Salukis move closer to playoff berth with win at Massac County

Playing for your playoff life would surely be enough motivation to be excited for a Friday night football game in October.

Throw in the return of the team’s leading rusher and the Red Hill Salukis recorded a key fifth win in pursuit of a playoff spot with a Week 8 triumph at Massac County, 30-0.

Junior Holden Jacobsen returned to the lineup after missing two games with a broken wrist and looked like he never left. Jacobsen rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries, all team highs. His four yard touchdown run snapped a scoreless tie with 8:18 remaining in the second quarter. Gavin Tewell added the two-point conversion to give the Salukis an 8-0 lead.

Red Hill took a 16-0 lead into halftime with an impressive drive in the closing seconds of the half capped by an option pass by running back Levi McCullough who found Aiden Decker in the back of the end zone as the clock expired.

Jacobsen added the two point conversion for a 16-0 halftime lead.

Red Hill added a third quarter touchdown on a five-yard run by Tewell and a fourth quarter score by Jacobsen from seven yards out as the Saluki defense posted its first shutout of the season.

Red Hill is 5-3 going into a Week 9 road trip Friday at Carlyle (3-5).  Coach Gray feels good that the fifth win will qualify the team for a postseason berth. But a sixth win Friday would feel even better.

Salukis head coach Billy Gray appeared on the GIANT fm Sports Rucker's Candy postgame report with Johnny McCrory and Ryan Schick following Friday's game.