Eagles move on, Cougars go home
By Mike Hoffman

On a windy, rainy, chilly night the Carroll Cougars hope of moving on ended, when the Frankton Eagles thrashed the Cougars 47- 12. The Cougars took a step backwards in this one.

After winning two straight games, the Cougars could not handle the Eagles - namely running backs Billy Huntsinger, a 6'2" senior, and Trevor Cress, a sophomore who ran over the Cougar defense. The Eagles' line was a very big one with one kid at 6'6" and 305 lbs., and another one at 282 lbs. Their front line put the hurt on the Cougars.

The Eagles were better than their 4-6 record showed. The 207- lb. Huntsinger rushed for four touchdowns and 196 yards. He pretty much had his way carrying the football. The Eagles forced the Cougars into a hole so deep that they couldn't dig their way out. It appeared much of the game was going to be played at the south end of the field. The Eagles scored on their first four drives of the night.

Huntsinger trotted into the end zone from 1-yard out after a Cougar 3 and out. After another Carroll 3 and out, Huntsinger marched in from 12-yards out and the Eagles went for the 2-point conversion for a 16-0 first quarter lead.

It looked like the Cougars were coming to life at the start of the second quarter. With just over ten minutes left in the first half, Riley

Eller hit Primmer Zook with a 24- yard touchdown pass and the Cougars were back in this one, 16- 6. In the first quarter the Cougars had the wind and rain in their faces, but in this second quarter the wind and rain were at their backs.

Huntsinger got back into the limelight when he went on another scoring spree. With 7:25 to play in the second quarter he found the end zone on a 3-yard run. That wasn't the straw that broke the camel's back. That came with only seconds left in the half when the Eagles' quarterback Nathan Cress threw a 32-yard pass to Cam Brekenridge. That play set up a Huntsinger score that all but broke all hopes for a Cougar come back. Halftime score was 32-6. "That really hurt," said Cougar

Coach Rick George stated, speaking of the touchdown. "It was just a terrible play on our part. It was just too bad to give up at that point of the game."

Carroll's second and final score came in the third quarter when senior Ty Sullivan ran around the end for a 16-yard touchdown for a 32- 12 score.

The Eagles came right back as Trevor Cress put the game further out of the Cougars' reach with two big touchdown runs of 60-yards and 33-yards.

The Eagles will now face the #1 Sheridan Blackhawks for the sectional championship. (I predict Sheridan 47, Frankton 14).

"We took a step back tonight. They're a pretty good football team," added Coach George. "It

was just a little too much of them and not enough of us. I told the kids (after the game) that next year were going to get this turned around."

Playing their last game for the Cougars were seniors Cory Mahan, Brandon Walters, Sullivan, Nick Flora and Zack Glascock.

Now the focus for Carroll is continuing with the vision of Coach George and his staff. This team took giant steps forward in rebuilding the program and with George's help, the team will continue to get better.

Well fans, we leave the rainy, cold nights outside to warm nights in the gym with the basketball season just around the corner.