RISON - A win in game one does not make a season.But even though it is just one game, what transpired last Friday night at George Walker Field of Champions helped sweep away some of the lingering bitterness of Rison's nasty season a year ago, just like the sudden storm which swept through near the end of the first half.Certainly, before the sideways torrents of rain barreled across the gridiron, the Wildcats had already established command of their season-opening contest, as they literally ran their way to a convincing 38-16 victory over the Camden Harmony Grove Hornets in a non-conference tussle.A surprising win, especially in the final margin? Maybe. But after their disastrous 2023 campaign that started with seven straight defeats, this was a victory the 'Cats desperately needed to gain confidence, many on the Rison squad having endured the pain of a year ago. And several on the team had not forgotten a late touchdown scored by Harmony Grove in last year's meeting, when the "mercy clock" was running and the Hornets led by 36 points at the time, as they tacked up another TD to pile it on. Here Friday night, the Wildcats took a couple of knees at the end when in the Harmony Grove red zone.Harmony Grove, which opened its season the week before by defeating Class 2A's No. 1 Junction City, 30-20, dropped to 1-1 overall. Rison now holds a 28-10 lead in the series with the Hornets, dating back to 1970. New head coach Chris Vereen watched the Wildcats pile up 492 yards, all on the ground, as they notched touchdowns on six of their eight offensive possessions in averaging 8.4 yards per snap. The two offensive series when Rison didn't score ended with a lost fumble and the other with the clock running out in the game after the 'Cats marched inside the Hornets' 20, as they maintained possession the final 7:42 of the contest. Only seven other times since 1960 has Rison had more rushing yards in a game than last Friday night. The 'Cats attempted ...
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