Harrisburg opened the season at home with a 60-22 loss to top-caliber Class 2 team South Shelby on Friday night. But the final score didn’t tell the whole story as the young Bulldogs team went toe-to-toe with the more established program.

Though the first half featured South Shelby scoring on four explosive drives, Harrisburg answered the call on three of them. After South Shelby opened the scoring with a long touchdown run, the Bulldogs responded with a big play of their own, a 34-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Trace Combs to junior receiver Caleb Sager. South Shelby stopped the two-point conversion to maintain the 8-6 lead with 6:51 left in the first quarter.

Less than a minute later, South Shelby struck again, jumping ahead 16-6. Harrisburg responded with a methodical drive that ate up the rest of the first quarter. Early in the second quarter, Combs found junior Rylee Robinson for a 19-yard touchdown. This time, the Bulldogs completed the two-point conversion to cut the lead to 16-14.

The Harrisburg defense forced a fumble on South Shelby’s next drive to stop a touchdown, but the Harrisburg offense could not capitalize, ending the possession with a punt.

The visitors drove the field to expand their lead, but failed their two-point conversion, going  up 22-14 with 7:31 left in the half.

The Bulldogs’ final score came with 4:22 left in the second quarter as Sager rushed for a one-yard touchdown. A successful two-point conversion tied the score at 22-22. 

South Shelby once again drove the field quickly and added another touchdown, taking a 30-22 lead into the break.

“I was a little concerned as we progressed through this very hot week of practice, but I was quite proud of how our guys responded tonight throughout the first half,” said second-year Harrisburg coach Brennan Claas.

Harrisburg had a chance to tie the game before the break. But facing a fourth-down situation with four yards to go and 1:49 left in the half, the South Shelby defense held strong.

The Cardinals hoped to take a two-score lead into halftime, but senior Harrisburg defensive back Bryce Ott forced South Shelby’s second turnover of the night with a pass interception to keep Harrisburg within one score.

Coach Claas knew those plays were big. “We emphasize getting turnovers whenever we can, and those plays will also be important for us going forward.”

The second half belonged entirely to South Shelby. The Cardinals scored twice in each of the third and fourth quarters to secure the win.

“I was quite pleased with the first half and obviously wished the second had gone differently,” Claas said. “They’re a bigger school and were runner-up district champions last year, so we knew they’d be good. There is a lot we can take from this game and apply as we go forward.”

Quarterback Trace Combs went 13-for-27 for 182 yards and two touchdowns, leading the way for the Harrisburg offense. Sagers rushed 15 times for 60 yards and one touchdown. A trio of receivers had good nights for the Bulldogs, with Ott hauling in four receptions for 75 yards, Rylee Robinson’s four grabs for 67 yards and a touchdown, and three catches by Caleb Sagers for 33 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, junior linebacker Victor Shouse led the way with eight tackles (four solo). Junior defensive lineman Jonathan Darwent, along with Sager and Robinson, each added five tackles and one for loss.

The schedule doesn’t get any easier as the Bulldogs face Clarke County next week. “They’re another bigger school with a good tradition,” Claas said about his former team. “Playing them will help us as we head into Class 1 district play. We have four freshmen and three other players who came out for high school football for the first time this year. We’re young, but we’ll keep getting better and look forward to doing just that next week.”

Kickoff is at 7 p.m. in Harrisburg.