Team

Warren Harding

Record	Div.	Conf.
2/7	Div. I	All-American Conference Gold Tier

Team

Austintown Fitch

Record	Div.	Conf.
6/4	Div. I	All-American Conference Gold Tier

Bowden, Murry run wild in rout of Falcons

By Ryan Buck

sports@vindy.com

WARREN

On a night where the community celebrated its 1990 state championship team, the Warren Harding football team channeled some greatness of its own as the Raiders methodically dispatched visiting Austintown Fitch, 38-0, on Friday night at Mollenkopf Stadium.

Raiders quarterback Lynn Bowden rushed for three touchdowns and 207 yards and threw for a touchdown. Backfield mate Keemari Murry rushed for 145 hard-fought yards and a touchdown.

The Raiders, who are 4-0 for the first time since 2004, fielded a defense that held Fitch to 208 total yards and forced three turnovers.

“They’ve been our nemesis,” Harding coach Steve Arnold said of the Falcons (2-2). “They had beaten us four years in a row and three since I’ve been the coach. This is special.”

Arnold’s counterpart on the opposite sideline happened to be the coach of that 1990 team. Fitch coach Phil Annarella has since led the Falcons’ program to unprecedented consistency since his arrival.

Perhaps Friday’s result signaled a changing of the guard.

“They just were the much better football team tonight,” Annarella said. “There’s no two ways about it. They deserved the victory. [Arnold] ought to be very proud of his kids tonight.”

The Raiders dominated from the start.

On their second drive of the game, Bowden and Murry traded first-down carries as they led a time-consuming march. Murry ripped off an 18-yard run and Bowden found Juwon Pringle for a first down on third-and-3 at the Falcons’ 23 yard line.

Bowden then reversed field and scrambled away from pursuing defenders, set his feet and found Pringle alone in the back right corner of the end zone for a 6-0 first-quarter lead.

Their third drive was similar as it featured all running plays, highlighted by a 29 yard Bowden run, a 16-yarder from Murry and a 6-yard touchdown run from Bowden.

Harding’s offensive line of Kaleb Jones, Dan Angelo, Taj Harper, Devin Starr and Myron Cunningham towered over the Falcons’s defensive front, paving the way for Bowden and Murry to run wild.

“As a leader I talked to my line before we started and we picked it up as the game went on,” said Murry, a senior and a three-year starter.

The Falcons, whose most promising first-half drive ended with a sack on the Harding 16-yard line, trailed 12-0 out of halftime, but any hopes of a comeback faded on their first possession of the third quarter.

Running back Randy Smith fumbled as he fought for extra yardage and Nazzarion Battee recovered for the Raiders at the Fitch 31. On the next play, Murry busted loose and broke four tackles en route to a touchdown and a 19-0 lead.

Fitch responded as quarterback Nate Fowler pushed the tempo, converting quick passes and spread formation runs down to the Harding 6 yard line.

After two incompletions, Fowler’s third-down pass into the end zone was intercepted by Jalen Hooks, who clinched last week’s victory over Massillon with an interception in the same end zone.

Bowden and Murry traded 33- and 22-yard runs, respectively, on the ensuing drive. Murry then rumbled to the Fitch 3-yard line on a 26-yard jaunt and Bowden took it in on the next play to give the Raiders a 26-0 advantage.