Red Bud opened the 2021 prep football season on the road in Perryville Friday night. In a last-minute change to the posted schedule, the Pinckneyville Panthers were unable to field a team due to a COVID issue. Red Bud Athletic Director was able to salvage the event by arranging a contest with the Perryville Pirates. Both teams were up for the challenge and adapted well to the late change.

Red Bud scored first on a 73-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Easton Lucht to wide receiver Evan Dressel early in the first frame. Kicker Lane Brockmeyer added the point after touchdown to give the Musketeers an early 7-0 lead. Midway through the first quarter, Red Bud sustained a drive that was capped off with a one-yard TD run by Lucht on a quarterback keeper; the PAT failed but The Boys were up 13-0. The Musketeers scored a third time on a two-yard run by fullback Devin Hall during the second quarter. The PAT again failed to make the score 19-0 at the half.

A key to the success in this win was the strong play by the offensive line. The squad was able to move the Pirate defense, create lanes for the running game, and protect their quarterback, furnishing the time needed to throw the football. The defense was up to the challenge as well, stifling the opponent’s ground game and pressuring the quarterback on pass plays. The Red Bud defense notched three takeaways, a fumble recovery by defensive lineman Kyle Loughner, a fumble recovery, and an interception by Easton Lucht. Lucht completed 7 passes in 11 attempts for 139 yards, a touchdown, and no interceptions.

Perryville was able to get on the scoreboard in the third quarter by exploiting a rare breakdown in the Red Bud defense. The Pirates connected on an eleven-yard touchdown pass. Neither team was able to score during the fourth quarter so the final score was 19-6, Good Guys

The team travels to Roxana this week to take on the Shells. Roxana lost last week and would like to even their record Friday at the expense of the Musketeers. The Boys will need to keep their focus this week and execute the game plan that worked so well this week to earn a win. This game promises to be a good matchup that you won’t want to miss. Make the drive north to support your team, kick-off is at 7:00.