “Game saving, game winning play. Extremely proud of that kid.”

Beau Wardrip, a freshman lineman, also contributed two pass deflections, including consecutive knockdowns during one of Linn’s final possessions.

The defensive performance followed a week in which Howard said Harrisburg placed extra emphasis on tackling and ball security. The Bulldogs used gauntlet drills and additional practice time after turnovers had hurt them the previous week.

“We really emphasized it all week,” Howard said. “We also worked on our tackling a lot, and that showed tonight that we definitely improved in both of those areas.”

For a team that had dealt with injuries, changing roles, and a winless start, the Homecoming victory provided a result to go with the improvement Howard has emphasized throughout the season.

The Bulldogs face a tough test on the road when they travel to defending Class 1 state champion Tipton next week. The Cardinals are 5-0 on the season so far after shutting out Class 2 South Callaway 54-0 at home on Friday to remain as one of two unbeaten CS8 teams this season.

“They’re a very good football team,” Howard said. “But I think our boys are going to be ready for the challenge.”

Kickoff is at 7 p.m. Friday in Tipton.