Carlisle Indians trounce Alto 55-12: Five first-quarter turnovers seal Yellowjacket fate

In a game rife with miscues and turnovers Alto was routed by the Carlisle Indians Thursday night, 55-12.

A foreboding change in the scheduling brought the Yellowjackets to Arrowhead Stadium at Price for the game a day early, related to weather-related fears for the following day.

The change did not appear to benefit Alto early as the Indians were first to score in the opening quarter.

While Alto’s opening possession appeared promising, an early interception by Carlisle senior defensive back Trey Atkison (No. 2), gave the Indians early momentum.

Head Carlisle football Coach Clay Baker said he was proud of the effort by his team.

“They’re a good football team,” Coach Baker said of Alto. “Coach (Ricky) Meeks does a good job with his team. I know the score is a little lop-sided tonight, but I couldn’t be more proud of how our guys played.

“They came out and they put out the effort in all three phases of the game. I couldn’t be more proud of this group.”

Taking the early 7-0 lead, the Jackets were quick to challenge, with the dynamic duo of rushing of senior quarterback Fred Thacker (No. 16) and sophomore running back Vi’Dareous High (No. 2).

High was Alto’s best rusher, taking the ball 154 yards on 21 carries.

Alto was quick to respond, putting a touchdown on the scoreboard, but with a missed extra-point, the Indians led 7-6.

“We knew they were going to have some big plays,” Coach Baker said.

“They’ve got some good athletes. They’re one of the better teams, I feel, in the region. We knew it was going to be a bend-don’t-break philosophy. The fact that we held a team like that, that has as many weapons as they have to choose from, my hat’s off to the defense.”

The Yellowjackets gave up the ball five times in the first half, including five interceptions and a fumble to give early advantages to the Indians.

The explosion of scoring by Carlisle provided an insurmountable advantage to Carlisle, with the Indians leading 48-12 by halftime.

Junior Alto quarterback Harmon West scored the Jacket’s only other score with 6:04 remaining in the second quarter.

Both extra points missed the mark, leaving Alto with a final point-total of 12.

Alto appeared to struggle in all three phases of the game, yielding advantages on offense, defense and special teams.

Local media had branded the game East Texas’ game of the week, because of the intense rivalry of the two squads. However, the night belonged to Carlisle as the Indians capitalized on Alto turnovers, driving up the first-half score and shutting down half-a-dozen promising Alto drives.

While both teams played aggressive defense throughout the tame, it was Carlisle defense that ultimately won the night, stifling Alto drives and forcing turnovers.

Senior Carlisle quarterback Gerald Turner rushed for 150 yards on a dozen carries, and putting two TD’s on the board.

Turner also passed for 140 yards.

By contrast, Alto’s Thacker completed four of seven passes for 85 yards, three interceptions and no touchdowns.

Friday night,

Alto will host the Cushing Bearkats at home. Kickoff is at 7:30.