Trending
CADIZ -- The Harrison Central football continues to be on the verge of a breakout.
Harrison Central took an early lead against Buckeye 8 rival Indian Creek last Thursday night, and the Huskies were able to hang around against the Redskins, however, the Red-and-Gold were eventually able to pull away on their way to a 68-27 victory via mercy rule at Kettlewell Stadium.
"Our kids battled hard," Harrison Central (1-6) head coach Anthony Hayes said. "We made plays, and we gave up some plays. We just can't finish against a good team. When you are trying to grow and mature, you are going to have that. We have competed hard. We want to keep getting better. We want the kids to continue to have great attitudes and put up a good effort. Those are the things you can control 100 percent of the time. We are going to keep working, and hopefully, we can get to where we want to be."
The boys from Harrison County will look to pick up their second win of the season when Harrison Central takes on Bellaire at 7 p.m. Friday night out at Wagner Field on Homecoming.
Bellaire enters this week's Buckeye 8 matchup fresh off a 34-28 loss to St. Clairsville last Friday night on the road down at Red Devil Stadium.
The Big Reds (4-3) are led in all three phases of the game by senior standout Raekwon Pettigrew.
"Pettigrew is an outstanding athlete," Hayes said. "I had the opportunity to coach his older brother in the OVAC All-Star Game. He comes from a wonderful family. They are all good kids. They are good people first and foremost. He is a supreme athlete. He contributes on offense and on defense.
"The (Trevor) Dowery kid runs hard. Bellaire is a tough team. They have tough kids. It seems like being tough is ingrained in them. In all of my years coaching, I have not seen a Bellaire team that wasn't tough. They are tough, and they are physical on offense."
The boys from Belmont County can put points up running and throwing the football.
"Their quarterback (Michael Dippel) is really good," Hayes said. "I got to see him up close last year. I have admired him as a quarterback. He has been coached well. He can throw it well. He does a good job of running Coach (Mark) Bonar's offense. He has the ability to know what to do with the ball. They are able to create some big pass plays. They can also run the ball and dominate the line of scrimmage. That makes easier for them to throw the ball and hit the big plays."
The Big Reds were riding a three-game winning streak before last week's loss to the Red Devils.
"Bellaire is good up front," Hayes said about the Big Reds' defense. "They are physical in the trenches. They have been that was since the 90s when I was in high school. They get after it. They can put pressure on you. They do a really-good job. Their linebackers are athletic.
"The secondary is led by Pettigrew. He can take away the big play. He has the ability to cover the field. You have to pay attention and know where he is on the field. You don't want to have him poach a pass. He has consistently gotten better. That is a testament to Coach Bonar and his staff."
Pettigrew is also a threat in the return game.
"He can do it all," Hayes said. "He's a true football player. He can do it all. I would not be surprised if he could go up on the line and block. He is extremely talented. He can run the ball. He can play sone quarterback. He can play wide receiver. I am not surprised. He can do it all. I know he missed time last season with a bad injury, but he keeps getting better every year. He's just a darn good football player."
The Huskies are just looking to continue to make forward strides this week.
"We want to continue to improve," Hayes said. "That is our focus. We are keyed in on Bellaire. We want to take away what they want to do. We are focused on us. We have had some chances to make plays on offense and on defense. We just have to make them.
"We want to play a complete game. We want to play for four quarters. We want to be headed in the right direction."
Harrison Central defeated Bellaire, 29-26, last season down at Nelson Field.
"I am really proud of our kids," Hayes said. "We have had a lot of injuries this year. We have had a lot of young and inexperienced guys playing. They have been working hard. We are going to coach them tough. Our expectations have not changed. We are going to coach them tough. I enjoy coaching these guys. We are looking forward to Friday night."