THAYER — A homecoming float behind the Houston bench depicted a Tiger tied to a rocket. The paper mache words on the side of the trailer read: “Houston, You Have A Problem.”
That problem was Thayer’s offensive and defensive lines.
The Bobcats ran the ball on all but three plays Friday night as they pushed around the Tigers. They pounded out 384 rushing yards and held Houston to just 60 total yards.
It added up to a lopsided loss. Thayer 64, Houston 7.
Thayer tailback Cameron Carey was the beneficiary of his offensive line’s dominance. He carried the ball 16 times for 177 yards and had touchdown runs of 21, 43, 11, 4 and 3 yards.
Ten different players carried the ball for the Bobcats, who are competing in the SCA for the first time since 1987. Thayer (5-2, 4-2 SCA) averaged 8.9 yards per rush and did not punt.
Houston (0-7, 0-5 SCA) managed just 68 total yards and three first downs as it dropped its 12th consecutive conference game. The Tigers’ last SCA victory was a 56-34 win Oct. 24, 2008, against Willow Springs.
Drake Bell led Houston with 37 rushing yards on 18 attempts.
Quarterback Jacob Kelley was 2-of-12 passing for 12 yards in his second start. He was intercepted twice.
Trailing 49-0 late in the first half, Houston scored a late touchdown for its lone points. Bell had runs of 4, 28, and 9 yards on consecutive runs to move inside Thayer territory. Kyle Jones capped the eight play, 72-yard drive with a 14-yard touchdown run with 7.3 seconds left in the half.
Rodney Preheim connected on the PAT.
It took Thayer 1 minute, 51 seconds and five plays to score its first points. Carey capped a 55-yard drive with a 21-yard run to make it 7-0.
The Bobcats scored three more times in the first quarter and led 27-0. Houston did not have a first down.
Three plays after a Kelley interception, Carey scored from 11 yards out early in the second quarter. He had another rushing score on the Bobcats’ next possession, and a high snap on a Houston punt attempt led to a safety and 43-0 Thayer advantage.
Two plays after the safety, Thayer’s Cody Gitzen had a 34-yard rushing score to make it 49-0.
After giving up Houston’s score in the waning moments of the first half, the Bobcats returned their varsity starters to the game and scored on their second play of the third quarter — a 3-yard Carey run.
Mitch Webber had a 6-yard rushing score in the fourth quarter to complete the scoring.
