| By Gaylen Duskey
realfang@citlink.net
Calhoun nearly pulled itself out of a first-half hole it had dug itself into but the clock struck midnight on the rallying Red Devils before they could complete the comeback in a 25-18 setback at South Harrison Friday night.
With the loss Calhoun drops to 0-6 on the season while South Harrison improves to 2-3.
Calhoun tried to gift wrap the game early as it suffered a couple of pass interceptions and a couple of fumbles in the first half leading to 19 Hawks' points.
Michael Bell scored two of the Hawks' first half touchdowns - both on short runs - while Ian Riggleman had the other, also on a short run.
But it was the Hawks' lone second half score that proved to be the difference in the game and it came on a special teams' play as the Red Devils basically shut down the Hawks' offense after intermission.
After Calhoun had scored to cut the deficit to 19-6 Chase Jenkins took the ensuing kickoff and rambled 69 yards for a touchdown. It was about all of the Hawks highlights in the second half but it proved to be enough.
Calhoun had gotten on the board when Mason Sheldon hauled in a pass from Casey Ritchie early in the third quarter and rambled over, around and through South Harrison defenders for a 35-yard score. The game was Sheldon's first action since suffering an injury earlier in the season.
Sheldon scored again later in the game when he got Calhoun's final score on a two-yard run with 5:02 remaining in the game.
The Red Devils' other score came from Logan Moore who broke through the line and rambled 67 yards for a score. Calhoun missed all three extra point attempts.
Statistically the game was about as close as the score as the Hawks had 201 yards total offense compared with 199 for the Red Devils.
Calhoun had 112 yards rushing overall with Moore leading the way with 114 on 15 carries. Several sacks by the South Harrison defense accounted for the fact that Moore had more rushing yards than the entire Red Devil team did.
Moore also completed two of 12 passes for 46 yards while Casey Ritchie completed three of 12 for 41 yards.
Sheldon had three receptions for 48 yards while Ethyn Miller had one for 41.
Defensively sophomore lineman Coy Bailey played a brilliant game with 16 tackles, unofficially.
Calhoun, which showed a spark against the Hawks, will face the biggest baddest "fire department" in the state when top-ranked Class A St. Marys invades Calhoun Stadium next Friday night. South Harrison's next game is Saturday at Parkersburg Catholic.
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