Lions Return Home With an Unbeaten Record and an Outright Title in Sight
The Carterville Lions return home Friday night with a chance to put the finishing touches on a perfect conference season. After beating Massac County 36–3 last week, Carterville enters its October 9 matchup with the Murphysboro Red Devils at 7–0 overall and 4–0 in the SIRR Ohio Division. The Lions have already earned at least a share of the conference championship. A victory Friday would secure the title outright.
Johnny Miller powered last week’s road win with 159 rushing yards on 14 carries and four touchdowns. Miller scored on runs of 2, 68, 10 and 5 yards, finding the end zone in every quarter. Reggie Wilson added another explosive performance, rushing for 91 yards on just four carries, including a 37-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. Wilson also scored the two-point conversion following Miller’s final touchdown. Together, the two backs accounted for 250 rushing yards and all five Carterville touchdowns.
The Lions also received efficient quarterback play and another strong defensive effort. Jack Dodson completed 7 of 9 passes for 69 yards, with Zackary Carter catching three passes for 38 yards and Gavin Johnson adding four receptions for 31 yards. Carterville finished with 342 total yards, including 273 on the ground, while limiting Massac County to 181 yards. The Patriots managed only a second-quarter field goal, and the Lions scored 22 unanswered points after halftime to pull away.
Through seven games, Carterville is averaging 429.9 yards of offense and 42.1 points per game. Miller enters Friday with 1,199 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns, while Wilson has contributed 326 rushing yards and seven rushing scores. Dodson has thrown for 953 yards and 11 touchdowns without an interception. Johnson leads the receiving corps with 35 catches for 681 yards and eight touchdowns. On defense, Carter Jones leads the Lions with 67 tackles, followed by Brayden Brown with 56.
Murphysboro comes to Carterville at 1–6 overall and 1–3 in conference play, following a 36–18 loss to Harrisburg. The Red Devils’ lone victory came against Herrin, 22–14, on September 18. Their record also includes two narrow defeats: a four-point loss to Roxana and a three-point loss at Massac County. Murphysboro is seeking its first road win after dropping its first four away games. The Red Devils have scored between 13 and 22 points in every game, but have allowed 86 points over their last two contests.
Friday marks Carterville’s final Ohio Division game before next week’s regular-season finale against Anna-Jonesboro. The Lions have won all four conference games by at least 21 points, outscoring those opponents 180–43. Carterville also holds the No. 2 spot in the October 8 John A. Logan College Little Egypt Football Poll, behind Centralia. With the outright conference championship within reach, the Lions have plenty of reason to keep their focus on the next four quarters.
Join Dave McKenzie and Keenan Clark for live coverage Friday night on NewsRadio WJPF, AM 1340 and 99.5 FM, online at wjpf.com, and on the Lions Sports YouTube channel. The pregame show begins at 6:40 p.m., with kickoff at 7:00 p.m. Subscribe to Lions Sports, share the livestream with fellow fans, and tell us where you’re watching from!
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