CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — When the clock hit zeroes Friday night in Carl Junction, Bulldogs head coach Todd Hafner and his brother, Branson head coach Aaron Hafner, shared the same feeling.
“I’m glad this game is over,” Aaron Hafner said after the game, “We’re really, really close. Neither one of us were looking forward to this game, I’m going to be honest with you—but at the end of the day, it’s about our kids. It’s not about us.”
“I mean it’s just hard,” CJ coach Todd Hafner said, “It’s hard. I feel terrible for our kids, and I know he feels terrible that I feel terrible. I’m sad for our kids, but it took a well-played game to win. Neither team was going to give this one away.”
The Branson defense stifled Carl Junction all night, spoiling the Bulldogs’ homecoming game 21-7 Friday.
“It was a really physical game. I knew it was going to be,” Aaron Hafner said, “Our kids played really well as far as assignment football, and being physical at the point of attack. When you do that, you have a chance to do some good things.”
After a Carl Junction punt on their first possession of the game, Branson drove 53 yards for a touchdown on its first drive to take a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.
The Bulldogs were aiming to respond on the ensuing drive, but that series ended with Branson’s Zyere Fair intercepting a pass by CJ QB Dexter Merrell inside the 5-yard line and keeping the score at 7-0 Pirates heading to the second quarter.
Carl Junction found their first points in the second quarter, with a clutch throw from Merrell to WR Jett Mills. Merrell connected with Mills in the end zone on fourth-down-and-3 from the 15 to knot the score at 7s with less than eight minutes remaining until halftime.
Branson quickly found its way into the red zone on the next drive, but Carl Junction’s Aidan Beachner recovered a Pirate fumble to halt the drive and give the home team their first chance to take the lead.
The Bulldogs put together a solid drive following the turnover but ultimately turned it over on downs deep in Branson territory to keep the game tied 7-7 at the break.
Branson dipped into the bag of tricks late in the third. On fourth-down-and-5 from the Carl Junction 34-yard line, QB Luke McCormick tossed it out to RB Gage Depee, who pulled up and threw to a wide open WR Teagan Asbury behind the defense for a 34-yard touchdown strike.
“We didn’t want to kick a field goal in that spot and we didn’t want to punt,” Aaron Hafner said of the play call, “Our kids executed, and obviously, that was a big play in the game.”
After a missed PAT, the Pirates were back in front 13-7 going to the final period
Early in the fourth quarter, Branson added to its leads with another touchdown—this one on the ground. Javen Finkbone scored from 8 yards away and the Pirates converted on a 2-point try to push the lead to 21-7 with 8:46 remaining in the game.
Carl Junction had a chance to pull within one score on their next drive but Branson stopped the Bulldogs on fourth down inside the 10, with a pass from Merrell to Jaxton Wobken being ruled incomplete in the end zone.
“Offensively, we weren’t great tonight. We really weren’t,” Todd Hafner said, “We missed a couple open plays. I don’t want to take anything away from Branson, but I don’t think we executed well on offense tonight.”
The Pirates took over possession and ran out the clock to secure the 14-point victory.
UP NEXT
Branson (2-3) hosts Neosho, while Carl Junction (1-4) hits the road for a COC matchup against Nixa.
“Todd and I are ready to move forward with our seasons,” Aaron Hafner said, “They have a nice ball club. He’s done a heck of a job in year one. They’re not playing like a team that’s in year one under a new head coach. I’m looking forward to watching them and rooting for them the rest of the season.”
