Murphysboro hosts A-J on Friday night

The Murphysboro High School football team lost 35-13 to Carbondale in its 2018 season opener. 

The Red Devils will host Anna-Jonesboro Friday, Aug. 31. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. The game can be heard on WIBH radio in Anna.

Murphysboro’s game was a lot closer than the final score indicated.

“It was 14-6 midway through the fourth quarter,” A-J coach Brett Detering said. 

The Terriers scored three touchdowns with 3:34 remaining in the fourth quarter.

“It was not what they did, it’s what we did,” Murphysboro coach Gary Carter said. “We made too many mistakes.”

In the loss, junior Dezmond Clark, 5-8, 180 pounds, was the leading rusher for the Red Devils with 108 yards on 7 carries. 

Junior Jake Hoppenstedt, 5-9, 165 pounds, added 54 yards rushing on 11 carries and junior Zane Caraway, 5-8, 185 pounds, added 32 yards rushing on 13 carries. 

Junior quarterback Jamarr McZeke, 6-2, 165 pounds, was 2 of 6 passing for only 5 yards.

 The offensive line is built around seniors Maurice Valliant, 6-1, 255 pounds and Kenny Peterein, 5-9, 190 pounds and junior Ryan Karg, 6-0, 195 pounds. 

Caraway, also a linebacker, is the top returning tackler. Seniors A.J. Grammer, 6-0, 220 pounds and Jared Lawrence, 5-11, 195 pounds and safety Hoppenstedt are also key defensive players. 

“They’ve got a lot of valuable experience coming back,” Detering said. “We’re certainly in for a battle.”

Carter knows what  it will take to defeat A-J.

“We’ve got to stop their offense because they’re going to be pounding us,” Carter said. “But we’ve got to score and take care of the football.”