Bison fall to Tigers, host Clarendon on Friday

The Bison coaching staff talks to its team during a recent game. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

BRINKLEY — The Carlisle Bison are in need of a win this Friday to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Carlisle will host the Clarendon Lions at Fred C. Hardke Field. Game time is 7 p.m.

The Bison are 3-5 overall and 3-3 in 2A-6 play following a 28-22 loss at Brinkley last Friday.

Brinkley took a 6-0 lead in the first quarter.

The Bison took an 8-6 lead with 7:36 left in the first half. Chase Brazeal threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Clinton Hampton. Jacob Cagle added the two-point conversion.

The Bison added to their lead when Brazeal threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Devon Kendrick with 50 seconds left in the half. Hampton added the two-point conversion.

Brinkley pulled to within two at 16-14 with 10:04 left in the third quarter. 

The Tigers took a 22-16 lead on a 59-yard run with 6:27 left in the third quarter. The Bison tied it at 22-220 on a 19-yard pass from Brazeal to Kendrick on the final play of the third quarter.

Brinkley took a 28-22 lead with 6:30 left in the game. 

Hampton led the Bison with 112 yards rushing on 33 carries. Brazeal completed 3 of 4 passes for 54 yards.

Lady Jackrabbits extend state tourney streak to 13; tourney starts Tuesday at Lonoke

Lonoke's Emily Moore sends the ball back across the net against Southside Batesville in finals of the conference tournament. (Photos by Nathan McGowan)

Lonoke's Jarrelyn McCall serves against Southside. 

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

lonokecountysports@gmail.com

LONOKE — The Lonoke Lady Jackrabbits volleyball team extended its state tournament appearance streak to 13 this season. However, the Lady Jackrabbits have a bigger goal in mind.

"We're all excited … but they've all said, 'we don't just want to make it to state — we want to win state,'" Lonoke coach Laura Park said. 

Park said the team's goal was to go into the state tournament as either a No. 1 or No. 2 seed. The Lady Jackrabbits are the second seed from the 4A-Central in the Class 4A state tournament, which starts Tuesday at the Gina Cox Center and the old LHS gymnasium in Lonoke. 

Lonoke finished 4A-Central play at 15-1. The Lady Jackrabbits lost to Southside Batesville in the finals of the conference tournament last week. 

"They won conference and probably should have won the district tournament … it is hard to beat a team three times," Park said. "They are going as a No. 2 seed so they have accomplished two of their goals. It's a great group of kids and everything they do, they do it with their whole heart. They are very excited and I'm very excited."

Lonoke will play Prairie Grove in the first round Tuesday at noon in the old gym. The winner will play either Mena or Newport on Wednesday in the Gina Cox Center at 4 p.m.  The semifinals are Thursday at 4 p.m. The state finals are Saturday at 5 p.m. at the Hot Springs Convention Center.

Park said playing the state tournament in Lonoke will bring "normalcy" to the events this week. 

"I think it will help the girls stay a little more focused on actually playing the game instead of traveling somewhere to play in a tournament," she said. "To be able to have your home crowd and hopefully some students from school and have a little more support is big. Every time we've played in the state tournament, it's been so far away. 

"We'll have an opportunity for more of our people to see the girls in this situation and it's tremendous."

Jackrabbits knock off first-place Mustangs, 32-21

Lonoke's Ethan Holland returns an interception late in the first half again CAC (Photos by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

lonokecountysports@gmail.com

NORTH LITTLE ROCK — With their backs against the wall, the Lonoke Jackrabbits came out swinging and came away with their biggest win of the season.

Lonoke (3-5, 2-3 4A-2) knocked off Central Arkansas Christian 32-21 on Friday at Mustang Mountain. The Mustangs were tied for first in the 4A-2 conference with West Helena, Newport and Stuttgart entering the game while the Jackrabbits were hoping to come alive at the right time in hopes of making the playoffs. 

"This was one we knew we had to have," Lonoke coach Doug Bost said. "We knew we had to run the ball. We got a different look on offense. We put Justin Meadows back there. He had a heck of a night."

Meadows rushed for 266 yards and two touchdowns on only 13 carries. Josh Coleman had 118 yards on 19 carries. Lonoke finished with 399 yards rushing. 

"The offensive line was blocking … Josh Coleman was lead blocking on a lot of those runs," Bost said. "I'm real proud of the offensive line and Josh there."

CAC took a 7-0 lead on a 6-yard run Braylon Harris with 4:25 left in the first quarter. Lonoke got on the board when Meadows ran 77 yards for his first touchdown with 3:46 left. Coleman added the two-point conversion to give Lonoke an 8-7 lead.

The Jackrabbits forced a punt. Coleman then ran 47 yards to the CAC 16. After two runs by Savonte Rountree went backwards for 4 yards, he made up for it with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Logan Dozier with 44 seconds left in quarter, making the score 14-7.

CAC tied the game at 14-14 on a 2-yard run by Harris. The score was set up by an interception. However, the Jackrabbits would get that score back late in the first half.

Late in the first half, Lonoke's Ethan Holland intercepted Noah Evans pass and returned it to the CAC 17. Three plays later, Rountree scored on a 5-yard run with 33 seconds left, giving Lonoke a 20-14 halftime lead.

After a scoreless third quarter, Lonoke pushed its lead to 26-14 on a 1-yard run by Rountree with 9:19 left. The score was set up by a 32-yard run by Meadows. 

CAC wasted no time in cutting the deficit to 26-21 when Zac Lilly returned the ensuing kickoff for a Mustangs' TD. 

Lonoke punted on its next possession. The Mustangs then drove to the Lonoke 13. On fourth down, Evans threw a pass to Stephen Flanigan but the ball was deflected by Deondray Joyner. Also defending on the play was Meadows.

Three plays later, Lonoke put the game away on a 70-yard scoring run by Meadows with 2:21 left.

CAC turned the ball over on downs with 1:32 left. Lonoke then ran out the clock to get the win. 

"Ethan Holland had two big interceptions to stop drives for them," Bost said. "Deondray, who is 5-5, had to guard the 6-4 receiver and I don't think he caught a pass over him."

Bost said the difference in the win was being able to run the ball consistently. 

"That gets us going," he said. "It starts up front. It's an attitude and they blocked their tails off. Being able to play both offense and defense together, that was important."

The Mustangs had only 255 yards in total offense. Harris rushed for 141 yards on 32 carries. Evans completed 10 of 28 passes for 117 yards. 

Lonoke will travel to Stuttgart next Friday for a 4A-2 conference matchup. Game time is 7 p.m.

Lonoke's Justin Meadowns [8] pulls away from CAC defenders for a long run in the fourth quarter. 

Lonoke quarterback Savonte Rountree leads over CAC's Landon Stevenson for a fourth quarter touchdown. 

Jackrabbits defense plays well but Lonoke comes up short against Cougars

Lonoke's Lucas McKenzie grabs a Helena-West Helena Central player during a 4A-2 conference game Friday. (Photo by Scott Ward/KOESPORTS.com)

LONOKE — The Lonoke Jackrabbits turned in one of their best defensive performances of the season but could not score enough points in a 14-12 loss to Helena-West Helena Central on Friday at James B. Abraham Stadium. 

The Cougars has only 221 yards in total offense, including 173 yards rushing and 48 yards passing. 

Trey Bevis led Lonoke with 18 tackles and an interception. Ricky Nichols had nine tackles. Ethan Holland had eight. Dylan Goforth, Justin Meadows and Deandre Joyner had six tackles each. 

After a scoreless first quarter, West Helena took an 8-0 lead with 6:39 left in the first half. Keon Dempes scored on a 13-yard run. 

Lonoke (2-5, 1-4 4A-2 conference) cut the deficit to 8-6 when Savonte Rountree threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Meadows with 2:05 left in the first quarter. The two-point conversion failed.

West Helena pushed their lead to 14-6 on a 4-yard run by Keith Hayes. The two-point conversion failed. 

Lonoke pulled to within two at 14-12 on a 25-yard pass from Rountree to Logan Dozier with 3:35 left in the third quarter. The two-point conversion failed. 

The Jackrabbits forced a punt on West Helena's next possession, taking over the Cougars' 36. Lonoke picked up one first down at the West Helena 24 but a quarterback sack forced Lonoke into a fourth-and-long at the West Helena 36. The Jackrabbits turned the ball over on downs there. That was the only time that Lonoke got the ball inside West Helena territory the remainder of the game.

The Jackrabbits finished with 112 yards in total offense. Rountree completed 6 of 14 passes for 57 yards. Meadows caught four passes for 28 yards. Josh Coleman led Lonoke with 29 yards rushing on 17 carries. 

Lonoke travels to Mustang Mountain to take on Central Arkansas Christian on Friday night. Game time is 7 p.m.

Bison post shutout of Patriots for homecoming win

The Carlisle Bison stop the Palestine-Wheatley Patriots on the final play of the game, preserving a 22-0 shutout. (Photos by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

lonokecountysports@gmail.com

CARLISLE — The Carlisle Bison had their best defensive effort in beating the Palestine-Wheatley Patriots 22-0 for a homecoming victory Friday at Fred C. Hardke Field. Kimberly Lott reigned as homecoming queen. 

The Bison (3-4) were coming off a 38-0 loss to Hazen on Oct. 10. 

"It was a great win," Carlisle coach Jack Keith said. "If we hadn't been playing them on homecoming, I wouldn't been quite as scared of them. Homecoming has all these distractions. I was real proud of our guys for going through all the distractions and coming out focused and hitting on all cylinders from the word go. We came out with an intensity and was able to maintain it for four quarters.

"It was, by far, the best defensive game we've had all years against a pretty good offense. Shutting them out is no small task."

Carlisle forced the Patriots to punt on the first possession of the game. The Bison then drove 67 yards in four plays with Clinton Hampton scoring on a 5-yard run with 8:54 left in the first quarter to make the score 6-0. The TD was set up by a 43-yard run by Hampton, down to the Palestine 43.

The Bison forced another punt the drove 47 yards in eight plays with Chase Brazeal scoring on a 1-yard run with 4:22 left in the first quarter. Hampton scored the two-point conversion to make the score 14-0. 

Carlisle's third touchdown came on the first possession of the second half. Jacob Cagle ran 38 yards for a score with 8:32 left in the third quarter. Hampton scored the two-point conversion.

Palestine's best scoring opportunity came on the final possession of the game but the Bison held them out of the end zone on the game's final play. 

Hampton led the Bison with 154 yards rushing on 28 carries. Cagle had 139 yards on 25 carries. Brazeal had 7 yards on 5 carries.

Carlisle travels to Brinkley next Friday, Oct. 24. The Bison host Clarendon on Oct. 31 and McCrory on Nov. 6.

Keith said the Bison only have to worry about what they do as they hope to clinch a playoff spot. 

"It's all about having that control," Keith said. "You don't have to worry about beating someone by so many points and someone else winning for us. We've got three games left that we have a good chance of winning. If we win all three, we'll have a pretty good seed."

Carlisle's Clinton Hampton scores a touchdown against Palestine-Wheatley

Junior Bison beat Hazen for homecoming

Carlisle's Kolton Davidson breaks away for a touchdown against Hazen. (Photos by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

lonokecountysports@gmail.com

CARLISLE — Carlisle's 1-2 punch of Kolton Davidson and Jamarious Harper carried the Junior Bison to a 36-30 win over Hazen on homecoming Thursday at Fred C. Hardke Field.

Davison rushed for 200 yards and 4 four touchdowns on 14 carries while Harper had 124 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries in the victory. 

With the win, Carlisle is now 3-3 overall after staring the season 0-3. 

The Junior Bison jumped out to a 14-0 lead with 19 seconds left in the first quarter. Harper scored on a 54-yard run and Davidson scored on a 9-yard run.

Hazen got on the board when quarterback Trevor Duch scored on a 7-yard run with 3:11 left in the first half. The Junior Bison got those points back when Davidson scored on a 7-yard run with 29 seconds left in the half. Mitch Lewis added the two-point conversion to lead 22-6 at halftime.

Carlisle received the second half kickoff but fumbled the ball with Hazen recovering. The Junior Hornets cut the Junior Bison's lead to 22-14 when Duch threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Ford Seidenschwarz with 3:50 left in the third quarter.

On the next play from scrimmage, Davidson outran everyone on the field for a 63-yard touchdown with 3:25 left. Harper scored the two-point conversion to make the score 30-14.

Hazen did not go away. After another Junior Bison turnover, Duch scored on a  55-yard run with 3:56 left in the game. Luke VanHouten added the two-point conversion to make the score 30-22. Three plays later, Davidson scored his fourth touchdown on a 1-yard run. That came two plays after he ran 58 yards to the Hazen 2. The touchdown made the score 36-22.

Hazen then drove 65 yards in 11 plays with VanHouten scoring on a 1-yard run with 27 seconds left. Duch scored the two-point conversion to make the score 36-30.

Hazen then recovered the onside kick at the 50-yard line. However, the Junior Bison stopped Hazen after a 5-yard gain in the game's final play.

Carlisle plays at Palestine-Wheatley this coming Thursday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Jamarious Harper scores a two-point conversion. 

Junior Bison quarterback Tristan Seidenschwarz brings the offense to the line. 

Jackrabbits get much-needed win, rout Southerners

The Lonoke Jackrabbits make a stop in the first half against Southside Batesville. (Photos by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

lonokecountysports@gmail.com

LONOKE — The Lonoke Jackrabbits were in dire need of a victory. They got just what the doctor ordered.

Lonoke improved to 2-4 overall and 1-2 in 4A-2 league play with a 40-6 win over Southside Batesville on Friday night at James B. Abraham Stadium. Lonoke had three consecutive games prior to Friday's win. 

"We've played some good teams so far this year," Lonoke coach Doug Bost said. "We just haven't been able to put four quarters together. We're good to halftime then seem to fall off. It's been frustrating. We haven't been able to run the ball. We made a point to come out and run it tonight."

Lonoke had 217 yards rushing in the first half as the Jackrabbits led 20-0. A severe thunderstorm hit the area while the Lonoke High School band was performing Ozzy Osborne's "Crazy Train" when the game was stopped. 

After more than an hour delay, the Jackrabbits continued to run the ball with extreme confidence as they pushed the lead to 40-0 with 1:57 left in the third quarter.

"I'm real proud of the offensive line for us being able to run the ball tonight," Bost said. "It's been a struggle to run the football. Last week it was 42 yards. The week before was 64 yards. Our offense starts with us being able to run the ball. That opens up the passing game. We really didn't have to throw the ball tonight because we had two running backs running the ball hard for us tonight."

Through three quarters, the Jackrabbits rushed for 341 yards. Josh Coleman led Lonoke with 133 yards rushing on 17 carries. Justin Meadows had 86 yards on six carries. Devin Mosley had 76 yards on nine carries.

Lonoke quarterback Savonte Rountree completed 4 of 8 passes for 49 yards. Logan Dozier caught two passes for 26 yards. Meadows caught two passes for 23 yards.

After a scoreless first quarter, Lonoke took a 6-0 lead on a 27-yard run by Coleman with 11:13 left in the first half. The score was set up by a long interception return by Trey Bevis. 

Lonoke pushed its lead to 14-0 when Meadows scored on a 40-yard run with 8:07 left in the first half. Dozier scored the two-point conversion. 

Rountree scored the third touchdown of the half on a 39-yard run with 2:30 left, making the score 20-0. 

Lonoke scored three times in the third quarter. Coleman scored on a 5-yard run with 10:12 left to make the score 26-0. Coleman scored on a 19-yard run with 2:23 left. The final score came when Chandler Elmore returned an interception 73 yards for a touchdown with 1:57 left. Meadows scored the two-point conversion. 

Southside's only score came on a 40-yard pass from Josh Millikin to Lucas Branscum with 2:05 left in the game. 

Lonoke will host West Helena next week at James B. Abraham Stadium. Game time is 7 p.m.

Lonoke's Logan Dozier carries the ball after catching a pass against Southside. 

Lonoke backup quarterback Will Miller, 10, fakes a handoff to Joe Carter in the fourth quarter. 

Jr. Jackrabbits shut out Newport

The Lonoke Junior Jackrabbits got their third win of the season, beating Newport 18-0 last week at James B. Abraham Stadium.

Lonoke's Michael Hodges rushed for 91 yards on 18 carries. He scored a touchdown and a two-point conversion. Daniel Seigrist rushed for 109 yards on six carries. He also scored a touchdown. 

Lonoke's Conner Linton scored a two-point conversion and forced a safety. 

Lonoke will travel to Batesville to take on the Southside Southerners on Thursday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Junior Bison get second win

The Carlisle Junior Bison improved to 2-3 with a 46-6 win over the Marvell Junior Mustangs last week.

Carlisle had started the season 0-3 but bounced back to beat Des Arc in Week 4 then Marvell last week.

In last week's victory, Carlisle led 8-6 following an 11-yard run by Jamarious Harper with 3:05 left in the first quarter. 

The Junior Bison led 16-8 following a 15-yard run by Harper with 6 seconds left in the first quarter.

Carlisle pushed its lead to 32-6 with two second quarter touchdowns. Kolton Davidson scored both TDs. The first came on a 24-yard run with 5:50 left. The second came on a 23-yard run with 3:31 left.

Davidson's third touchdown came on a 6-yard run with 6:35 left in the third quarter. 

Carlisle scored a fourth quarter TD to account for the final score.

Harper led the Junior Bison with 68 yards rushing on five carries. Davidson had 62 yards on five carries.

Carlisle will host Hazen for homecoming this Thursday. Game time is 7 p.m. at Fred C. Hardke Field. 

Newport knocks off Jackrabbits, 34-12

The Lonoke Jackrabbits defense makes a stop against England. (Photo by Scott Ward/KOESPORTS.com)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

lonokecountysports@gmail.com

NEWPORT — The Newport Greynounds pulled away from the Lonoke Jackrabbits for a 34-12 win in 4A-2 Conference play on Friday night.

Lonoke is now 1-4 overall and 0-2 in league action. 

The game was scoreless after one quarter. Newport took a 6-0 lead with 9:25 left in the first half.

Lonoke eventually tied the game at 6-6 following a Greyhounds fumble at their own 18. Lonoke's Caleb Bailey then ran 3 yards to the 15. Josh Coleman ran 14 yards to the Newport 1 before Logan Dozier, out of the Wildcat formation, scored on a 1-yard run with 4:03 left in the first half.

Newport reclaimed the lead on a touchdown with 22.4 seconds left. The Greyhounds scored the two-point conversion to lead 14-6 at halftime. 

The Jackrabbits had a chance to tie the game in the third quarter but a dropped pass led to a Lonoke punt. Newport then pushed their lead to 20-6 with 2:37 left in the third quarter. 

The Jackrabbits then drove deep into Newport territory but turned the ball over on downs after being stopped on fourth-and-one. That led to a 25-yard touchdown pass for the Greyhounds as they pushed their lead to 27-6 with 4:04 left in the game.

Lonoke got back in the scoring column when Savonte Rountree threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to Justin Meadows, making the score 27-12. Newport then returned the ensuing onside kick attempt to set the final score at 34-12. 

Rountree completed 8 of 26 passes for 203 yards. Coleman led Lonoke with 30 yards rushing on 15 carries. 

Meadows caught 4 passes for 128 yards. Ethan Holland averaged 43 yards a punt on 7 attempts. 

Trey Bevis led Lonoke with 12 tackles. Chandler Elmore had 11. Caleb Bailey had eight tackles and an interception. Dylan Goforth, Meadows and Jacob Vandiver had five tackles each.

Lonoke will host Southside Batesville for homecoming this Friday. Game time at James B. Abraham Stadium is 7 p.m.

Bison bounce back for rout of Mustangs

Carlisle's Clinton Hampton leaps a pile while running for part of his 300 yards during the Bison's win over Marvell.
(Photos by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

lonokecountysports@gmail.com

CARLISLE — The Carlisle Bison got a much-needed win, beating the Marvell Mustangs 54-12 on Friday night at Fred C. Hardke Field.

Carlisle is now 2-3 overall and 2-1 in 2A-6 Conference play. 

"It felt like the closest blowout ever," first-year Bison coach Jack Keith said. "Defensively, I thought we played well. Offensively, we basically ran one play all night. They kept giving it to us and we kept taking it."

The Bison rushed for 455 yards on 30 carries. Clinton Hampton led the way with 300 yards on only 11 carries. He scored on runs of 58, 30, 57 and 65 yards. Jacob Cagle had 128 yards on 14 carries. He scored on runs of 2 and 39 yards. 

"He hits the hole hard and he's gone, especially when we get in the I set," Keith said of Hampton. "Cagle ran the ball real hard."

While he said the defense played well, Keith said they have room for improvement after giving up 179 yards rushing and 151 yards passing. 

"There were still way too many missed tackles," he said. "You've got to play the ball better when it's in the air. The first half was a story of missed opportunities. I was proud. We came out and played hard for four quarters. It was a big win for us."

The Bison took an 8-0 lead with 8:57 left in the first quarter. Cagle scored on a 2-yard run and Hampton added the two-point conversion. 

Marvell responded quickly when Jarred Murphy went 71 yards for a Mustangs touchdown. The two-point conversion was no good, leaving the Bison ahead at 8-6. 

Carlisle pushed its lead to 16-6 when Hampton scored on a  58-yard run with 4:51 left in the first quarter. He added the two-point conversion.

The Bison led 22-6 at halftime after Hampton scored on a 30-yard run with 1:55 left in the half. The two-point conversion was no good.

Marvell cut the deficit to 22-12 early in the second half when Murphy scored on a 46-yard run. 

Carlisle scored four second-half touchdowns. Hampton scored on runs of 57 and 65 yards and scored the two-point conversion on both scores.

Cagle scored on a 39-yard run with 9:57 left. He added the two-point conversion.

Tyler Sanders scored Carlisle's final touchdown on a 28-yard run with 5:24 left. Lineman Dylan Brazeal, lined up at fullback, scored the two-point conversion, accounting for the final score.

Carlisle will travel to Hazen to play the Hornets next Friday. Game time is 7 p.m.

"We're sitting where need to be," Keith said of the 2-1 conference mark. "If we just take care of our business, we'll be all right."

Carlisle's Tyler Teel hits Marvel quarterback Eddie Green, causing a fumble.

Brynden Weems [10] carries the ball after recovering a fumble. 

Bison fall to Eagles

Carlisle's Jacob Cagle runs the ball against Des Arc. (Photo by Lindsey Thaxton)

DES ARC — It was not a good night for the Carlisle Bison football team last week at Des Arc.

The Eagles knocked off the Bison 34-0 as Carlisle fell to 1-3 overall and 1-1 in 2A-6 league play.

The game was scoreless after the first quarter. The Eagles scored 20 second quarter points to lead 20-0 at halftime. 

The Bison will look to bounce back this Friday when they host the Marvell Mustangs at Fred C. Hardke Field. 

Marvell is 0-4 and 0-2 in league play. A year ago, the Bison were coming off an emotional win over Hazen when Marvell called former coach Brandon Barbaree that they were forfeiting the day of the game. 

The next week, Carlisle lost a close game to Des Arc.

Game time Friday night is 7 p.m.