The Harrisburg Bulldogs lost a high-scoring contest at Tipton, 38-32, to officially open Central State 8 action on Friday.

The week was the first ever for football games in the CS8, which officially began competitions this fall. Elsewhere in the new conference, Fayette defeated Linn (see story on Page 5), and South Callaway took down Russellville 45-20.

After stalling early on their first drive, the Bulldogs punted, and Tipton took over on their 46-yard line. On the first play, Tipton went deep for a 35-yard pass completion, setting up a first down on the 11-yard line. After a short run up the middle, Tipton scored on a screen pass to the right. The two-point conversion failed, and Tipton took an early 6-0 lead with 9:23 left in the first quarter.

Harrisburg started its next drive on the 50-yard line after a good kickoff return and a personal foul on the Cardinals. Despite gaining a first down, the Bulldogs eventually turned the ball over on downs.

The Bulldogs defense denied the Cardinals a first down on their next drive, eventually turning over possession back to Harrisburg on the 31-yard line.

The Bulldogs used several passes and runs to move the ball down the field, scoring on a seven-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 6-6 with 1:52 left in the first quarter.

After forcing another Tipton punt, Harrisburg took over on the 9-yard line with 26 seconds left in the first quarter. The Bulldogs used several big plays, both in the air and on the ground, to move the ball down the field. The drive ended with senior quarterback Trace Combs rushing 26 yards for the touchdown. The two-point conversion was good, giving Harrisburg a 14-6 lead with 7:18 left in the half.

“We found ourselves down early again, but we responded well and came back. I’m proud of our guys for that,” said Harrisburg coach Brennan Claas.

Disaster struck on the next play as Harrisburg put down a perfect onside kick attempt. But several Bulldogs missed the high-bouncing kick. A Tipton player corralled in the ball and ran for a touchdown, pulling the Cardinals within two, 14-12, with 7:07 remaining in the second quarter.

“We need to improve on our special teams and tackling, and that falls on us coaches to get our team ready,” Claas added.

Both teams failed to move the ball on their next possessions. Harrisburg threatened to score on their last drive of the half, but Tipton intercepted a pass from Combs on the 19-yard line with 24 seconds left.

Tipton held the ball to start the second half, but Combs returned the favor from earlier in the game, intercepting a Tipton pass and returning it to the 35. The Bulldogs failed to move the ball and punted, giving the Cardinals the ball on the 50 yard-line.

The Cardinals made some second-half adjustments and began ripping off large chunks of ground via the run. But Harrisburg forced a fumble inside the 5-yard line, halting the drive. The Bulldogs could not move the ball and punted again to Tipton, with the home team taking over on the 40.

Tipton ripped off another long run, this one for a touchdown, as they took an 18-14 lead with 53 seconds left in the quarter.

Harrisburg was not to be outdone in the big-play department. On their next play, Combs connected with senior wide receiver Bryce Ott for an 80-yard touchdown to regain the lead, 20-18.

The Cardinals took advantage of another short kickoff and moved the ball again on the ground. They eventually scored on a 13-yard run to retake the lead, 24-20, with 11:53 left in the game. Harrisburg struggled again offensively and gave the ball back to Tipton. The Cardinals drove the field again and lengthened their lead to 30-20 with 8:11 left in the game.

Down 10 points, the Bulldogs refused to quit. Facing a fourth-and-12, Combs found junior receiver Rylee Robinson for a 60-yard touchdown, cutting the lead to 30-26.

Tipton responded quickly with a 66-yard touchdown pass, extending its lead to 38-26 with 5:26 left in the game. Both teams turned it over on downs on their next possessions.

Harrisburg, desiring to pull a Homecoming upset, drove the field again. This time, scoring on a 32-yard touchdown pass to pull within six points, 38-32, with 1:20 left in the game.  

“Our long touchdown passes and the fumble recovery for us inside the 10-yard line were huge for us,” Coach Claas said.

Harrisburg’s defense could not hold Tipton from getting a first down, allowing the Cardinals to run off the remaining time off the clock to claim the win, 38-32.

Defensively, junior linebacker Victor Shouse led the way with 14 total tackles. Junior defensive linemen Jonathan Darwent, Ott, and Robinson added nine tackles each.

Combs completed 16 of 32 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns. Robinson had seven catches for 141 yards and a touchdown, while Ott had four receptions for 108 yards and two touchdowns.

Next week, Harrisburg travels to face a hot South Calloway team. “They are on a three-game winning streak and have a dynamic offense. We’ll need a great week of preparation as we try to get back to .500 on the season,” Coach Claas said.

Tipton is now 4-1 on the season, while Harrisburg falls to 2-3.