Cards earn playoff bid with shutout of Lions

The Harmony Grove Cardinals (6-4, 3-4) entered Thursday’s regular-season finale at Sykes Stadium in Haskell in a win-or-go-home situation. A victory meant a third straight playoff berth while a loss sent the Cardinals into the offseason.
Playing in legendary Head Coach Jimmy “Red” Parker’s last regular-season game of his 62-year career, the Red Birds showed up big, shutting out 5-3A Conference foe Horatio (5-5, 2-5) 36-0. Despite the win, Parker was not happy with the amount of penalties his team racked up on the night.
“We had too many penalties and we cannot live with penalties and we are not going to live with penalties,” Parker said. “They have been a scourge for us this year and I am heart-sick because of the penalties.
“I am thrilled because of the way we played, but I am heart-sick because of the penalties.”
The win sets up a bit of a storybook tale for Parker as his career moves closer to ending. Harmony Grove will travel to Fordyce (6-3) in Round 1 next Friday to battle the Red Bugs, the very school Parker began his career in 1953.
“They are giants,” Parker said. We will give up 70 pounds per man and they have got speed, too. They have speed that we can’t touch.”