Despite a good night offensively, the Harrisburg Bulldogs fell at Central State 8 standout South Callaway Friday evening, 32-22.

Friday marked the second straight CS8 loss for the 2-4 Bulldogs. South Callaway improved to 4-2 overall and 2-0 in the new conference with its fourth-consecutive win.

Harrisburg started its first drive from its own 48. Junior running back Caleb Sager wasted no time, rushing for a 22-yard gain on second down. But on the next play, South Callaway intercepted the pass to stop the initial drive, taking over on the 32-yard line.

After allowing several first downs, Harrisburg’s defense stopped the hometown Bulldogs on fourth down, taking over on the 41. Sager ripped off several six to 10-yard runs behind the push from the Harrisburg offensive line. Senior quarterback Trace Combs also sprinkled in a few keepers, the last going for a touchdown on a 25-yard run. The two-point conversion was successful, and Harrisburg took an early 8-0 lead with 3:19 left in the first quarter.

“We started strong and ran the ball very well,” Harrisburg coach Brennan Claas said. “We continued that most of the night as well.”

SC, urged on by their Homecoming crowd, found their offense on the next drive. Starting at their 45, they ran their option offense well, quickly moving the ball down the field. The last was a dive up the middle for a touchdown. The two-point conversion was good, tying the game 8-8 with 13 seconds left in the first quarter.

Harrisburg started its next drive on the 28 and again called on Sager to do the heavy lifting. He rushed three times for 15 yards to start the drive. Then Combs found Sager through the air on a screen pass that went for 20 more yards to the 14-yard line. Sager eventually found the end zone on a two-yard run, again giving Harrisburg the lead. This time, Harrisburg failed to convert, making the score 14-8 with 9:11 left in the half.

SC began its next drive on the 48 after a failed onside kick by Harrisburg. On the first play, the SC running back rushed for 35 yards, setting up first-and-10 on the 14-yard line. Several short runs led to a two-yard plunge up the middle for another score. The two-point conversion succeeded, and SC had its first lead of the game, 16-14.

A long run by Combs early in Harrisburg’s next possession kept the ball moving. But SC recovered a fumbled snap by the Bulldogs to regain possession on the 43. SC returned to its effective rushing attack, methodically working the ball down the field for another touchdown to extend the lead to 24-14 with 1:44 left in the half.

“The South Callaway big plays swung the momentum in their favor,” Coach Claas said. “The turnovers definitely hurt us. We found ourselves down by double digits again, but we kept fighting.”

Harrisburg started its last drive of the half on their 21-yard line. The Bulldogs gained a first down with just under 40 seconds left, and then Combs completed a 12-yard pass to freshman wide receiver Silas Buckler for another first down. Trying to put some points on the board, Combs rolled out and tossed the ball back to Sager, who threw a deep interception as time expired in the half. Harrisburg trailed 24-14 at the break.

SC had the ball to start the second half, but the Bulldog defense forced a punt.

Harrisburg started its drive on the 32. After Sager rushed for 11 yards and first down, a penalty against the Bulldogs led to a third-and-16. Combs found junior wide receiver Rylee Robinson for a 21-yard completion to the 46. But after another first-down run for Sager and a Combs completion to Robinson, the Bulldogs turned it over on downs.

Starting on its own 34-yard line, South Callaway returned to its option offense, using a series of runs to move the ball against the Harrisburg defense. The last was a 23-yard run for a touchdown with 10:14 left in the game. The two-point conversion was good, extending the home team lead to 32-14.

The visiting Bulldogs still had fight in them. Starting at the 45, a keeper by Combs led to a 15-yard gain. Sager added four more, but a face-masking penalty added 15 yards and a Harrisburg first down on the 21. Sager ripped off five more yards, and another SC penalty moved the ball to the 11. Combs then rolled out to his left and found Robinson for a touchdown. The Bulldogs completed the two-point conversion, pulling within 32-22 with 8:18 on the clock.

Harrisburg attempted an onside kick, which SC recovered on the 45. The home team burned precious time on their drive with several first downs. Bryce Ott sacked the SC quarterback on fourth down to return possession back to the visiting Bulldogs with only 3:41 on the clock.

After a 28-yard pass completion, an SC defender picked off a pass from Combs. The home team ran out the clock to secure the 32-22 Homecoming victory.

“Overall, I’m very proud of my team for continuing to fight throughout the game,” Coach Claas added. “We remain steadfast and strong throughout these tough games, regardless of the score. Even when things are bleak, we keep battling.”

Combs led Harrisburg offensively, going 7-for-13 for 93 yards and a touchdown. Robinson led the receiving corps with three catches for 28 yards and a touchdown. Buckler added two catches for 28 yards.

Sager again led the Bulldogs rushing game with 146 yards on 22 carries and a touchdown. Combs added 71 yards on five carries and a touchdown.

Ott led the defensive effort with 14 tackles. Combs and Robinson added 13 each, and junior defensive lineman Jonathan Darwent finished with 11 takedowns.

Harrisburg hosts Russellville (3-3) on Friday evening. The Bulldogs travel to Fayette next Friday before closing out the season at home against Linn on October 25.