Murphysboro faces A-J after loss to Carbondale

The Murphysboro High School football team ran into a buzzsaw last Friday.

“Our quarterback had no time to throw,” Murphysboro head coach Bob Stilley said. “We had some guys hurt and didn’t play up front and they were bigger and stronger than us.”

The result was a 35-0 Carbondale Terrier win over the Red Devils in the Jackson County rivalry.

Murphysboro hosts Anna-Jonesboro at 7 p.m. this Friday. The game will be aired on WIBH radio in Anna.

Fans can also listen to the game online at The Gazette-Democrat’s website at <a href="http://www.annanews.com">www.annanews.com</a>.

Stilley said the Red Devils trailed 14-0 early in the game. They were on Carbondale’s 3-yard line and were halted.

“After that, the wind went out of our sails,” Stilley said. “If we’d scored then, it would have been a different game.”

Stilley said two of Murphysboro’s key linemen were missing from the contest because of injuries. He hopes to have them back this week.

“They’ve got a couple injuries to some offensive linemen,” A-J coach Brett Detering said. “But they’ve got some talent. Their juniors were very good when they were freshmen.”

Junior quarterback Dylan Craig, a 6-3, 185-pounder,   leads the Red Devil offense. He had 44 yards rushing and 17 yards passing against the Terriers.

Junior Adrian Harris, a 6-1, 200-pounder, led the Red Devil rushing attack with 43 yards.

Senior Neill Hutchings, a 6-2, 220-pounder, and junior Bradley Sauer, a 6-7, 270-pounder, are the top offensive linemen.

Stilley said that despite the lopsided loss, his defense didn’t play that poorly.

“Our defense played pretty well,” he said. “We did a lot of good things.”

Murphysboro has a trio of key defenders. Craig doubles as an outside linebacker on defense. Junior Bryce Mueller, 5-10, 155 pounds, is the middle linebacker and Hutchings is the top defensive linemen.

Stilley knows what to expect from the Wildcats.

“We know A-J is going to come out and hit us hard,” Stilley said. “We’re going to have to play a whole lot better on the front line. Hopefully, we’ve got our kids ready to play.”