Bison fall to Hornets in conference opener

Carlisle's Devarius Allen pulls away from a Hazen defender for a third-quarter touchdown Friday night. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

HAZEN — For the first time this season, the Hazen Hornets had to play four quarters. However, for Carlisle Bison fans, it was not the outcome they wanted.

Hazen jumped out to a 20-0 lead en route to a 32-14 win over the Bison. It was Carlisle’s third consecutive loss to the Hornets but the first one in that run to not end with a mercy rule.

The Bison are now 3-2 overall and 0-1 in 2A-6 play. Hazen is 4-0 and 1-0 in league play. 

The first half was a defensive struggle with the Hornets leading 8-0 at halftime. 

Carlisle’s second possession started at its own 4 following a muffed punt. 

A few plays later, Carlisle fumbled with Hazen recovering at the Bison 1. On the next play, Hazen’s Ayjon Green scored on a 1-yard run with 3:30 left in the first quarter. Terrell Penn added the two-point conversion. 

The score remained the same until the Hornets took the second half kickoff and drove 55 yards in five plays with Penn scoring on a 2-yard run with 9:42 left in the third quarter. The two-point conversion was no good, making the score 14-0. 

After a Bison punt, Green scored on a 50-yard run to make the score 20-0 with 7:21 left in the third quarter. 

The Bison showed some life on their next possession. They drove 66 yards in five plays with Devarius Allen scoring on a 25-yard run with 4:11 left in the third quarter. The two-point conversion failed, leaving the score at 20-6. 

Hazen responded with a 56-yard, 10-play scoring drive with Green scoring on a 1-yard run with 11:29 left in the game. 

Carlisle wasted no time answering as Bison quarterback Eli Moody found receiver Will Carter with a pass and he tightroped the sidelines for a 64-yard touchdown pass with 10:28 left. Carter scored the two-point conversion on a pass from Moody to make the score 26-14. 

Hazen averted disaster on its next possession. Penn fumbled the ball into the end zone and it laid there for a a second before Blayne Toll pounced on the loose ball for a Hornets touchdown with 7:50 left to make the score 32-14.

The Bison will host Des Arc for homecoming this week. The Eagles are 2-2 overall and 1-0 in 2A-6 play following a win over Marvell on Friday.