Thanks to a fast start Purcell dispatched Little Axe last Thursday night on the road, 42-14 with head coach Aaron Dillard subbing for most of the second half.
Junior quarterback Kash Guthmueller ran for four touchdowns and threw for two more, all in the first half of play.
Guthmueller, who gained 96 yards rushing on 10 carries, scored on runs of 38, 10, six and seven yards out.
He found Noah Mason twice for touchdowns in the second quarter. The first Guthmueller to Mason scoring play was a 31-yard beauty. Later in the period Mason hauled in a 15 yard aerial off the arm of Guthmueller.
The signal caller was 3-5 passing for 85 yards in one half of football.
With a running clock in the second half the Indians got a heavy dose of freshman quarterback Cooper Selman.
“As a team, we had a really strong game,” Dillard said. “Kash had a big night and Boston Knowles had a really solid game.”
The coach said Knowles had “several big, long runs called back.
“We didn’t defend a whole lot of snaps,” the coach continued. “In the second half we had a running clock so our defensive stats were low.”
Little Axe made one first down against Purcell’s ones.
“As a unit our defense played pretty well,” Dillard said.
He singled out the defensive line’s work.
The coach was speaking of the play of Tavian Engert, Derek Cravens, Landry Bacon, Brody Holder and Jonathan Minor.
“They controlled the line of scrimmage,” Dillard confirmed.
Junior linebacker Noel Chavez stripped the ball loose from an Indian runner with Ryker Fink pouncing on the loose pigskin.
Up next is a 7 p.m. kickoff at Comanche.
“I’ve followed them all year and they have consistently improved,” Dillard said of the Indians. “They are out of the playoffs but it’s their senior night. We expect their best shot.”
Comanche will operate out of a 4-2-5 defensive set when the Dragons have the ball and run a spread on offense.
“They like to spread you out and then run,” the coach said. “Their quarterback is their best player.”
Dillard said the key for Purcell is to get out to an early lead.
“We need to jump on them early,” he said. “If you come out flat, the longer you let them hang around the tougher it gets. We need to control the line of scrimmage on both sides and hit some big plays early.”
Dragon notes:
Head coach Aaron Dillard nominated Kash Guthmueller as the Offensive Player of the week for his six touchdown night, four rushing and two passing.
Derek Cravens got the nod as the Offensive Lineman of the Week. He graded out at 70 percent against Little Axe.
Dillard nominated Brody Holder as the Defensive Lineman of the Week. He had five tackles and a sack against the Indians.
There was no nominee for Defensive Player of the Week.
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