By Kevin Hassler, Associate Editor

HENNESSEY — Sometimes the best defense is a good offense. And, it doesn’t hurt if your defense is pretty good, too.

Hennessey had both Friday in a 41-7 rout of Carnegie in the second round of the Class A playoffs. The Eagles will be at home again next week when they play Talihina, which beat Commerce Friday.

The Eagles, 12-0 and ranked third in Class A, played keep-away from the high-powered Carnegie spread offense in the first half, holding the Wildcats to only 18 offensive plays while fashioning 15- and 10-play scoring drives that ate up more than 13 minutes. The Eagles led 21-0 at the break. The second half saw Hennessey take much less time in putting up 20 third-quarter points. The Eagles’ three touchdown drives in the period took up a total of 5 minutes and 25 seconds.

“The defense played well, and the offense controlled the game,’’ said Hennessey head coach Shannon Watford. “I thought we played really well; overall, a really good team effort.’’

The Eagles held Carnegie to its lowest point total of the season. The Wildcats, who end up 9-3, came into the game averaging 41.3 points a game, and topped 60 points in a game three times. Their previous low was 13 in a 32-13 loss to Hollis.

It was the eighth time Hennessey has held an opponent to fewer than 10 points this season. Carnegie managed only 131 total yards against Hennessey, including just 36 rushing yards.

The Eagles, as usual, were led by standout quarterback Matt Luetjen. The senior signal-caller had a hand in all six Hennessey touchdowns, running for four and passing for two.

Luetjen scored on runs of 2, 3, 22 and 13 yards, giving him 22 rushing touchdowns this season. He ran for 83 yards to lead the Eagles in rushing and threw for another 134 yards. His two touchdown passes give him 16 for the season.

Dillon Morgan ran for another 78 yards for Hennessey.

The Eagles got on the board with 12 seconds left in the first period when Luetjen capped a monster 15-play, 84-yard drive with a 2-yard sneak. The drive took nearly 8 minutes, with the Eagles pounding away on the ground for 65 of their yards.

Hennessey caught Carnegie napping on the ensuing kickoff, when Orlando Pina recovered an onside kick to set the Eagles up at the Carnegie 43.

A couple of penalties pushed the Eagles back but Luetjen lobbed a pass to Caleb Weaver on a third-and-15 play and the senior wide receiver leaped high to snag the ball and outran the defense 48 yards for the score.

Ben Aguirre set Hennessey up for its final first-half score when he thwarted Carnegie’s best scoring chance by intercepting Cameron Nix in the end zone and running the ball back to the 44.

The Eagles pounded the ball again, grinding out a 10-play, 56-yard drive capped by Luetjen’s 3-yard run.

The second half didn’t start any better for Carnegie.

Hennessey took the kickoff and marched 67 yards in five rushing plays, Luetjen scoring on a 22-yard run.

Hennessey closed out its scoring later in the third period. Luetjen connected with Aguirre on a 35-yard touchdown pass, and — after another onside kick — Luetjen ran 13 yards for his fourth touchdown.

Taaron Burcum scored on a 19-yard run against the Hennessey reserves with three minutes left in the game to break up the Eagles’ shutout bid.