Rusk opens season 4-0 for first time since 2012, Owen McCown throws for 427 yds.
Sep. 18—RUSK — Rusk scored a dominating, 58-22, win over Bullard on Friday night in what was the Eagles' homecoming game that was played before a jammed-pack Eagle Stadium crowd.
The victory moved Rusk to 4-0 for the first time since the 2012 campaign.
Rusk simply had too many weapons for the Panthers to try to defend.
Senior-quarterback Owen McCown did his part (and then some) to make it a groovy night for Eagle fans.
McCown went 23-28-0 for 427 yards and three touchdowns by air — he also had a 17-yard rushing touchdown in the first half.
Seven different Eagles had at least one catch in the game, with Hesston Kelly hauling in six balls for 104 yards, Aiden McCown caught five passes for 94 yards, which included a 26-yard scoring strike from his older brother, and Elijah Ward reeling in six passes for 92 yards.
JD Thompson caught three passes for 88 yards.
Will Dixon was on the receiving end of a 10-yard touchdown strike while Perez had just one catch, which went for an 8-yard touchdown.
Trey Devereaux was the Eagles' leading rusher. He carried three times for 74 yards. Seventy of his yards came with 3:55 to go in the game when he zig-zagged through the Panther defense for a touchdown.
Jermaine Session (7 carries for 62 yards) also turned in a solid night's work running the pigskin. Session scored on a 37-yard touchdown run to highlight his evening.
Offensively, Rusk piled up 646 total yards.
David Kennedy came up with a fumble recovery at the 7:13 mark of the opening period, and four plays later the Eagles got on the scoreboard on Session's scoring scamper.
There was a bad snap on the PAT try, and Bullard was able to block Alan Rojo's boot. The Panthers'Asa Rodberg scooped up the ball and returned it the distance for two points, making the score 6-2 in favor of Rusk.
The Panthers forged out their only lead of the game, 8-6, when Clifford Douglas caught a 40-yard touchdown from Ayden Barrett with 4:47 to go in the opening stanza.
Rusk led 41-15 at intermission as the Eagles scored three consecutive touchdowns to close out the half after Bullard got to within five points, 20-15, with 11:00 left in the opening half.
A 7-yard touchdown run up-the-middle, followed by a Beau Christian PAT accounted for the Bullard score.
Rusk received the kickoff to start the final half and needed just five plays to drive 70 yards. Kelly's 16-yard run increased Rusk's lead toe 48-15 with 8:38 left in the third.
Rojo drilled a 27-yard field goal from straight away with 10:22 left in the game that swelled the Eagle advantage to 51-22.
Ayden Barrett went 19-35-0 for 223 yards and a touchdown for the Panthers, who will host Spring Hill at 7:30 p.m. next Friday.
N. Hill caught seven passes for 78 yards for Bullard and Douglas had four grabs for 68 yards.
The leading rusher for the Panthers wis kemp, with 11 carries for 25 yards and two touchdowns, which covered 7 and 2-yards, respectively.
Rusk will close the book on non-district play next Friday by traveling to Brownsboro (1-3).
