By RAY BENTON and JASON KING
Leader sports staff
Friday marked what could potentially be the start of another dominating 2A-6 Conference run for Carlisle as the Bison whipped Palestine Wheatley in a 48-0 shutout at Fred C. Hardke Field on Friday.
The Bison (3-0, 1-0) ran the table on league competition last year with an unbeaten campaign on their way to the 2A state championship game, and have jumped out to an equally strong start in 2012.
“I was pleased with our guys,” Carlisle coach Scott Waymire said. “We opened up conference with a victory, and that’s what you’re supposed to do. Clinton Hampton and Brandon Page stepped up because of injuries.”
Junior running back Deron Ricks got things started for the Bison with a one-yard touchdown run at the 6:08 mark of the first quarter, and Clinton Hampton added to the early lead with a 14-yard touchdown run with 4:28 left to go in the opening period.
Ricks struck again for Carlisle before the first 12 minutes expired with a 19-yard TD rush with 1:20 remaining in the first to make it 18-0.
Senior quarterback Chris Hart snuck in the next Carlisle score with a six-yard run, and completed a successful two-point conversion pass to Austin Reed to give the Bison a 26-0 lead.
Hart scored from the air later in the second quarter with a 23-yard touchdown pass to Justice Bryant with 3:44 remaining until halftime. The Bison cashed in another two-point try with Hart connecting to Braden Reed to give Carlisle a 34-0 lead.
The Bison put up one more score before the half with a six-yard touchdown run by Ricks with 43 seconds left to play in the second quarter, and a two-point conversion run for Reed made the halftime score a lopsided 40-0.
Waymire called off the dogs in the second half, but Tyler Young set the final margin with 5:27 remaining on a 14-yard touchdown run. Ricks had 13 carries for 103 yards and three touchdowns, along with a fumble recovery and interception on the defense.
Bryant finished with eight carries for 75 yards as a replacement for injured all-state running back Bo Weddle, who is out for the season with a torn ACL.
“With Bo going down he’s had to step up for us and he’s done a good job,” Waymire said. “We played well on defense. We just have to keep rolling, stay healthy and get better.”
Carlisle finished with 286 total yards. Hart completed 5 of 14 passes for 73 yards and a touchdown. Palestine Wheatley finished with 126 total yards, 99 of which came on the ground.
The Bison will play at Des Arc next week.
