South Harrison and East Buchanan renewed their inter-conference rivalry during week one of the 2019 regular season
For years, East Buchanan and South Harrison have been engaging in an inter-conference series of games on the gridiron.
East Buchanan resides in the KCI Conference while South Harrison plays in the GRC. The fact that they play in two entirely different conferences hasn’t kept these Bulldog squads from building a strong, competitive rivalry.
Since 2012, the two teams have faced each other every season and in 2013 they faced each other twice, once in the regular season then again in district play.
East Buchanan holds the advantage in this annual “Bulldog Brawl” having won seven of the nine times they’ve played each other. South Harrison’s two wins came in 2012 and earlier this season.
During week one of the regular season, South Harrison defeated East Buchanan, 22-18. The loss marked the first time East Buchanan started a season 0-1 since 2008.
Three plays into the game East Buchanan took the lead with a 15-yard touchdown pass between seniors Tucker White and Owen Fortney.
A perfectly placed pooch kick by senior Caden Buntin that Tucker White recovered gave East Buchanan a chance to extend the lead, but South Harrison made their first crucial stop of the game inside their own twenty-yard line.
East Buchanan's Owen Fortney attempts to tackle South Harrison quarterback Austin Lasher
South Harrison’s first possession of the 2019 season was a preview of what their offensive approach would be this year, heavily reliant on the run game.
The Bulldogs in purple in black converted on two fourth downs during a drive that didn’t feature a single pass, before junior quarterback Austin Lasher capped off the drive with a two-yard touchdown run tying the game at, 6-6.
Tucker White and the East Buchanan offense responded before the first quarter came to a close, this time the Bulldogs leader scored using his legs on a four-yard touchdown run, giving East Buchanan a 12-6 lead.
In the third quarter, East Buchanan extended their lead to 18-6 on a Tucker White two-yard touchdown run. It needs to be noted, East Buchanan failed to convert on all three of their two-point conversion attempts, ultimately costing the Bulldogs in blue their season opener.
Austin Lasher scored his second touchdown of the game near the end of the third quarter, this time on an eight-yard touchdown run bringing the score to, 18-14.
Late in the fourth quarter, South Harrison took their first and only lead of the game when Lasher connected with junior fullback Gradyn Linthacum for an 18-yard touchdown pass.
East Buchanan’s last chance to win the game came with less than a minute to play, but South Harrison’s defense was up for the final challenge knocking down sophomore quarterback Conner Musser’s last-ditch hail mary attempt.
This contest proved to be a microcosm of how both team's 2019 seasons would play out.
East Buchanan, in a down year under East Buchanan standards, couldn’t find enough consistency throughout the season and it brought them a 4-7 record, their first losing season since 2012.
South Harrison used this huge victory as a springboard to a one-loss regular season, a share of the GRC Conference Title and a District Championship. Their season came to an end at the hands of Mid-Buchanan in the Missouri Class 1 Quarterfinals.
Game ball for South Harrison goes to Gradyn Linthacum who carried the ball 15 times for 125 yards, caught two passes for 22 yards and scored one touchdown.
South Harrison game ball recipient Gradyn Linthacum powers through the line of scrimmage
Game ball for East Buchanan goes to Tucker White who finished with 205 yards of total offense and scored all three of East Buchanan’s touchdowns.
East Buchanan game ball recipient Tucker White looks downfield for a receiver
Tomorrow I will present the number one high school football game I covered in 2019 and it had the wildest ending I have ever witnessed in my decade-plus covering high school football.
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