HUMBOLDT — Humboldt Middle School’s defense allowed the team’s offense to find its groove Thursday.
The Cubs lost a fumble on their first possession and went scoreless in the first quarter against visiting Eureka.
Little matter.
The defense kept up the pressure in time for Humboldt to erupt for 20 in the second quarter on the way to a 34-6 win.
The victory keeps Humboldt’s record spotless at 4-0.
“Once again our defense was really good,” HMS head coach Mike Miller said. “I thought we tackled well and really made it difficult for their backs to get anything going. Offensively, we did a good job up front giving some lanes for our backs to run through.”
A defensive stop early in the second quarter precipitated a 7-yard run from Blake Ellis. Logan Page recovered a fumble for Humboldt in the next Eureka possession, leading to a 15-yard Ellis touchdown run. Another quick stop led to Ellis’s hat trick, a 4-yard touchdown run and a 20-0 lead.
Karsen Lampe gave Humboldt a charge to start the second half, returning the kickoff 60 yards for a touchdown and a 28-0 lead. Chase Demerrit’s 1-yard run later in the period pushed the lead to 34-0.
Eureka’s lone score came when the Tornadoes returned the subsequent kickoff for a touchdown.
Ellis rushed nine times for 77 yards and three scores. Mason Sterling was 3 of 3 passing for 53 yards. He also carried the ball four times for 67 yards. Demeritt had 44 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Conner Sallee, Asher Hart and Ellis each had a reception, covering 25, 20 and 8 yards, respectively.
Kyler Isbell led the defense with 11 tackles. Page had four tackles and a pair of fumble recoveries. Hart had three stops.
Humboldt is at Caney Valley next Thursday.
