Harris Helps Quartz Hill Blow Away Kennedy, 26-19

It may have been the season-opener for both clubs when Kennedy visited Quartz Hill on Friday night, but Mother Nature was in midseason form.

Swirling wind gusts of up to 25 miles per hour and temperatures that dropped into the 50s wreaked havoc on the heralded Kennedy passing attack and Quartz Hill was able to grind out a 26-19 nonleague victory.

Playing without standout running back Jarret Harris, who Coach Bob Francola said did not make the trip because of academic reasons, did not help the Kennedy attack.

Running back Jeremiah Harris had 106 yards in 27 carries to lead Quartz Hill’s 232-yard rushing attack.

Harris, Doug Carlton and fullback Jacob Waasdorp routinely turned plays that looked like losses into four- or six-yard gains. Waasdorp with his power and Harris and Carlton with their quickness.

“This was difficult,” Harris said. “They hit hard. I’m happy as long as we got the victory.”

The Rebels converted on five of six fourth-down attempts, scoring on two of them.

“The big guy Waasdorp and Doug Carlton were the key,” Harris said. “They kept the drives going.”

Kennedy quarterback Calvin Zinck started well, connecting with Waking Bailey for 43 yards on his first attempt, but things soon went sour.

Zinck missed on four consecutive attempts to end the first half, then had a pass intercepted on his first attempt of the second half. He finished six of 16 for 135 yards.

“The wind really messed up our passing game,” Zinck said. “I tried to put some touch on the ball and it sailed on me. This really surprised us. We expected it to be hot.”

Rebel quarterback Justin Holtfreter dove over the top for a two-yard score to put his team ahead, 26-13, with 8 minutes 43 seconds to play.

Holtfreter connected on eight of 13 attempts for 112 yards. He also rushed for 22 yards and two touchdowns.

The Quartz Hill defense, which held Kennedy ballcarriers to 52 yards, took over from there, sacking Zinck on the next three plays and forcing a Kennedy punt with 6:29 left to play.

Kennedy pulled to within seven, 26-19, when Zinck hit Aaron Lewis at the Quartz Hill 25 and Lewis pitched to Bailey, who scored with 4:42 remaining.

Quartz Hill then ran out the clock with an eight-play drive that covered 32 yards.

The Cougars hurt themselves with turnovers in the first half. On their first possession, they drove 49 yards in two plays to the Rebel 31but Zinck and Harris botched a handoff on the third play and Chris Bishop recovered for Ouartz Hill.

The Rebels then drove 68 yards, highlighted by a 24-yard run by Carlton and culminated on a two-yard sneak up the middle by Holtfreter.

Quartz Hill defensive lineman Waasdorp put a big hit on Charles Jamison to cause the second Cougar turnover at the Kennedy 15.

Three plays later, Carlton cut through the right side of the line to give the Rebels a 14-7 lead with 8:45 remaining in the first half.

“I expected the scoring to be high, but I expected us to have one more [point] than them,” Francola said. “They have good players in key positions and we were not making first downs.”