Fast start not enough as Salem wins 37th straight

It only took 1 minute, 45 seconds for Houston to find the end zone. Unfortunately for the Tigers, they didn’t get there again.

The team’s streak of consecutive losses to Salem grew to 37 games Friday night at Tiger Stadium. Salem responded to Houston’s quick strike with five unanswered touchdowns and cruised to a 34-7 victory.

It wasn’t fancy, just effective.

Salem ran the ball on all 40 of its offensive plays –– as it goes back to the wishbone formation from its glory days.

“If you don’t tackle the dive or quarterback in option football, they are going to expose it,” HHS football coach Eric Sloan said. “That’s what happened.”

It couldn’t have been a better start for the Tigers in the South Central Association opener.

After winning the toss, junior Paydon Dixon took the opening kickoff 60 yards to the Salem 16-yard line. Two plays later, he powered into the end zone on a quarterback keeper. The extra point –– the first of the season –– was good to give Houston its first advantage of the season.

{{tncms-inline alignment=”right” content=”<p>SCA</p> <p><strong>Week 3 scores</strong></p> <p>Salem 34, Houston 7</p> <p>Willow Springs 40, Cabool 27</p> <p>Thayer 38, Liberty 35</p> <p>Ava 22, Mountain Grove 19</p> <p><strong>Week 4 games</strong></p> <p>Houston at Cabool</p> <p>Thayer at Salem</p> <p>Ava at Liberty</p> <p>Mountain Grove at Willow Springs</p> <p>––––––</p> <p><strong>BOX SCORE</strong></p> <p>SALEM 34, HOUSTON 7</p> <p>Salem 6 20 8 0 –– 34</p> <p>Houston 7 0 0 0 –– 7</p> <p>First Quarter</p> <p>HOU –– Dixon 7 run (Lee kick), 10:15.</p> <p>SAL –– Camden 18 run (kick failed), 8:59.</p> <p>Second Quarter</p> <p>SAL –– Ball 7 run (run failed), 11:55.</p> <p>SAL –– Leslie 30 run (run failed), 7:01.</p> <p>SAL –– Leslie 55 run (Shipp run), 2:58.</p> <p>Third Quarter</p> <p>SAL –– Gray 66 run (Camden run), 0:41</p> <p>––––––</p> <p>SAL HOU</p> <p>First downs 8 8</p> <p>Total yards 364 92</p> <p>Rushes-yards 40-364 47-69</p> <p>Passing 0 23</p> <p>Punt returns 0 19</p> <p>Kickoff returns 65 121</p> <p>Comp-att-int 0-0-0 1-12-1</p> <p>Sacked-yards lost 1-4 2-20</p> <p>Punts 2-24.0 3-34.7</p> <p>Fumbles-lost 4-3 1-1</p> <p>Penalties-yards 5-35 6-40</p> <p>––––––</p> <p>INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS</p> <p>RUSHING –– Salem, Leslie 6-126, Gray 7-94, Ousley 2-40, Ball 4-36, Shipp 9-31, Camden 10-24, Newman 2-13. Houston, Richardson 13-34, Dixon 14-26, Sawyer 8-12, Burchett 4-8, Leier 1-0, Martin 1-0, alston 6-(minus 11).</p> <p>PASSING –– Salem, none. Houston, Dixon 1-6-0 13, Burchett 1-6-1 10.</p> <p>RECEIVING –– Salem, none. Houston, Clayton 1-13, Moseley 1-10.</p>” id=”ecf0d838-80a6-458c-ad72-7f42d68a2d4c” style-type=”bio” title=”SCOREBOARD” type=”relcontent” width=”half”}}

But the lead lasted less than two minutes.

Salem (2-1, 1-0 SCA) returned the ensuing kickoff 54 yards and three plays later was in the end zone for the first of four times in the first half.

HHS, which last beat Salem in 1980, managed a season-high eight first downs. Senior Evan Richardson ran for 34 yards on 13 carries and Dixon added 26 and his second touchdown.

“I thought we competed better,” Sloan said. “We moved the ball a little offensively. It’s not been very good the past couple weeks offensively, so that was good.”

Quinci Leslie had touchdown runs of 30 and 55 yards as part of his game-high 126 rushing yards. Chandler Gray had 94 yards, highlighted by a 66-yard score in the fourth quarter.

Houston (0-3, 0-1 SCA) ran 19 more plays than Salem. But the Tigers were outgained 364 to 92 in total yards.

“They keep gashing you and eating clock until the floodgate opens a little bit, then they are off to the races,” Sloan said.

Houston had some offensive success with misdirection plays early in the game. The Tigers also introduced a short-yardage package with double tight ends and three blockers directly behind the line with Dixon in shotgun.

The Tigers were lined up in the formation on Dixon’s first-quarter touchdown run.

“We’ve been watching a lot of film and trying to find something to do to be a little more successful,” Sloan said. “It’s something Thayer has done for several years. It’s something we saw on film and stole.”

SCA

Week 3 scores

Salem 34, Houston 7

Willow Springs 40, Cabool 27

Thayer 38, Liberty 35

Ava 22, Mountain Grove 19

Week 4 games

Houston at Cabool

Thayer at Salem

Ava at Liberty

Mountain Grove at Willow Springs

––––––

BOX SCORE

SALEM 34, HOUSTON 7

Salem 6 20 8 0 –– 34

Houston 7 0 0 0 –– 7

First Quarter

HOU –– Dixon 7 run (Lee kick), 10:15.

SAL –– Camden 18 run (kick failed), 8:59.

Second Quarter

SAL –– Ball 7 run (run failed), 11:55.

SAL –– Leslie 30 run (run failed), 7:01.

SAL –– Leslie 55 run (Shipp run), 2:58.

Third Quarter

SAL –– Gray 66 run (Camden run), 0:41

––––––

SAL HOU

First downs 8 8

Total yards 364 92

Rushes-yards 40-364 47-69

Passing 0 23

Punt returns 0 19

Kickoff returns 65 121

Comp-att-int 0-0-0 1-12-1

Sacked-yards lost 1-4 2-20

Punts 2-24.0 3-34.7

Fumbles-lost 4-3 1-1

Penalties-yards 5-35 6-40

––––––

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING –– Salem, Leslie 6-126, Gray 7-94, Ousley 2-40, Ball 4-36, Shipp 9-31, Camden 10-24, Newman 2-13. Houston, Richardson 13-34, Dixon 14-26, Sawyer 8-12, Burchett 4-8, Leier 1-0, Martin 1-0, alston 6-(minus 11).

PASSING –– Salem, none. Houston, Dixon 1-6-0 13, Burchett 1-6-1 10.

RECEIVING –– Salem, none. Houston, Clayton 1-13, Moseley 1-10.