Not comfortable with sitting at No. 8 in the Class 1 rankings for two weeks in a row, the Harrisburg Bulldogs traveled to Westran to do something about it. By beating the No. 10 Westran Hornets 44-14, not only did the Bulldogs climb a notch to No. 7, but they knocked the Hornets out of the top 10 as well. 

Coach Steve Hopkins’ Bulldogs drew first blood Friday night on a four-yard touchdown run, but they did not stop there. Harrisburg scored three more touchdowns before Westran was able to cross the goal line in the second quarter. The teams went into the locker room with the score 28-8 in the favor of Harrisburg.

The Harrisburg defense remained stingy in the third quarter, not allowing a point. The offense scored on a 62-yard touchdown pass from senior signal-caller Tanner Lanes to classmate Jace Carr to put the Bulldogs further ahead 36-8.

Both teams would exchange scores in the fourth quarter to bring the game to a final score of 44-14.

Lanes continued to be consistent in the passing game as he earned 203 yards through the air with four touchdowns. He completed 11 of 20 passing attempts on the night.

Running back Hayven Samuels continued to be the workhorse coach Hopkins had hoped he would be at the beginning of the season. The sophomore carried the ball 25 times for 122 yards and a touchdown. Lanes rushed for 13 yards on three carries with a touchdown, while fellow senior Gavin Curtis rushed four times for 18 yards.

Carr ended up being on the receiving end of four passes for 81 yards and a touchdown, while junior Austin Darwent grabbed three Lanes passes for 77 yards and two touchdowns. His classmate, Braden Wyatt caught four passes for 44 yards and two touchdowns.

Senior Tanner Fike excelled on defense with four solo tackles and was in on 14 others. Curtis also had four tackles to go along with seven assists.

Carr and fellow senior Brayton Stephenson, along with sophomore Hunter Cole each had three tackles.

Wyatt and Samuels along with sophomore Eric McIntyre contributed two tackles with Wyatt assisting on eight.

Seniors Aidyn Stricker and Austyn Furlong, along with a host of juniors, Darwent, Bryce Rowden, Harley Whitaker, and Logan Fritts, and sophomore Gaven Samuels each contributed a tackle apiece. In addition, Rowden accounted for nine assists.

Harrisburg travels on Friday to Sweet Springs for a 7 p.m. tilt with the 2-2 Greyhounds before returning home on October 1 against Russellville.