HUMBOLDT — Humboldt High and visiting Eureka High traded missed scoring opportunities like bubblegum cards in a back-and-forth first half Friday.
Humboldt’s Hunter Murrow twice picked off Eureka passes deep in Cub territory to snuff Tornado scoring chances.
But while Humboldt’s offense continued to sputter after halftime, Eureka’s started to click.
The Tornadoes scored the game’s final 32 points — 18 after halftime — in a 32-7 win.
The loss drops Humboldt to 0-2 on the season.
“We competed better than last week,” Humboldt head coach Mike Miller said, referring to a lop-sided season-opening loss to Caney Valley. “We came out with a little more and intensity and fire. We played a good first half.”
Humboldt took the early lead, thanks to a key 38-yard pass down the middle from Derrik McCall to Noah Thornbrugh. Two plays later, McCall broke around the left end and raced untouched on a six-yard touchdown.
The 7-0 lead lasted less than two minutes, when Eureka’s Tyler Spore broke free on an 18-yard touchdown run. The failed extra point kept the Cubs’ lead at 7-6.
The Tornadoes took the lead for good when Braden Barrett hit Thomas Lowe on a 26-yard touchdown pass midway through the second quarter.
Humboldt had a golden scoring opportunity late in the half after freshman Zack Osborn recovered a Eureka fumble at midfield. But Eureka turned the tables three plays later, when the Tornadoes intercepted a McCall pass at the goal line.
The game’s pivotal moments likely occurred early in the third quarter when Humboldt’s defense forced Eureka into a third and long.
But Barrett found Lowe on a 67-yard touchdown to push the lead to 19-7.
“It went downhill from there,” Miller said.
The Barrett-Lowe tandem connected again midway through the third period on a nine-yard pass before Barrett capped the scoring on an 11-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.
McCall led Humboldt with 75 yards on 16 carries. He completed 10 of 25 passes for 11 yards with four interceptions. Thornbrugh had two receptions for 69 yards, while Alex Murrow had 19 yards on two catches.
McCall had nine tackles on defense. Blake Crawford added a fumble recovery.
The Cubs (0-2) travel to Neodesha next Friday.
Eureka 6-8-12-6—32
Humboldt 7-0-0-0—7
Humboldt — McCall 6 yd run (Boring kick)
Eureka — Spore 18 yd run (kick failed)
Eureka — Lowe 26 yd pass from Barrett (Spore run)
Eureka — Lowe 67 yd pass from Barrett (kick failed)
Eureka — Lowe 9 yd pass from Barrett (run failed)
Eureka — Barrett 11 yd run (run failed)
Tornadoes sweep under Cubs
