Carthage High School defeated Center Friday night.

CARTHAGE — The Carthage Bulldogs football team — the No. 1 ranked team in Class 4A Division II — was having a bit of an identity crisis in the first half of Friday’s game.

While Carthage’s ground game had been improving over the past few weeks, their passing game was a bit off. Things changed Friday in the second half as the Bulldogs made their adjustments.

Carthage scored 28 second half points — all in the third quarter — and turned a one score lead at the half into a comfortable victory as the Bulldogs defeated visiting Pleasant Grove 31-6 on Friday night at Bulldog Stadium.

Zsema’D Williams had a season-high in both yards, carries and touchdowns as the junior rushed for 135 yards on 16 carries including a pair of rushing touchdowns.

Connor Cuff completed 8 of his 11 second half pass attempts to finish 12-of-25 for 150 yards and a touchdown pass.

Montrel Hatten led the Bulldogs in receiving with seven catches for 110 yards and Noah Paddie had an 11-yard touchdown reception.

Carthage (4-0) again relied on their vaunted defense who was as stout as ever. The Bulldogs held Pleasant Grove to only 55 yards of total offense — 43 rushing and 12 passing — in the first half and didn’t allow a single score.

Pleasant Grove (1-4) got their lone score of the game when Keilin Benton took a kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown that cut Carthage’s lead to 17-7 with 6:17 left in the third quarter.

The Bulldogs didn’t flinch as they answered right back with a six-play 52-yard drive that was capped by a Williams 20-yard touchdown run.

One week after facing Gilmer’s spread offense, the Bulldogs faced the Hawks’ run-first based Wing T offense and Carthage shut it down.

Pleasant Grove was held to only 47 yards rushing on 27 carries.

Freshman quarterback Jarrett Halter threw for 75 yards on 5-of-13 passing including a pair of interceptions.

For the third-straight week, Carthage had a pick-six on defense all coming from different players. This week it was junior defensive back Jakerian Rocquemore who intercepted Halter and raced 45 yards for the touchdown.

Carthage led Pleasant Grove 3-0 going into halftime.

The Bulldogs would score touchdowns on their first three drives of the second half and got the bonus score from Rocquemore’s pick-six.

Camden Foster had an interception for Carthage, and Freddy Lynch blocked a punt for the Bulldogs.

Kip Lewis and Bobby Cooks both recorded sacks for the Bulldogs.

The Hawks only got on the Bulldogs’ red zone once all game and that came late in the fourth quarter, and by then Carthage Coach Scott Surratt started putting in his defensive back-ups.

One week after posting their most impressive defensive output of the season in a 28-7 victory over No. 2-ranked Gilmer, Carthage held a Pleasant Grove team that runs a completely different offense to no points.

Carthage will now shift their attention to district play, where they will open up at Center.

This will be the Bulldogs’ first game from Carthage since Sept. 3

The Bulldogs will visit the winless Roughriders next Friday Oct. 8 at 7:30 p.m.