GOBLIN FOOTBALL SEASON COMES TO AN END

LITTLE ROCK — Coming into the game, the Harrison Golden Goblins knew that they had a big hill to climb. When the game was over, the Goblins didn't make it to the top of that hill as the squad fell to Pulaski Academy, 57-20, in the quarterfinals of the Class 5A State Football Tournament. The Goblins end the season with an 8-4 mark and a share of the 5A-West conference title. Coming into the game as the top seed out of the 5A-Central, Pulaski Academy has won the last three 5A state titles. With the win, the Bruins increase their winning streak to 24 games. The state tournament winning streak is now at 14 games. Pulaski Academy has not lost to an Arkansas school since 2013. The Bruins flexed their muscles early. It took the squad two plays to cover 75 yards with 70 of those yards coming on the first passing play of the contest. The score was 8-0 after the two-point conversion with 11:31 left in the first period. Harrison didn't flinch. The Goblins recovered the first onside kick at the 47. Senior quarterback Noah Ditmanson didn't gain a yard on the first play, but on the second play he picked up 4. Facing a third down, Ditmanson gained two creating a fourth-and-4. The task at hand was a simple one for Harrison and Ditmanson hit senior Daniel McCormick for a 39-yard completion to take the Goblins to the 3. After losing a yard on the first play from scrimmage, the Goblins gave the ball to senior Mason Martin. Martin plowed up the middle to score with 8:43 left in the first period. Having to stay up with Pulaski Academy, the Goblins went for two. Ditmanson found Caleb Huskey and Harrison tied the contest. The Goblins didn't keep the game tied for long. Pulaski Academy needed 1:31 to score and take a 16-8 advantage. Now trailing, Harrison was unable to convert on a fourth down play that saw Ditmanson sacked for an 11-yard loss. However, the Goblin defense held Pulaski Academy and took over on their own 10 yard line. Ditmanson started that drive with a 20-yard run and then two plays later picked up 14 yards on a rushing play. The Goblins were moving the ball and when Ditmanson hit senior Caleb Jones with a pass of 7 yards,the squad was in PA territory. Later in the drive, a Bruin penalty gave the Goblins the ball at the 31. Then the Goblins started going the wrong way on offense. Ditmanson lost 9 yards. He hit Martin on a pass to get 2 of those yards back, but a pass to Huskey resulted in a 6-yard loss. Facing a fourth-and-23, Ditmanson was unable to complete a pass leaving the ball at the 44 for the Bruins. It took Pulaski Academy six plays to cover the 56 yards. The Bruins increased their lead to 22-8. Harrison struggled offensively. Pulaski Academy intercepted a pass and then scored with 33 seconds left to increase the lead to 28-8. An onside kick was recovered by the Bruins at the 50 without taking any time off the clock. It only took Pulaski Academy 7 seconds to score and after the two-point conversion the squad took a 36-8 lead into the lockerroom. Harrison lost a total of 3 yards on its first two possessions of the second half. Both drives ended with interceptions and the Bruins built a 50-8 advantage. The Goblins did manage two scores in the fourth period. Harrison senior Cody Glover had a pick 6, and then late in the game, sophomore Ben Johnson scrambled 22 yards with 2:10 left to set the final score at 57-20. Finishing the night with 172 yards of offense, Harrison was led on the ground by Colin Ballard with 42 yards on six carries. Ditmanson had 23 yards on 18 carries. Ben Johnson had 22 yards on one carry; Martin 21 yards on eight totes; Hunter Holtby 6 yards on two carries. Ditmanson was 7-of-9 passing for 58 yards. Johnson was 0-of-1. McCormick had three catches for 58 yards. Jones one catch for 7 yards. Martin one catch for 2 yards; Colton Shaver one catch for -3 yards; and Huskey one catch for -6 yards.

GOBLIN FOOTBALL SEASON COMES TO AN END

JEFF BRASEL

Harrison Daily | 11/17/2017

PHOTO CREDIT: Harrison Athletics