The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO

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September 9, 2012

Ground game, defense key Carl Junction past East Newton

By Craig Hull Special to The Globe

GRANBY, Mo. — Matt Kersey and Gabe McMullen enjoyed a busier than normal Saturday afternoon.

Instead of a morning spent reviewing film from a Friday night football game followed by an afternoon of quiet time, the two Carl Junction offensive guards found themselves pulling left and pulling right.

But when Jesse Wall wants to run the ball and the counter play is working, the counter play it is.

Carl Junction used an effective ground game to earn a 36-0 victory over East Newton at Don Johnston Stadium in a swift moving Big 8 Conference contest postponed until Saturday afternoon.

The Bulldogs (1-2) rushed for 209 yards on 37 carries with senior tailbacks Aaron Moore and Nick Thompson doing the brunt of the damage, combining for 23 carries and 150 yards.

Kersey, a 6-foot-2, 225-pound junior right guard, and McMullen, a 5-9, 245 sophomore, were the pulling guards who were a key part of blocking scheme for the counter play to work.

“We felt like what we saw in video, they way they run their defense, that if we blocked it a certain way, we would get exactly what we wanted,” said Wall, Carl Junction’s head coach. “We changed how we were blocking it on the edge according to how they were setting their defense and it ended up working just right.”

Moore scored on a 14-yard run on a counter play right with 4:20 left in the second quarter and Thompson duplicated the effort scoring on a 15-yard run, again on a counter play right, with 1:45 left in the half.

The two touchdowns were part of a 29-point second quarter allowing the Bulldogs to break open a scoreless game.

Junior quarterback Dustin Satterlee connected with junior tight end Chris Whelan for a 22-yard touchdown pass on fourth down to open the scoring.

Moore and Thompson added their touchdown runs for a 22-0 advantage before a Calvin Bremmerkamp interception set up Carl Junction’s fourth score of the quarter.

Bremmerkamp’s pick gave the Bulldogs the ball at the East Newton 30. On the first play, Satterlee lobbed a pass to junior receiver Matt Magee on a go route for his second touchdown.

Satterlee, who started the game 2 of 6 passing, warmed up as the game progressed to finish 10 of 15 for 178 yards. A 52-yard completion to J Thomas, who was left undefended on the far sideline, set up Moore’s touchdown run.

“We came out flat. Thankfully, our defense played great and did a good job of running to the ball, identifying the ball carrier, wrapping up and making tackles,” Wall said.

East Newton (1-2) ran only five plays in the first quarter and had two first downs in the first half. Junior wingback Ross Nagle paced the Patriot offense with 69 yards rushing on 12 carries.

Moore, who finished with 81 yards on 12 carries, added a 29-yard touchdown run in the third quarter on a counter play left. Thompson gained 69 yards on 11 carries.

Thomas had 71 yards receiving on three catches, Magee added 52 yards on three receptions.

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