The Harrisburg Bulldogs drop to 0-2 on the season after falling to Class 2 Clark County 35-6 on Friday. The game marked their second consecutive road game, and the Bulldogs are ready to begin defense of their Lewis & Clark Conference title during their home on Friday.

For first-year head coach Brennan Claas, Friday’s trip to Clark County marked a reunion of sorts. He spent the last two years as an assistant coach there before taking the reigns at Harrisburg. Claas said he wanted to expose his team to the excitement of a Friday night before such a large crowd.

“I told the guys before the game that Clark County is a heck of a football program. The whole county shows up on a Friday night, and it’s just a little bit different environment,” he said. “I told them to take it all in.”

Clark County broke onto the scoreboard first with a 66-yard touchdown run by Ian Acklie, who dashed through the right side of the ball untouched for the long score.

Harrisburg tied the game at 6-6 with 37 seconds left in the first quarter when sophomore running back Caleb Sager broke two tackles on the way to the endzone for a 13-yard touchdown run. 

“We kind of struggled on our first drive and weren’t getting the looks we were expecting. So, then we adjusted, and the guys executed very well and moved the ball down the field,” Claas said about the scoring drive.

Harrisburg would have to settle for just one touchdown Friday. Claas said he was happy with how his team moved the ball down the field, but the Bulldogs just couldn’t penetrate the red zone.

“We moved the ball pretty well until we get to the 20 or 25-yard line. Their speed was a big factor because they could make breaks and run downhill faster,” he said. 

“We played so much better offensively. I was proud of how we played. We just didn’t have enough juice in the fourth quarter to keep it as close as it probably was.”

Junior quarterback Trace Combs finished with 11-for-25 passing for 99 yards with no interceptions. 

“He was up and down a little bit,” Claas said. “He made some good decisions. They were a lot quicker in the back end than other teams we played, so he was a little hesitant. They were a lot tighter windows than he was used to seeing. I was proud of him. He took some shots. He played physical.”

Sophomore Rylee Robinson led the receivers with three catches for 44 yards, followed closely by senior Hunter Cole with four grabs for 40 yards. 

Sager led the rushing attack with 19 carries for 79 yards and a touchdown.

“I told them we needed to get better. And we did,” Claas said. “We played a whole lot better. We moved the ball. The O-line played phenomenally. I cannot give them enough credit. We spread the ball around and made some good decisions. It was a little bit different game speed for us. We’re only one or two things away here and there from having some big things break.”

The Bulldogs finally make their home debut on Friday against perennial Lewis & Clark Conference powerhouse Marceline. Harrisburg handily won last year’s matchup 34-8 on the way to a conference title. Now it will be up to the Bulldogs to defend that L&C crown against a hungry Marceline team that is still looking for its first win after falling 14-8 to Brookfield last week in the annual Bell Game.

Coach Claas said he looks forward to coaching against Marceline coach Joe Peterson. The two have been great friends since coaching together at Macon.

“He’ll have his boys ready,” Claas said. “They all have a sour taste in their mouth. We will get their best shot, and we have to be ready for that. Last year was the first time Harrisburg had beaten them, so they will want to avenge that as well, I’m sure.”

This year marks the last for both Harrisburg and Marceline in the Lewis & Clark Conference. Kickoff Friday is at 7 p.m.