CHAMBERSBURG — You could say that the defenses played spectacularly well.

In truth, however, the offenses did not exactly set the world on fire, not by a long shot.

Mason Mowen

A winless Carlisle football team put up a spirited fight, but one touchdown by Chambersburg was just enough to come away with a less-than-thrilling 6-0 Mid Penn Commonwealth win Friday night for Homecoming at Trojan Stadium.

The Trojans (3-4, 2-4 MPC) somehow overcame a penalty bonanza — 13 offenses for 145 yards — by holding the Thundering Herd (0-7, 0-6 MPC) to just 82 yards of offense.

Of Carlisle’s 7 first downs, 4 came via a Chambersburg penalty. The Trojans held the Herd to two first downs and 27 yards in the second half on five possessions.

“The defense played really well,” Chambersburg coach Gary Carter said, “but the offense did not at all. We couldn’t gain any momentum with all of the penalties in the first half (12 for 130 yards), and we left so many plays on the field.

“In our league, however, a win is a win and we’ll take it.”

Carlisle quarterback Carter Wilson hurt the Trojans a few times with scrambling runs early, but Chambersburg thwarted that after a couple of series.

“We just had to slow down (rushing him) and re-collect ourselves,” said Trojan defensive end Ray Williams. “When he got out of the pocket, we shut down where he was trying to go.”

Ray Williams

Chambersburg totaled 5 sacks — Williams, Enoch Keath and Colton Horst each had one and Mason Mowen had two.

Late in the third quarter, Mowen was called for pass interference that gave the Herd a first down at their own 47.

“I told Raymond (Williams) that I was going to try to get that back,” Mowen said. “I didn’t think that should have been PI.”

Two plays later, Mowen sacked Wilson for a 9-yard loss, and later he made a tackle for no gain and another sack of Wilson on fourth down that proved to be Carlisle’s last offensive play.

That also ended the Herd’s best chance to score. Chambersburg’s Devon Nalewak punted and Carlisle’s Mickel Hakim found a seam and returned it 38 yards to the Trojan 25 with just under 6 minutes to go. Nalewak made a touchdown-saving tackle on the sideline.

The Chambersburg defense then got to work, stopping Curtis Stroud for a 1-yard gain and causing two incompletions by Wilson until Mowen’s sack.

“I thought Ray Williams and Mason Mowen played well and had some good plays,” Carter said. “And Seth Gilliam and Isaiah Tasker played well on defense, too.”

The Trojan offense put together only two decent drives all game. The first came late in the second quarter when they reached the Herd’s 10 on a pair of nice runs by Malachi Tasker and a 16-yard pass from Cam Green to Isaiah Tasker.

But a holding penalty pushed Chambersburg back to the 20. After one incompletion, Green rolled to his left, then turned back and threw the ball to Malachi Tasker, who was wide open in the right corner of the end zone.

The other good drive sealed the game. After Mowen’s sack, Green converted a 3rd-and-6 with an 11-yard pass to Isaiah Tasker, then Malachi Tasker ran four straight times for a total of 28 yards and two first downs to run out the clock.

Carter said, “We changed some things up and had a really good week of practice and the guys seemed ready for the game. But then we get a holding penalty on the first play, and it seemed like every time we had a good play, a penalty would follow.

“We have to clean things up with the penalties. It always seems like we get the short end of the stick with penalties. But that’s gotta be on me.”

NOTES: Chambersburg was tagged for 12 penalties for 130 yards in the first half … The Herd totaled 9 penalties for 65 yards … Green connected on 18 of 28 throws and was not picked off … Cobe Penick grabbed 8 balls for 59 yards … Carlisle suited up only 30 players … Carter said, “Give them some credit — they battled hard all the way, just like we told the kids they would.” … The Trojans’ next game is Friday at Altoona’s Mansion Park vs. the Mountain Lions, 7 p,m.

Chambersburg 6, Carlisle 0
Carlisle                     0     0     0     0     —     0
Chambersburg       0     6     0     0     —     6
Second Quarter
Ch — Malachi Tasker 20 pass from Cam Green (kick failed), 2:14
Team Statistics
                                             Car                  Chbg
First downs                         7                       11
Rushes-yards                   24-21                27-73
Passing                            8-17-0              18-28-0
Passing yards                    61                     153
Total offense                      82                     226
Fumbles-lost                     0-0                      2-1
Punts-average                  5-29.6               6-36.7
Penalties-yards                 9-65                13-145
Individual Statistics
Rushing — Car, Curtis Stroud 6-12, Carter Wilson 11-9, Mickel Hakim 1-1, Daveion Baker 1-0, Travon Harris 5-(-4). Chbg, M.Tasker 18-52, Green 8-21, Mason Mowen 1-0.
Passing — Car, Wilson 8-16-0-61, Stroud 0-1-0-0. Chbg, Green 18-28-0-153.
Receiving — Car, Hakim 3-29, Stroud 3-20, John Book 1-6, Landon Trahan 1-6. Chbg, Cobe Penick 8-59, Isaiah Tasker 2-27, Davonte Scott 2-22, M.Tasker 3-20, Cooper Stockslager 1-18, Brycen Murray 2-7.