Potosi keeps Perryville winless

The Trojans posted a 40-0 victory on Saturday.

Last season, Perryville's football team reeled off four straight wins to win its district after a loss to Potosi dropped it to 1-5.

This year, a 40-0 loss to Potosi on Saturday at Perryville's homecoming dropped the Pirates to 0-6. While this year's squad has a largely different starting group, the coaching staff hopes they can catch some late-season magic once again.

Perryville coach Rick Chastain said he included some words about last year's run in his postgame talk.

"I brought up some things that happened last year," he said. "A lot of these kids were part of that. They just have to remember. The attitudes have to be cured."

Unlike last year's meeting between Potosi and Perryville, which ended with the Trojans on top 28-27, this year's contest was never in doubt. Potosi needed just two plays to go ahead 7-0 less than three minutes into the game. Earl Haug completed a 31-yard pass to Kevin Schneiders, and Brandon Casey followed with a six-yard touchdown run.

Potosi finished off its second short drive of the half on a 5-yard run from Casey on the first play of the second quarter to make it 14-0. The Trojans' lone hiccup in the opening half came as they were starting another drive near midfield late in the half.

Perryville senior Tony Guillen intercepted a Haug pass and returned it all the way to the Potosi 17 with about two minutes remaining. The Pirates got down to the 8 and had a third and one. An incompletion on third down and a defensive stand on a fourth-down quarterback sneak ended Perryville's best offensive threat of the game.

"That was a big play," Chastain said. "If we could have got the first down and scored, we could have made it 14-7. But good teams make their own breaks, and right now we're not in that caliber as a great team."

Potosi turned around and drove 96 yards to score with 8 seconds remaining in the half. Casey capped the drive with a 35-yard touchdown run.

Casey added a 60-yard touchdown run midway through the third, his fourth score of the day, and Potosi added two fourth-quarter touchdowns to finish the rout.

Overall, Casey finished with 179 yards on 18 carries. Perryville did hold Haug -- who came into the game with 651 yards and no interceptions -- to just 5-of-12 passing for 82 yards.

Chastain said the effort is there with his squad; the coaching staff just has to work on adjusting the team's attitude down the stretch.

"The way that the districts are set up now there's always hope," he said. "If we get our heads together, we still have a chance."

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POTOSI 40, PERRYVILLE 0

Potosi 7 13 7 13 -- 40

Perryville 0 0 0 0 -- 0

First Quarter

PO -- Brandon Casey 6-yard run (Travis Edwards kick)

Second Quarter

PO -- Casey 5-yard run (Edwards kick)

PO -- Casey 35-yard run (kick failed)

Third Quarter

PO -- Casey 60-yard run (Edwards kick)

Fourth Quarter

PO -- Chris Harl 30-yard pass from Earl Haug (Edwards kick)

PO -- Justin Laramore 22-yard run (kick failed)

Potosi Perryville

First downs 13 10

Rushes-yards 30-293 28-67

Passing yards 97 139

Passes 6-12-1 14-29-0

Punts 1-28 5-28.6

Fumbles-Lost 2-2 4-0

Penalties-Yards 5-30 5-35

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING -- Potosi, Brando Casey18-179, Earl Haug 4-13, Dominic Lemons 2-47, Kurt Davis 3-16, Taylor Robinson 1-2, Joe Douthit 3-14, Justin Laramore 1-22; Perryville, Joe Kreitler 11-18, Josh Hayden 1-4, Ryan Schilling 11-26, Travis Brown 3-15, Tony Guillen 1-3, Kris Cottner 1-1

PASSING -- Potosi, Haug 5-11-1-82, Jordan Politte 1-1-0-15; Perryville, Schilling 14-28-0-139; Hayden 0-1-0-0

RECEIVING -- Potosi, Kevin Schneiders 2-35, A.J. Long 2-17, Chris Harl 1-30, Robinson 1-15; Perryville, Ryan Regelsperger 4-44, Adam Westmoreland 2-23, Marcus Walton 2-9, Hayden 2-34, Kreitler 3-0, Cottner 1-11