Lady Bison hold off Lady Rabbits to win Goldfish Classic

Carlisle's Kylie Warren shoots the go-ahead jumper over Lonoke's Keiunna Walker with 26 seconds left in the finals of the Goldfish Classic on Friday night. (Photos by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

LONOKE — In a classic matchup between two heavyweight contenders, the Carlisle Lady Bison landed the final shot against the Lonoke Lady Jackrabbits.

Carlisle’s Kylie Warren hit a 10-foot off-balance jumper with 26 seconds left then held off two Lonoke three-point attempts to win the Goldfish Classic 55-52 on Friday night at the Gina Cox Center. 

Warren’s basket gave Carlisle (12-3) a 53-52 lead following a three-point by Lonoke’s Keiunna Walker with 40 seconds left. 

Lonoke (12-4) called a timeout after Warren’s basket. However, the Lady Jackrabbits missed a corner three-pointer with 10 seconds left. That led to Carlisle’s Blakely Ellis hitting a short jumper with 4 seconds left. 

Lonoke called another timeout with 31. seconds left. Walker missed a half-court three-pointer as time expired, giving the Lady Bison the victory. 

Carlisle’s victory avenged a 63-48 loss to Lonoke on Dec. 16 at Bison Arena.

The score was tied 6-6 after one quarter. Lonoke led 9-6 after a three-pointer by Mia Brown with 5:40 left in the first half. Carlisle then went on an 11-2 run to lead 19-11 with 1:02 left. Carlisle’s Blakely Ellis hit two three-pointers during the run.

Lonoke’s Arius McClain hit a short jumper with 13 seconds left to make the score 19-13 at halftime.

Walker, who picked up two quick fouls in the first quarter, did not score in the first half. 

Lonoke cut the deficit to 27-26 following Walker’s three-pointer with 1:24 left in the third quarter. Carlisle scored the final six points of the third to lead 33-26. DeShaye Ricks scored four while Kiara Miller added two. 

Carlisle continued its run in the fourth quarter, scoring the first four points to lead 37-26 with 6:16 left. 

Lonoke got back into the game with the three-ball. 

The Lady Jackrabbits cut the deficit to 43-42 with 3:47 left in the game, following a Brown three-pointer. It was the fourth of the fourth quarter. 

Carlisle's Heather Bowlan hit 1 of 2 free throws with 3:36 left. Carlisle then forced a jump ball on the Lonoke end of the floor. However, as the officials blew the whistle, players from each team got up mad. A Lonoke player left the bench and a technical foul was called.

Warren then hit two free throws to make the score 46-42 with 3:15 left. 

Lonoke led 47-46 following two Walker free throws with 2:52 left. Carlisle reclaimed the lead at 49-47 before Walker scored again to tie the game at 49-49 with 1:42 left.

Warren hit a running jumper in the lane to give her team a 51-49 lead with 1:23 left. 

Warren led Carlisle with 22 points. Bowlan had 9. Ricks and Ellis scored eight points each. Miller had seven. Shelby Hancock added a free throw.

Walker led all scorers with 27 points. Brown had nine on three three-pointers. McClain had seven. Kennedy White scored six. Michenzie Williams added three.

Lonoke's Maddie Pool and Hannah Moseley battle for a loose ball with Carlisle's Kiara Miller. 

Lady Rabbits pull away from Lady Bison; Lonoke boys rally to beat Carlisle

Lonoke's Keiunna Walker shoots for two while being guarded by Carlisle's Kiara Miller. (Photos by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

CARLISLE — Lonoke High School won 3 of 4 games from Carlisle High School on Saturday night at Bison Arena. 

Carlisle won the junior girls game 36-19; Lonoke won the junior boys game 39-21, the senior girls game 63-48 and the senior boys game 52-37.

Lady Rabbits rally to beat Lady Bison in heavyweight match

The battle between two of the best players in the state didn’t disappoint as Lonoke rallied from a five-point halftime deficit to beat Carlisle 63-48 on Saturday.

Lonoke senior Keiunna Walker is ranked 31st in the Girls Fab 40 rankings of high school players in Arkansas by www.arkansasbasketballrankings.com. Carlisle senior Kylie Warren is ranked 36th.

Walker scored 43 while Warren had 24 in a matchup two of the best teams in their respective classifications in the state.

Walker scored 18 of her 43 points in the final eight minutes as the Lady Jackrabbits outscored the Lady Bison 27-10.

Carlisle led 27-22 at halftime. Lonoke scored the first nine points of the second half to take a 29-27 lead. Carlisle led 38-36 after three quarters. Warren scored the final four points of the quarter. 

Carlisle’s last lead was 40-38 following a jumper by Heather Bowlan. Lonoke took a 41-40 lead on a three-pointer by Arius McClain with 6:55 left. 

Lonoke pushed its lead to 48-43 with 4:49 left following a layup by Walker. Warren scored on a drive to the basket with 4:20 left to make the score 48-45. Carlisle cut it to 49-47 on a layup by Warren with 3:41 left. McClain responded with a three-pointer to make the score 52-47.

Carlisle’s last points came on a free throw by Kiara Miller with 3:04 left. Lonoke scored the game’s final 11 points to secure the victory. 

McClain added 12 points for Lonoke. Hannah Moseley scored six. Kennedy White had two. 

Blakely Ellis added 10 for Carlisle. Bowlan and Miller had five points each. Shelby Hancock had two. 

Lonoke's Tyriqe Jackson shoots over two Carlisle defenders.

Jackrabbits pull away from Bison

The Carlisle Bison gave the Lonoke Jackrabbits all they wanted but eventually fell 52-37.

Carlisle led 13-12 after one quarter when Will Carter hit an off-balance three-pointer at the buzzer.

Each team scored six points in the second quarter as Carlisle led 19-18 at halftime. 

Lonoke outscored Carlisle 15-9 in the third quarter and 19-9 in the fourth quarter to secure the victory. 

Tyriqe Jackson led Lonoke with 25 points. Nick Tate had nine. Jayden Johnson finished with seven. Braidon Bryant scored six. Timothy Hunter had three. Chase Bryant added two. 

Braiden Jenkins led Carlisle with 12 points. Jamarious Harper, Caleb Jones and Kamryn Taylor had six points each. Carter scored four. Baylor Craig added three.

Carlisle sweeps 4 games from Des Arc

Carlisle's Blakely Ellis drives to the basket during the second half against Des Arc. Ellis scored a career-high 15 points. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

The Carlisle Bison and Lady Bison, along with both junior high teams, swept Des Arc on Monday night at Bison Arena. 

Lady Bison 55, Des Arc 31

The Carlisle Lady Bison improved to 2-1 on the season with a rout of the Lady Eagles. 

Carlisle scored the game’s first 13 points to lead 13-0 with 4:53 left in the first quarter. Blakely Ellis scored the game’s first five points. DeShaye Ricks then hit two free throws. Ellis converted a three-point play before Heather Bowlan converted a three-point play of her own. 

After a Des Arc basket made it 13-2, Carlisle scored eight consecutive points to lead 21-2. Kiara Miller hit a short jumper then Kylie Warren scored six in a row to account for the run. 

The Lady Bison outscored Des Arc 17-4 in the second quarter to lead 40-8 at halftime. 

Des Arc made a bit of a run in the third quarter and threatened to pull to within less than 30 toward the end of the quarter. Carlisle’s Mattie Staggs nailed a 3-pointer late to ensure that the running clock would be enforced in the fourth quarter. 

Ellis and Warren led the Lady Bison with 15 points apiece. Miller had 10. Bowlan scored 7. Taylor Cullum and Staggs had 3 points each. Ricks added 2.

Carlisle's Everett Williams goes past a Des Arc defender in the first half. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

Bison 53, Des Arc 51

The Carlisle Bison won their season opener, rallying to beat Des Arc. 

Des Arc got off to a hot start, leading 17-8 with 2:47 left in the first quarter. The Eagles led 21-15 after one quarter. 

Carlisle trimmed off two points of the deficit in the second quarter, outscoring Des Arc 8-6 to trail 27-23 at halftime. 

Carlisle outscored Des Arc 15-13 in the third quarter and 15-11 in the fourth quarter to get the victory. 

Garnell Harris led the Bison with 15 points. Everett Williams had 14. Baylor Craig scored 10. Caleb Jones scored 5. Jamarious Harper had 4. Will Carter scored 3. T.J. Henderson added 2. 

Jackrabbits fall to Ricebirds but still have shot at playoffs

The Jackrabbits seniors wait to come out for the coin toss prior to their game with Stuttgart (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

The Lonoke Jackrabbits play Riverview in the season finale Thursday night in Searcy. And despite a 46-6 loss to Stuttgart on Friday, the Jackrabbits still have plenty to play for against the Raiders.

Lonoke is 2-4 in 4A-2 play and still has a chance to make the Class 4A state playoffs with a win over the Raiders.

There are several scenarios that could get the Jackrabbits into the playoffs.

Riverview and Helena-West Helena Central are both 3-3 in league play. 

For the Jackrabbits to have any chance, they must beat the Raiders. The easiest way to get into the playoffs is for Lonoke to win and West Helena beat Heber Springs. That way, West Helena would be the fourth seed and Lonoke would be the fifth seed via a head-to-head win over Riveriew.

If Lonoke beats the Raiders and Heber Springs beats West Helena, it would go down to the point system. 

Each team is allowed up to 13 points for a victory in conference play for tie-breaking purposes. 

Right now, Riverview has 35 points, including nine for beating West Helena 35-26. The Cougars have 32 points. Lonoke, with its two conference wins, has 26 points. 

If there is a perfect triangle with Lonoke beating Riverview, Riverview beating West Helena and West Helena beating Lonoke, it would come down to the points system.

If Lonoke beats Riverview by seven or more points, i they would be tied with Riverview or have more points. Riverview would have 35 and West Helena would have 32. The two teams with the highest point total would be Lonoke and Riverview. And Lonoke would be the fourth seed because of their head-to-head win over Riverview. At that point, the head-to-head matchup with the next two teams would be Riverview since it beat West Helena and the Raiders would be the fifth seed and the Cougars would be eliminated.

If Lonoke beats Riverview by less than 7 points, the Jackrabbits would be eliminated from the playoffs because of the 6-0 loss to West Helena. 

In the loss to Stuttgart, Lonoke led 6-0.

Lonoke senior defensive end Tallon Swint sacked Stuttgart quarterback Tim Johnson, knocking the ball free. Lonoke’s E’Shaun Brown picked up the ball and returned it 67 yards for a touchdown with 9:24 left in the first quarter. The extra point was wide left.

Stuttgart then drove 53 yards in seven plays with Kirk Hughes scoring on a 7-yard run with 6:56 left in the first quarter. The extra point was no good, leaving the score tied at 6-6.

The Ricebirds took a 12-6 lead when David Walker scored on a 16-yard run with 7:09 left in the first half. From there, Stuttgart recovered two onside kicks to take a 25-6 lead with 5:31 left in the first half. 

Stuttgart led 32-6 at halftime. 

The Ricebirds added two second-half touchdowns to invoke the running clock with 10:56 left in the game. 

Lonoke quarterback Daniel Seigrist completed only 3 of 8 passes for 34 yards. 

Xavier Hodge led Lonoke with 59 yards rushing on 13 carries. Seigrist, Shawn Lake and Lexington Mays each had 33 yards. 

Michael Hodges led Lonoke with 11 tackles. Jackson Ward and Swint had seven tackles each. 

Lonoke’s game at Riverview on Thursday is set to kick off at 7 p.m.

Bison get much-needed win, rout Tigers on homecoming

Carlisle's Will Carter hauls in a pass for a two-point conversion during the Bison's win over Brinkley on Friday. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

CARLISLE — The Carlisle Bison were in dire need of a victory. Brinkley provided the correct opponent. 

The Bison scored often in beating the Tigers 52-6 on Friday night for homecoming at Fred C. Hardke Field. With the win, the Bison improve to 2-5 overall and 2-3 in 2A-6 play.

Carlisle took an 8-0 lead following a Brinkley turnover. Jasean Harper scored on a 30-yard run with 6:42 left in the first quarter. He added the two-point conversion.

Brinkley’s Lamont Swanigan scored on a 12-yard run with 1:46 left in the first quarter. The Bison defense stopped the Tigers on the two-point conversion attempt, leaving the score at 8-6.

Carlisle scored four touchdowns in the second quarter to lead 38-6 at halftime. 

Harper scored on a 1-yard run with 10:56 left. Braiden Jenkins threw to Will Carter for the two-point conversion. 

Harper scored on a 29-yard run with 5:41 left. Zac Vanhouten added the two-point conversion. 

Carter scored on a 35-yard run 39 seconds left. Kaden Bray added the two-point conversion.

Jenkins then threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Harper with 12 seconds left. 

The Bison scored four second-half points. 

Bray scored on a 14-yard run with 9:13 left in the third quarter. Jenkins threw again to Carter for the two-point conversion. 

Davarius Allen scored on a 14-yard run with 10:50 left in the game. 

The Bison finished with 407 yards in total offense while holding Brinkley to 170.

Carlisle rushed for 371 yards. 

Allen led the Bison with 163 yards rushing on 14 carries. Harper had 134 yards rushing on 10 carries. 

Carlisle travels to Clarendon this Friday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Jackrabbits rout CAC for third win

Lonoke quarterback Daniel Seigrist calls a play during second-half action against CAC on Friday. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

LONOKE — The Lonoke Jackrabbits stayed in the hunt for a playoff spot with a 49-7 win over Central Arkansas Christian for homecoming Friday night at James B. Abraham Stadium.

With the win, Lonoke improves to 3-5 on the season and 2-3 in 4A-2 play. 

Lonoke is currently in sixth place. Southside Batesville, Stuttgart and Heber Springs are all tied for first at 4-1. Riverview and Helena-West Helena Central are tied for fourth at 3-2. 

The Jackrabbits host Stuttgart this Friday before traveling to Searcy to take on the Raiders on Nov. 2. 

Against CAC, Lonoke led 21-7 after one quarter and 28-7 at halftime.

The Jackrabbits scored 14 points in the third quarter and added another touchdown in the fourth quarter to set the final score. 

Jackrabbits quarterback Daniel Seigrist scored three rushing touchdowns. Xavier Hodge and Shawn Lake scored one each. Seigrist threw a touchdown pass to Braidon Bryant. Michael Hodges returned an interception for a touchdown. 

Seigrist completed 4 of 6 passes for 34 yards. He rushed for 115 yards on eight carries. Hodge had 114 yards rushing on 16 carries. Bryant had 47 yards on four carries. Lexington Mays had 41 yards on six carries. 

Bryant caught two passes for 14 yards. Also catching passes were Ethan Mulligan and Conner Linton. 

Lonoke kicker Nick Tate was 7 for 7 on extra points. 

Defensively, Tyler Washington had three interceptions. Also getting picks were Hodges and and Dalton Smith. 

Jackson Ward led Lonoke with 10 points. Terry Moore had seven. E’Shawn Brown had six. Hodges had five. 

Lonoke coach Taggart Moore was proud of his team’s effort against CAC. The Jackrabbits were coming off a 28-14 loss to Southside on Oct. 6 and a 6-0 loss to West Helena on Oct. 13. 

“I was very happy with our focus this week,” Moore said. “Our defense has been really coming into its own and playing with a swagger. Now that our offense is starting to roll, I think we are just going to continue to get better.”

Lonoke’s final home game is Friday against Stuttgart. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. 

Bison rout Mustangs for first win

Carlisle's Kaden Bray carries the ball against Des Arc on Sept. 22. Bray scored two touchdowns in the Bison's win over Marvell on Friday. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

MARVELL — The Carlisle Bison finally got in the win column Friday night, beating the Marvell Mustangs 42-0.

With the win, Carlisle is now 1-3 overall and 1-1 in the 2A-6 conference. 

The game was close in the first quarter with the Bison leading 7-0 after 12 minutes of play. 

Bison quarterback Braden Jenkins threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Houston Garrich with 3:54 left in the first quarter. Ian Seidenschwarz kicked the extra point. 

It remained that way until the midway point of the second quarter when Kaden Bray scored on a two-yard run to make the score 13-0. 

Carlisle scored two more touchdowns in the second quarter to lead 25-0 at halftime. Devarius Allen scored on a three-yard run with 1:36 left and Jenkins threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Dylan Nichols on the final play of the first half. 

Carlisle added to its lead in the third quarter, scoring a safety with 9:25 left.

The defense then picked up a score when Jasean Harper returned an interception 42 yards for touchdown with 7:08 left. Allen added the two-point conversion to make the score 35-0. 

Carlisle’s final touchdown came on a 17-yard run by Bray with 1:30 left in the quarter. Seidenschwarz kicked the extra point. 

The Bison finished with 178 yards in total offense while holding the Mustangs to minus-22 yards in offense. 

Bray led the Bison with 69 yards rushing on 11 carries. 

Jenkins completed 3 of 4 passes for 73 yards. Garrich caught two passes for 61 yards. 

The Bison will host the Hazen Hornets this Friday at Fred C. Hardke Field. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Hazen is 3-2 overall and 3-0 in league play. The Hornets beat Brinkley 55-0 at Hazen for homecoming last week. 

Jackrabbits rout Eagles for second victory

Lonoke running back Lexington Mays follows the blocking of teammate Hunter Clark during second-half action as the Jackrabbits beat Baptist Prep on Friday. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

LONOKE — The Lonoke Jackrabbits were in desperate need of a victory. Luckily, Baptist Prep was next on the schedule.

Lonoke jumped out to a  21-7 halftime lead en route to a 49-14 win over the Eagles on Friday at James B. Abraham Stadium. With the win, Lonoke breaks a three-game skid and improves to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in 4A-2 conference play. 

“We needed a good win, especially a conference win,” Lonoke coach Taggart Moore said. “We came out and took care of business. I was very happy with the kids. We made some adjustments at halftime. They are very coachable They took those adjustments and took them back out to the field. 

“We had a great second half. We’ve got a lot to work on and a lot to build upon and get ready for Southside Batesville next week. 

The Jackrabbits took the second half kickoff and pushed the lead to 28-7 on a touchdown by Davonta Adams early in the third quarter. Nick Tate kicked the fourth of seven extra points in the win. 

Baptist fumbled on its first possession of the second half with Lonoke recovering at the Baptist 36. Two plays later, Lonoke’s Xavier Hodge scored on a 37-yard run with 9:37 left in the third quarter to make the score 35-7. 

The Jackrabbits forced the mercy rule a little bit later when quarterback Daniel Seigrist scored on a 6-yard run and Tate added the extra point to make the score 42-7 with 3:10 left in the third quarter.

Baptist got its second touchdown of the game on a 1-yard run by Jonathan Gilliam with 5:21 left in the game. Allie Mead kicked the extra point. 

Adams then returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown to end the scoring. 

Lonoke finished with 424 yards in total offense, including 364 yards rushing. 

Adams led the Jackrabbits with 123 yards and two rushing TDs on seven carries. Hodge finished with 95 yards and two scores on five carries. Lexington Mays had 76 yards rushing on seven carries. 

Seigrist completed 1 of 2 passes for 60 yards and a touchdown, which was caught by Braidon Bryant. 

Michael Hodges led Lonoke with 10 total tackles. Tallon Swint had eight. Getting six tackles each were Jackson Ward and Colton Davidson.

Lonoke will travel to Batesville this Friday to take on the Southside Southerners. Southside is 5-0 on the season, it’s best start in school history.

Eagles edge Bison 20-12

Carlisle's Blake Sumner [16] and Mitch Lewis try to stop Des Arc's Jacob Moody during first-half action. (Photos by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

CARLISLE — Any time Carlisle and Des Arc hook up on the gridiron, it’s an instant classic and Friday night’s game at Fred C. Hardke Field was no exception.

Des Arc took advantage of a Bison turnover in the fourth quarter then held off Carlisle for a 20-12 win in the 2A-6 opener for the Bison.

Carlisle is now 0-3 on the season while Des Arc is 2-2. 

Des Arc took a 6-0 lead with 3:44 left in the first quarter on a 10-yard run by Dillon Conway. The two-point conversion was no good.

The Bison wasted no time in tying the game as Will Carter returned the ensuing kickoff 71 yards for a touchdown with 3:32 left. The Bison were called for an unsportsmanlike conduct play on the touchdown and were penalized 15 yards on the kickoff.

That led to Des Arc taking over at the Bison 31. The Eagles then drove to the Carlisle 7 but turned it over on downs. 

Carlisle committed a turnover with Des Arc’s Sam Lloyd recovering a fumble at the Bison 30. Two plays later, Des Arc quarterback Garrett Goodman threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Conway with 9:58 left in the first half. The two-point conversion failed, leaving the score at 12-6. 

After trading possessions, the Bison took over at the Des Arc 42 with 5:47 left in the half. They drove 42 yards in seven plays with Davarius Allen scoring on a 1-yard run with 2:27 left in the half. The two-point conversion failed, leaving the score tied at 12-12. 

Neither team could get anything going in the third quarter. The Bison then turned the ball over with a fumble at their own 27 with 11:10 left in the game. Conway then scored on a 27-yard run on the next play. Jacob Moody added the two-point conversion to give the Eagles a 20-12 lead. 

The Bison had several chances to tie the game in the fourth quarter. They turned the ball over on downs at the Des Arc 13 with 5:47 left. 

After forcing a Des Arc punt, the Bison got the ball at the Eagles’ 40 with 3:06 left. The Bison turned the ball over on downs four plays later. 

From there, the Eagles ran out the clock for the victory. 

Jasean Harper led the Bison with 113 yards rushing on 11 carries. Allen had 68 yards on 18 carries. Kaden Bray had 42 yards on 16 carries. 

Moody led Des Arc with 73 yards rushing on six carries. Conway had 68 yards on 12 carries.

The Bison travel to Marvell to take on the winless Mustangs this Friday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. 

Carlisle's Davarius Allen scores a touchdown in the second quarter. 

Jackrabbits fall to Newport, 35-8

Lonoke's Tallon Swint grabs Newport running back Tariq Richardson. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

LONOKE — The Lonoke Jackrabbits fell to 1-2 on the season with a 35-8 loss to Newport on Friday at James B. Abraham Stadium.

Lonoke got the ball to start the game but failed to pick up a first down. However, three plays after a punt, Lonoke’s Dalton Smith intercepted a pass attempt by Newport quarterback Cash Forrester. 

The Jackrabbits were forced to punt on their next possession and that set up the first score of the game.

The Greyhounds drove 97 yards in eight plays. The drive culminated with a 64-yard scoring strike from Forrester to Oshae Pruitt with 4:35 left in the first quarter. 19 kicked the extra point to make the score 7-0. 

Lonoke picked up a first down on its next possession but was forced to punt again. 

The score remained 7-0 until late in the first half. Lonoke had forced Newport into a third-and-long situation but the Greyhounds were able to pick that up near midfield. They eventually scored another touchdown to go up 14-0 on a 6-yard pass from Forrester to Pruitt with 21.5 seconds left in the first half. 

Newport was able to score 21 points in less than seven minutes in the second half to go up 35-0 with 10:47 left in the game. Forrester threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to 8. Body with 5:44 left in the third quarter. Monquell Cox scored on a 22-yard run with 11:53 left in the game. A minute later, Tydrell Friar returned an interception 60 yards for a score to invoke the running clock. 

Lonoke’s only score came on a 1-yard run by Davonta Adams with 5:47 left. The play was set up by a 27-yard pass completion from Daniel Seigrist to Ethan Mulligan down to the Newport 1. 

Michael Hodges scored the two-point conversion to set the final score. 

Seigrist completed 3 of 5 passes fore 38 yards. Adams rushed for 57 yards on 10 carries. Mulligan caught two passes for 34 yards. 

Forrester completed 6 of 14 passes for 126 yards and three touchdowns. Cox rushed for 151 yards on 23 carries. Tariq Richardson had 73 yards on 15 carries. 

Pruitt led Newport with 10 tackles. 

Lonoke opens 4A-2 conference play at Heber Springs this Friday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. The Panthers are 1-2 on the season but are coming off a 35-14 win over Harding Academy. 

Badgers rally past Jackrabbits

Lonoke kicker Nick Tate kicks off against Carlisle in Week 1. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo 

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

LONOKE — For a half, the Lonoke Jackrabbits looked good against the Beebe Badgers. However, the second half was a different story.

Beebe rallied from a 7-0 halftime deficit to beat the Jackrabbits 35-13 at James B. Abraham Stadium on Friday night. Lonoke is now 1-1 on the season while Beebe is 2-0.

After a scoreless first quarter, Lonoke took a 7-0 lead midway through the second quarter. Davonte Adams scored on a 3-yard run after he ran 34 yards to set up the score. Nick Tate kicked the extra point

That stood up until the third quarter when the Badgers scored 21 third-quarter points, eventually leading 34-7.

Lonoke scored it’s final touchdown on a pass from quarterback Daniel Seigrist to Braidon Bryant. 

Seigrist completed 21 of 30 passes for 198 yards in the loss.  He also rushed for 50 yards on nine carries. 

Adams led Lonoke with 73 yards rushing on 11 carries. 

Bryant led Lonoke with eight receptions for 49 yards. Conner Linton caught five passes for 53 yards. De’Angelo Noid had four catches for 48 yards. Ethan Mulligan caught three passes for 48 yards. 

Michael Hoges led Lonoke with 13 tackles. Keyunta Hatton and 10. E’Shaun Brown had nine. Jackson had eight. Terry Moore had six. Tallon Swint and Linton had five tackles each.

Khalil Anthony led Beebe with 120 yards rushing on 19 carries. Taylor Boyce had 100 yards on seven carries. 

Lonoke hosts the Newport Greyhounds this Friday at James B. Abraham Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Newport is 2-0, having beat Gosnell 15-8 and Greene County Tech 47-15 in the first two weeks. 

Jackrabbits run past Bison, 42-6

Lonoke receiver Braidon Bryant hauls in a touchdown pass over Carlisle's Jasean Harper in the first quarter of the Jackrabbits' win over the Bison. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

CARLISLE — The official Taggart Moore era of Lonoke Jackrabbits football started off with a rousing opening act.

The Jackrabbits scored early and often in beating the Carlisle Bison 42-6 at Fred C. Hardke Field on Friday night.

Moore, who was 1-5 as the interim coach following the resignation of Doug Bost following Week 4 of the 2016 season, was hired earlier this spring to be the permanent replacement.

The Jackrabbits were ready for this showdown with their Highway 70 rival.

Carlisle won the opening coin toss but deferred to the second half. The Jackrabbits then drove 65 yards in seven plays with Daniel Seigrist throwing a 25-yard touchdown pass to Braidon Bryant on a fourth-down play with 9:12 left in the first quarter. Nick Tate kicked the first of six extra points.

Carlisle was forced to punt on its first possession. Lonoke’s Xavier Hodge then ran for 38 yards to the Bison 15. Two plays later, Hodge scored on a 5-yard run with 7:11 left. 

After another Bison punt, Lonoke pushed the lead to 21-0 on a 51-yard scoring strike from Seigrist to Bryant with 3:38 left in the first quarter. 

The Bison finally got something going on its next possession following a 10-yard run by Ian Seidenschwarz but the Bison turned the ball over on downs. That led to Hodge scoring on a 45-yard run with 7:10 left in the first half to make the score 28-0. 

Lonoke’s final score of the half came on a fade rout from Seigrist to De’Angelo Noid in the back right corner of the end zone with 7:10 left in the first half.

Seigrist got in the on the act, scoring on a 25-yard run with 6:42 left in the third quarter. 

Carlisle’s lone score came on a 1-yard run by Davarius Allen with 11:56 left in the game. 

Allen led the Bison with 42 yards rushing on 13 carries. Seidenschwarz had 33 yards on nine carries. 

Hodge led the Jackrabbits with 147 yards rushing on 12 carries. Seigrist completed 6 of 9 passes for 109 yards. Bryant caught three passes for 86 yards. 

Michael Hodges led Lonoke with eight tackles. 

Lonoke will host Beebe next Friday at James B. Abraham Stadium while Carlisle will travel to DeWitt. 

Merle Dickerson is new Lonoke School superintendent

New Lonoke Superintendent Merle Dickerson

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

LONOKE — The Lonoke School District has a new superintendent following a special school board meeting Wednesday night.

Dr. Merle Dickerson was hired by a unanimous vote to replace Dr. Suzanne Bailey, who submitted her resignation May 29. 

Board members in attendance were Darrell Park, Angela Sumner, Anne Swint, Ross Moore and Mike Brown. Tony Kelleybrew and Charles Hunter were absent.

The meeting convened at 5:34 p.m. and a motion was made to go into executive session.

The meeting reconvened at 5:52 p.m.

At that time, the board accepted the retirements of Julius Woolfolk and Billie Jean Armstrong. They also accepted the resignations of the following staff members: Suzanne Bailey, Tracy Samples, Chris Bailey, Jacob Clanton, Lesley Daver, David Landers, Jennifer Powers, Kelly Rogers, Andrea Westmoreland, Brittney Ellis, Rhina Odom and Lauren Landers.

The board then voted to hire Dickerson as superintendent.

Park said no terms of Dickerson’s contract as superintendent have been reached yet but he did agree to come to Lonoke.

Dickerson was previously the superintendent of the Van Buren School District for 13 years, retiring after the 2013-14 school year. 

According to the Van Buren Press Argus-Courier, Dickerson graduated from Russellville High School in 1968. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Arkansas Tech University in Russellville and his doctorate from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2000.

During his 43-year education career, Dickerson has served as a band director, school counselor, middle school principal, high school assistant principal and high school principal. 

According to the Lonoke Democrat, Suzanne Bailey has accepted a job at Arkansas State University-Beebe. 

The Lonoke School Board voted at a special school board meeting April 28 to keep Bailey’s contract as is, meaning it would expire at the end of the 2017-18 school year. A year ago, the board rolled Bailey’s contract over to the 2017-18 school year during the 2015-16 year. The vote on April 28 was 4-2 with Sumner, Swint, Brown and Moore voting to keep her contract as it; Kelleybrew and Park voted against that motion. 

According to the Lonoke School District website, Bailey’s annual contract was worth $107,100. Her resignation takes affect June 30. 

Sharkrockets swimmers qualify for MOC in opening meet

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

SHERWOOD — Seventeen swimmers from the Lonoke Sharkrockets participated in the season-opening meet Saturday at the Bill Harmon Recreation Center. The meet was the first of the 2017 Central Arkansas Swim League season. 

Swimming for Lonoke were: Annabella Addison, Tristan Bennett, Matthew Boyles, Tanner Edwards, Jimmy Evans, Kenner Gooney, James Hackney, Blaine Henderson, Lauren Hill, Luke Hill, Noah Johnson, Jackson Mason, Case Morgan, Jake Rochelle, Jacob Whittenburg, Katie Beth Whittenburg and Kannon Williams. 

Several swimmers have already qualified for the Meet of Champs, which is July 22 at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. 

Bennett is qualified in the gold freestyle, backstroke, individual medley and the silver breaststroke.

Boyles is qualified in the silver breastroke.

Edwards is qualified in the gold butterfly; silver free style, backstroke and individual medley. 

Evans is qualified in the gold freestyle, backstroke, butterfly and silver breaststroke.

Hackney is qualified int he gold freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly.

Mason is qualified in the silver freestyle.

Swimmers scoring points for the Sharkrockets were:

• Tristan Bennett (15-18 girls). She won the backstroke with a time of 36.56 seconds and the breaststroke with a time of 41.90 seconds. She was second in the freestyle with a time of 30.31 seconds and the individual medley with a time of 1 minute, 16.79 seconds. 

• Matthew Boyles (9-10 boys). He was second in the breaststroke with a time of 51.34 seconds. 

• Tanner Edwards (15-18 boys). He won the individual medley with a time of 1:15.85. He was second in the freestyle with a time of 28.08 seconds and backstroke with a time of 38.06 seconds. Edwards was third in the butterfly with a time of 32.09 seconds. 

• Jimmy Evans (15-18 boys). He won the freestyle with a time of 26.50 seconds. He was second in the backstroke with a time of 34.40 seconds, breaststroke with a time of 39.85 seconds and butterfly with a time of 30.53 seconds. 

• James Hackney (9-10 boys). He was second i the backstroke with a time of 41.62 seconds and the breaststroke with a time of 49.28 seconds. He was third in the freestyle with a time of 33.72 seconds. 

• Blaine Henderson (15-18 boys). He was second in the backstroke with at time of 42.19 seconds and third in the freestyle with a time of 32.32 seconds. 

• Jackson Mason (13-14 boys). He won the backstroke with a time of 51.10 seconds. 

UAM's Halbert named to all-tournament team

UAM baseball player Guy Halbert is pictured with his mother Dena during senior day festivities last month. Halbert was named to the Great American Conference all-tournament team.. (Courtesy of UAM Sports Information)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@mark buffalo

ARKADELPHIA — Former Lonoke Jackrabbits baseball player and current Arkansas-Monticello Boll Weevil Guy Halbert was named to the Great American Conference All-Tournament team following his team’s sweep of the conference Final Four tournament Sunday at Henderson State. 

Halbert, who graduated from Lonoke High School in 2013, played two years at Arkansas Baptist College in Little Rock before transferring to UAM, an NCAA Division II school. 

Halbert hit two home runs in the tournament, including a grand slam in the opener against Arkansas Tech. He was 5 for 12 in the three-game set. 

Halbert, who is the designated hitter, is tied for the team lead in home runs with seven. He also has 34 runs batted in this season.

UAM will find out their NCAA Division II Tournament destination Monday. 

Jackrabbits outhit Scrappers but season ends with 4-2 loss

Lonoke's Keith Lingo makes contact on an RBI single in the fifth inning against Nashville on Saturday. (Photos by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

LONOKE — The Lonoke Jackrabbits couldn’t get a timely hit when they needed it and it cost them in the quarterfinals of the Class 4A state tournament Saturday at the Lonoke Ball Park.

Nashville scored two runs late to beat Lonoke 4-2, ending the Jackrabbits season at 21-13.

Lonoke led 10 runners on base, including the bases loaded in the fourth. The Jackrabbits also outhit the Scrappers 8-4 but Nashville earned four walks and had two batters hit by pitches. 

“I don’t really feel like they earned a lot, as far as driving in runs,” said first-year Lonoke coach Chris Foor. “We helped them with walks and untimely errors. And we allowed innings to continue.” 

Lonoke also had several more base runners thrown out at second and third bases. 

“We’re aggressive on the base paths,” Foor said. “But we made some errors on the base paths that were just not fundamentally sound. We had a couple of missed signals.”

Despite all that, Foor was proud of the way his team fought against Nashville. 

“We showed them that we belong right there with them,” he said. “We just couldn’t get that one hit to put us over the edge.”

Lonoke scored the game’s first run in the top of the first. Dalton Smith reached on a fielder’s choice and scored when Tallon Swint reached on an error. 

Nashville scored twice in the bottom of the frame to take a 2-1 lead. Zach Jamison walked and reached second on a error, which allowed Trace Beene on first base. They scored later in the frame.

Lonoke had a chance to do some damage in the second inning, loading the bases with one out. But a double play ended the threat.

The Jackrabbits loaded the bases again in the fourth. With two outs, Christian Cooper and Kameron Cole were on third and second respectively when Nashville intentionally walked Casey Martin to load the bases. However, the threat ended on a called third strike. 

Nashville loaded the bases in the fourth but Lonoke pitcher Haven Hunter worked out of the jam.

Lonoke finally tied the game in the top of the fifth. Hunter reached on an error and scored on a two-out single by Keith Lingo.

The tie was short lived. With two outs in the fifth, Nashville’s Austin Bowman doubled to center field. Martin relieved Hunter on the mound and got an infield ground ball but an error allowed the go-ahead run to score. 

The Scrappers added a run in the sixth Jamison tripled with two outs and scored on a single by Chris Willard.

Lonoke had a chance in the top of the seventh. Hunter led off with a single and Kade Stuart walked. Swint then hit into a double play, leaving Hunter at third base. Lingo popped out for the final out of the game. 

Cole led Lonoke at the plate, going 2 for 3. Hunter was 2 for 4. Also getting hits were Stuart, Lingo and Caleb Horton. 

Hunter got the loss, despite giving up only two hits in 4 2/3 innings of work. He struck out six.

Foor said he enjoyed his first year of coaching at Lonoke. 

“I love the people here,” Foor said. “People say that to be politically correct but those that have gotten to know me in this town know that it is not who I am. I’m a truthful person and I love the people of Lonoke. If you are up front and honest, I truly believe the people here would give you the shirt off their backs if you asked them.”

Foor said that it starts with the kids. 

“The kids at the high school are fun and energetic,” he said. “When you get onto the ball field, they’ve got fire to them. They want to succeed. They want to learn. It makes it enjoyable to be around and it’s fun to watch them grow when they have that kind of attitude.”

Lonoke pitcher Haven Hunter makes a delivery against Nashville. 

Jackrabbits win first state tourney game since 2012

Lonoke first baseman Keith Lingo awaits a throw during the regional tournament at Trumann. (Photo courtesy of Nathan McGowan)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

LONOKE — For the first time since the 2012 season, the Lonoke Jackrabbits have won a state tournament game.

On Thursday, the Jackrabbits overcame a 1-0 deficit to beat Pottsville 5-1 in the first round of the Class 4A state tournament, which is being played at the Lonoke Ball Park. Lonoke will play Nashville on Friday at 10 a.m. 

Lonoke’s last victory in state tournament action was an 8-7 win over Pulaski Academy in 12 innings in the state semifinals at Harrison. The Jackrabbits then lost to Shiloh Christian 4-0 in the state championship game at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville.

In Thursday’s victory, Pottsville led 1-0 after the top of the second. Lonoke tied it at 1-1 in the bottom of the frame when Keith Lingo singled and scored. 

The Jackrabbits took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third. Haven Hunter doubled and scored on a single by Talon Swint. 

The score remained the same until the fifth inning when Kade Stuart doubled and scored when Lingo reached on an error.

Lonoke’s final two runs came courtesy of Casey Martin’s 10th home run of the year. Kameron Cole led off the sixth with a walk and scored when Martin went deep to make the score 5-1. 

If the Jackrabbits beat Nashville, they will play in the state semifinals Saturday at noon against the winner of Booneville and Monticello.

Other first-round scores include: 

Monticello 7, Heber Springs 0

Shiloh Christian 3, Arkadelphia 0

Pea Ridge 5, Jonesboro Westside 2