LINDEN - Nine different players scored and the Carlisle Indians ran up 538 yards total offense as the Tribe ripped off a 82-7 win over Linden-Kildare Friday night.
With the win, the Indians run their record to 5-4 on the year and 4-1 in District 9-2A. Carlisle will face 6-3 Shelbyville in the first round of the playoffs Thursday night in Carthage. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
Brody Eaves ran for 108 yards on just eight carries, including a 55-yard TD run, while Fernando Espinoza completed seven of nine passes for 170 yards. Eaves ran for two scores and also hauled in a 25-yard pass from Espinoza for his third score.
The Carlisle defense held LK to just 53 yards on 42 plays, led by linebacker Joel Fraser who had eight tackles, four unassisted and two tackles for loss. Eighteen of the Tigers’ 32 running plays were held to either no gain or were thrown for a loss.
Eaves had three touchdowns and Clayton Hart, Espinoza, Aaron Gallegos, Erik Garza, Luis Reyes, Zeshaun Reed, Chucky Martinez and Christobal Hernandez each had one. Hernandez’s touchdown was the final points of the night after he stripped the ball from the LK quarterback and ran 30 yards to the end zone.
Carlisle led 27-6 at the end of the first quarter, 55-7 at the half and 69-7 after three quarters.
Hart had 69 yards rushing, including a 50-yard scoring run, on just three carries and another 66 on two receptions.
Eaves has 1,208 yards on the ground after nine games and has scored 20 touchdowns, 19 rushing. Espinoza has thrown for 1,525 yards and nine touchdowns. Reed leads the Indians with 28 receptions for 325 yards while Hart has 24 for a team-high 549 yards and four touchdowns. Hart has also scored four TDs on the ground.