Lady Rabbits improve to 4-2 with rout of Baptist

Lonoke's Kennedy White scored 13 points in her team's win over Baptist Prep. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

LITTLE ROCK — The Lonoke Lady Jackrabbits shook off a slow start against Baptist Prep for a 56-27 win over the Lady Eagles on Tuesday night.

Lonoke, under new coach Heath Swiney, are 4-2 on the season. 

“We’re 4-2 so we’ve started the season on the upside,” Swiney said. “Last night, we played Baptist and did not have a very good first half offensively but we only gave up 12 points. You can’t be disappointed in that because that’s six points a quarter.”

Lonoke led 19-12 at halftime. Keiunna Walker scored nine of the first-half points. Mickenzie Williams scored five. 

Lonoke came alive in the third quarter, outscoring Baptist Prep 22-8 in the third quarter. Kaley Woodruff and Kennedy White scored seven points each in the second quarter. Walker scored six more. 

Lonoke continued the roll in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Lady Eagles 17-7 to account for the final score. 

Walker led Lonoke with 21 points. White had 13. Woodruff and Williams has even points each. Lilli Royer had six. Hannah Mosely scored three while Maddie Pool added a free throw. 

“We came out in the second half and put a little pressure on them,” Swiney said. “We knocked the ball away from them a few times and shot some layups. We got going offensively and hit some shots. We just had to do the little things to get us going.”

Swiney the season is going like he had hoped it would early on.

“Starting next week, I looked at my schedule and called it murderer’s row,” he said. Lonoke hosts Russellville, play at Valley Springs, then play Beebe. 

“Dec. 17, we obviously play Carlisle,” Swiney said. “They are a good basketball team this year.”

Lonoke also plays Central Arkansas Christian before Christmas break. 

“We’ve got games against six teams that are pretty crucial the next two weeks,” he said. 

Lonoke School District to start search for new football coach

Lonoke Jackrabbits interim football coach Taggart Moore. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

LONOKE — The position of Lonoke Jackrabbits football coach is officially open.

Superintendent Dr. Suzanne Bailey said, via email, that the school district will start looking for a permanent replacement for Doug Bost, who resigned as head coach Sept. 27, four weeks into the 2016 season. 

“We are going to open the position and will be planning the interview process in the near future,” Bailey said. 

Bost was replaced on an interim basis by defensive coordinator Taggart Moore. Lonoke finished the season 2-8 after starting 1-3 under Bost. 

During his tenure, Bost was 46-39, highlighted by a Class 4A state runner-up finish in 2009. The Jackrabbits lost to Shiloh Christian in the state title game. 

Bison rout Bulldogs in first-round playoff game

Carlisle center Tyler Sanders [53] leads his team to the line of scrimmage during the Bison's win over Quitman in the first round of the Class 2A state playoffs. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

CARLISLE — For the first time in three seasons, the Carlisle Bison have won a playoff game.

The Bison pulled away from Quitman for a 49-21 win over the Bulldogs in the first round of the Class 2A state playoffs Friday night at Fred C. Hardke Field. It was Carlisle’s first playoff win since the quarterfinal round of the Class 2A playoffs in 2013.

The Bison, now 7-4 on the season, will play at undefeated Danville this Friday in the second round of the playoffs. The Little Johns had a first-round bye after winning the 2A-4 conference. 

Carlisle took a 7-0 lead with 3:07 left in the first quarter on a 14-yard run by Devon Kendrick. He also kicked the extra point. That was the culmination of a seven-play, 65-yard drive. Ty Golleher also had a 14-yard run on the drive. 

Quitman looked to tie the game on its next possession but turned the ball over on downs at the Carlisle 30 with a minute left in the first quarter. From there, the Bison drove 70 yards in 11 plays with Kendrick scoring on a 1-yard run with 8:29 left in the first half. He also kicked the extra point. 

Quitman got on the board on the ensuing kickoff. Tyler Stracener picked up a fumble by teammate Michael Lewis and completed 79-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Lewis kicked the extra point to cut the Bison’s lead to 14-7.

The two teams traded punts. That led to the Bison’s third score of the half. They drove 60 yards in 14 plays with Golleher scoring on a 1-yard run on the final play of the half. Kendrick’s extra point gave the Bison a 21-7 halftime lead. 

Quitman started the second half with an onside kick. Sipes recovered the free kick at the Carlisle 49. 

On the first play from scrimmage, Qutiman’s Garrett Kennedy ran 34 yards to the bison 15. However, he was called for a 15-yard face-mask penalty for pulling the helmet off Golleher. But that didn’t matter as Lewis scored on a 30-yard run the next play to cut the deficit to 21-14. 

Carlisle quickly pushed the lead back to two touchdowns as Kendrick scored on a 1-yard run with 9:21 left in the third quarter. The extra point was no good, leaving the score at 27-14. 

Quitman was forced to punt on its next possession. Carlisle’s Mitch Lewis deflected the kick and the Bison got the ball at the Bulldogs’ 37-yard line. However, the Bison turned the ball over on downs at the Quitman 32. 

Carlisle forced another punt but a bad snap led to the Bison taking over at the Quitman 1 with 4:32 left in the third quarter. Golleher then scored on a 1-yard run on the next play. Kendrick scored the two-point conversion to give the Bison a 35-14 lead.

Carlisle pushed its lead to 41-14 on an 82-yard run by Jasean Harper with 11:23 left in the game. The Bison invoked the mercy rule when Ian Seidenschwarz scored on a 3-yard run and Carson Cunningham threw to Houston Garrich for the two-point conversion later in the quarter. 

Quitman added a touchdown with 7:04 left in the game. 

Golleher led the Bison with 194 yards rushing on 30 carries. Harper had 120 yards on 8 carries. Kendrick had 72 yards on 14 carries. Ian Seidenschwarz had 42 yards on 10 carries. 

The Bison finished with 432 yards in total offense, all on the ground. 

Quitman had 68 yards rushing and 157 yards passing. 

Lady Bison rout 5A Maumelle on night of celebration

Carlisle's Kylie Warren is fouled while making a move to the basket in the first quarter against Maumelle on Tuesday. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

CARLISLE — It was a night of celebration for the Carlisle Lady Bison basketball program Tuesday night at Bison Arena.

The 2007 and 2008 Class 2A state championship teams from Carlisle, coached by Toby Tevebaugh, were honored prior to Carlisle’s season opener with Maumelle. 

That was just part of the fun that night.

The current Lady Bison, coached by Jonathan Buffalo, pulled away from the Class 5A Lady Hornets, coached by former Carlisle coach William Rountree, for a 64-47 victory in front a large crowd at Bison Arena. 

“The kids deserve the credit,” Buffalo said. “They have been coachable and hard working. They have made my job fun. We’ve got so many more games to go.”

Carlisle led 15-11 after one quarter then erupted for 20 points in the second quarter to lead 35-16 at halftime. Kylie Warren scored 12 points in the second quarter. 

Maumelle outscored Carlisle 13-8 in the third quarter but the Lady Bison rebounded with a 21-point outburst in the final eight minutes. The lead grew to as much as 27 points. 

Warren led Carlisle with 27 points. Deshaye Ricks had 13. Kayla Golleher added 12. Kiara Miller scored six while Heather Bowlan, Blakely Ellis and Ashby Terry had two points each.

Carlisle will return to action next Tuesday against Little Rock Fair at Bison Arena.