CARROLL – After giving up a 60-yard touchdown run and trailing 7-0 midway through the first quarter, the Bloom-Carroll football team never flinched and responded in a big way.
The Bulldogs reeled off 42 unanswered points and left no doubt as they cruised to a 42-7 Mid-State League-Buckeye Division win to clinch their seventh consecutive league championship Friday night at Carl Fell Stadium.
The Bulldogs improved to 7-2 overall and 5-0 in the league.
“I have been here for all of them,” said Bloom-Carroll coach Jeremy McKinney, the defensive coordinator for the first four and winning his third as the head coach. “Those guys back in 2018 set the standard and we have been able to uphold our end of the bargain. I am proud of our seniors that we have been able to live up to that expectation and maintain our tradition.”
More: Bloom-Carroll's Ethan Thanthanavong is the 2023 Eagle-Gazette Co-Offensive Player of the Year.
More: How do you like me now?: Once considered too big to play QB, Thanthanavong proves them wrong
Thanthanavong continues to raise his level of play
Senior quarterback Ethan Thanthanavong, a three-year starter who helped lead Bloom-Carroll to a state runner-up finish his sophomore year, was making his 38 th career start. He continues to play at an elite level and was almost perfect against the Rangers.
Thanthanavong accounted for 328 yards of total offense and four touchdowns. He was efficient as he completed 9 of 10 passes for 247 yards and his three touchdown passes went for 73, 63, and 44 yards, and he rushed for 81 yards and had a 66-yard touchdown run.
“I just want to take advantage of the opportunities I’m given,” Thanthanavong said. “Every time I throw the ball, it could be my last, you never know, so I want to take advantage of everything. As far as running the ball more and with success, it is a testament to all my work in the offseason paying off. I have been working on my speed to try and be a dual threat this year, so defenses have another thing to worry about when I have the ball in my hands.
McKinney said Thanthanavong is the straw that stirs the drink for the Bulldogs.
“As he goes, so do we. Ethan is a heck of a football player,” McKinney said. “He is special, and he has worked hard to make himself into the football player that he is and we are glad he is our quarterback. He is playing at an elite level.”
Bulldogs responded in a big way
After the Rangers took their 7-0 lead, Bloom-Carroll came right back to tie the score on Beau Sherman’s 30-yard touchdown run, and the Bulldogs never let up.
Thanthanavong followed with a perfectly thrown ball as he connected with Rusty Hutchinson on a 73-yard touchdown pass. Then, Deven Ash returned a blocked field goal 75 yards for another score, and Thanthanavong hit Hutchinson again, this time, on a 63-yard scoring pass. On the play, Hutchinson received the ball on a 5-yard out, made two guys miss, and was off to the races to give the Bulldogs a 28-7 halftime lead. Hutchinson finished with six catches for 191 yards.
Early in the third quarter, Thanthanavong threw another perfect pass as he hit Lunden Dodds in a stride on a 44-yard touchdown pass. Bloom-Carroll closed out the scoring late in the third quarter when Thanthanavong cut through the defense and raced down the sideline for a 66-yard touchdown run.
Bloom-Carroll only ran 25 offensive plays compared to 66 for Hamilton Township. The difference, the Bulldogs averaged 14.1 yards per play compared to 5.6 for the Rangers. B-C finished with 398 total yards.
Tom Wilson is a sports reporter for the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. Contact him at 740-689-5150 or via email at twilson@gannett.com for comments or story tips. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @twil2323.
This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: MSL Champions: Bloom-Carroll routes Hamilton Township and wins seventh straight league title
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