Three plays into Sumner Academy's Kansas City Atchison League contest at Harmon, it was evident the Sabres were the better team.
The visitors scored their first touchdown in three plays and tallied three total scores in less than 10 offensive plays and never looked back in the 60-0 drubbing on Senior Night at Harmon.
Sumner led 40-0 after the first quarter and 53-0 at halftime. Running back Antonio Harrison scored four touchdowns in the first half. Backup running back Robert Graves-Day scored on the ground and caught a pass for a touchdown. Quarterback Cam Johnson accounted for two first-half scores and wide receiver Ricky Brown added a 72-yard score on a jet sweep.
Jammial Hicks rushed for a score in the fourth quarter to cap the scoring.
The win pushed Sumner to 4-3 on the season and 3-2 in the KCAL. Head coach Andrew Wright gave valuable minutes to some younger players while some of his stalwarts watched from the sideline most of the second half.
“Our biggest thing all week was preparation,” Wright said. “I'm just proud of the first guy on the roster to the last guy. They played well.”
Harrison feasted against the smaller Hawks defenders. He was rarely tackled let alone touched in his brief but productive appearance. He was nothing but complimentary of the younger Sabres that got a chance to shine under the Friday night lights.
“The younger guys are the future of this program,” Harrison said. “Two years from now when I'm gone, they'll be the ones that are stepping up. They'll be the ones having four touchdowns in a game. Getting experience is definitely important in games like this.”
Harmon's struggles continued Friday. The Hawks are winless on the year and have not scored in four games. After its latest defeat, Harmon has been outscored 242-0. The constant losing can be demoralizing to Harmon players, but it didn't stop them from showing some grit against Sumner. The crowd also remained lively throughout a game that featured a mercy-rule running clock the entire second half.
Interim head coach Alvis Coy took over for Pat Hansen after one game, a 52-0 loss to Turner last month. The transition hasn't been smooth. Coy was prevented from speaking to a PrepsKC reporter after the game and referred questions to a district spokesperson.
The slight was not a good look for the Harmon administration which still hasn't publicly said why officials forced Hansen to step down.
On the field, Harrison opened the game with runs of 35 and 19 yards, culminating with a 1-yard touchdown. He followed with a 27-yard scoring one in which he was stopped in the backfield, escaped tackles, reversed field and outraced defenders to the endzone. It was the play of the night and should get consideration for one of the better plays of the week metro-wide.
“I got the ball. I didn't have time to react,” Harrison said. “I'm just getting hit… but he isn't taking me down. I get all the way out and look to my right. Nothing but green so turn the burners on. Next thing you know it's a touchdown.”
Brown's score on a 72-yard run was followed by Harrison's third TD, a 25-yard scoot that helped the Sabres go up 26-0.
Graves-Dye pushed the first quarter lead to 33-0 with a 25-yard touchdown run of his own. A Johnson to Graves-Dye pass for a 7-yard touchdown extended the lead to 40-zip after the first quarter.
Harrison opened the second quarter with a scoring run from 34 yards out and Johnson scored on a 19-yard QB keeper to make it 53-0 at half.
