As expected, the Rolla High School football team had a much more difficult time moving the football Friday night against Springfield Kickapoo.
But thanks in large part to a workhorse performance by senior runningback Jonny Canhos and some timely first downs by senior quarterback Jake Morris, the Bulldogs held off the Kickapoo Chiefs 22-20 in Ozark Conference play.
Rolla is now 2-0, both overall and in the league. Kickapoo falls to 1-1 overall and in the OC.
The Bulldogs survived a sloppy performance, losing their third fumble of the season and committing eight penalties, three of which gave Kickapoo first downs.
Kickapoo opened the scoring with a 78-yard drive, capped by quarterback Brett Diers’ 24-yard touchdown run.
The Bulldogs, who scored on all but a couple of offensive possessions during week one, had to work harder against a stout Kickapoo defense, which forced Rolla’s first three punts of the year.
However, Canhos led a ball-control RHS game plan, rushing a whopping 44 times for 208 yards. His 1-yard touchdown at the 2:23 mark of the second period brought Rolla within one, 7-6.
But regular kicker Jason Howard was sidelined with a concussion and Rolla went for the two-point conversion and failed.
A deflected pass from Morris landed in the hands of receiver Michael Pickrell for 43 yards late in the second half to support Morris’ 1-yard touchdown run, and Rolla would lead the rest of the game.
For more on the game, see extended coverage in the Tuesday edition of the Rolla Daily News.
