Jackrabbits rout Ricebirds to win Goldfish Classic

The Lonoke Jackrabbits hold the championship trophy of the Goldfish Classic after beating Stuttgart in the championship game Saturday night. (Photos by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

LONOKE — The Lonoke Jackrabbits completed a three-game sweep of the sixth-annual Goldfish Classic at the Gina Cox Center.

Lonoke beat Malvern 71-69 in the first round, England 83-66 in the semifinals then beat Stuttgart 70-57 in the championship game Saturday night. 

Lonoke's Isaiah Thomas battles for the ball with
 England's Tyler Woods in the semifinals. 

“We had a good win at Wynne before Christmas,” Lonoke coach Dean Campbell said. “I told them it wasn’t just these three days. It started on Dec. 21. Then we came in on Dec. 26 and got some things done. We’ve grown defensively. Hopefully, we can grown and figure out that what we do defensively carries over to the offensive end. It gets us in a flow and gets us going. It gets us in a mindset to attack.

“I thought we did that this weekend. We’ve worked for it. We had a very good weekend.”

Lonoke is now 8-5 overall but they have a 1-3 mark in conference play with losses to Mills, EStem and Stuttgart.

The top four teams in the conference advance to the regional tournament. For the first time in recent years, Lonoke will not play a conference tournament. 

“We have nine schools … the southwest conference has seven,” Campbell said. “Five out of our conference stays home. Three out of theirs stay home. It doesn’t seem right. I don’t understand some of the geographical positioning, especially, when a team like Joe T. Robinson, who everybody in the southwest conference is their football opponents, but they are in our basketball conference.

“It is what is. Every night is a battle. There are no nights off in the conference.”

In the win over Stuttgart, Lonoke and Stuttgart were tied at 12-12 after one quarter. The Jackrabbits outscored the Ricebirds 17-7 in the second quarter to lead 29-19 at halftime. 

Tyriqe Jackson led Lonoke with 27 points, including three thunderous dunks. Tony Bryant had 24 points. Nick Tate had 10. Isaiah Thomas had 9.

In the win over England, Tony Bryant had 29 points. Jackson had 20. Chase Bryant scored six. Braidon Bryant had five. Tim Hunter had four. Tate scored three. L.J. Williams and Christian Thompson had two points each. 

Against Malvern, Jackson led Lonoke with 38 points. Tate had nine. Braidon Bryant had seven. Tony Bryant scored six. Chase Bryant had five. Thomas scored four. Hunter had two. 

Jackrabbits rout Russellville for second win

Lonoke's Tony Bryant scored 25 points in the Jackrabbits' win over Russellville. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

LONOKE — The Lonoke Jackrabbits improved to 2-0 on the season with an 83-65 victory over the Russellville Cyclones on Nov. 19 at the Gina Cox Center.

Russellville is a former Class 6A school, now 5A with the restructuring of the Arkansas Activities Association. 

“We got great production from our seniors tonight,” said 10th-year Lonoke coach Dean Campbell. “We shot it really well early and did a great job on defense.

“Russellville plays extremely hard and makes you play every defensive position.”

Lonoke outscored Russellville 25-14 in the first quarter. Tony Bryant scored 11 points in the first eight minutes, including hitting three 3-pointers. Tyriqe Jackson added nine. Nick Tate hit a 3-poiner and Isaiah Thomas hit two free throws.

Lonoke led 41-30 at halftime. 

Jackson led Lonoke with 28 points. Bryant added 25. Thomas had 15. Tate scored nine. Tim Hunter had four. Chase Bryant had one. 

“There are some things we have to fix on the defensive end but our overall effort tonight is what I’m probably most proud of,” Campbell said.

Lady Cyclones 62, Lady Jackrabbits 42

The Lonoke Lady Jackrabbits fell to 0-2 with a 62-42 loss to Russellville.

Russellville led 21-11 after one quarter and 32-18 at halftime. 

Kaleigh Thompson led Lonoke with 14 points. Kaley Woodruff added 13.  Hannah Moseley had 10. Dreya McClain and Josie Roark had two points each. 

Big second quarter propels Jackrabbits past Bison

Lonoke's Tony Bryant is fouled by Carlisle's Will Carter in the first quarter of the Jackrabbits' win over the Bison. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

LONOKE — Lonoke senior guard/forward Tyriqe Jackson scored 23 points, including 16 in the second quarter as the Jackrabbits opened the 2018-19 season with a 64-48 win over the Carlisle Bison on Thursday at the Gina Cox  Center.

The game was Carlisle’s second of the year, having beat Glen Rose earlier in the week. 

The Jackrabbits were playing without several key players because the Jackrabbits football team were playing in the Class 4A state playoffs Friday night. 

It gave some of the younger players some key minutes in the victory, which Coach Dean Campell said was beneficial.

“We needed a game even though we’re only a half strength, numbers wise,” he said. “There were guys sitting on the bench who are going to help us during the season.”

The first quarter was close as Carlisle tied it at 17-17 following two free throws by Baylor Craign with 37.6 seconds left. Lonoke’s Tony Bryant scored the final four points to give the Jackrabbits a 10-17 lead.

Lonoke outscored the Bison 29-15 in the second quarter to lead 49-32 at halftime. 

The Bison only scored nine points in the third quarter while Lonoke scored only eight. Each team scored seven points in the fourth quarter to account for the final score. 

In addition to Jackson’s 23 points, Bryant had 18. Ja’Coree Womack and Isaiah Thomas had eight points each. Jace Wicker had three. Cause Bryant scored two. I.J. Williams and Tim Hunter had one point each.

Braiden Jenkins led the Bison with nine points. Jalen Burton had eight. Scoring seven each were Everett Williams and Will Carter. Craig had six. Jasean Harper had four. Creed Carter added two. 

Lady Bison rally past Lady Rabbits, improve to 3-0

Lonoke's Mia Brown and Carlisle's DeShaye Ricks battle for a loose ball. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

LONOKE — Early on, it looked like Carlisle would not be able to get things going against Lonoke. However, it was not a sign of things to come.

The Lady Bison improved to 3-0 by overcoming a 7-0 and 19-12 deficit to beat the Lady Jackrabbits 46-36 on Thursday at the Gina Cox Center.

Carlisle did not score until the 2:27 mark of the first quarter when Shelby Hancock hit 1 of 2 free throws. Carlisle’s Leigh Ann Wolfe followed with five in a row, and Carlisle trailed 11-6 after the first quarter. 

Lonoke (0-1) pushed its lead to 19-12 with 4:14 left in the first half following consecutive three-pointers by Dreya McClain and Olivia Dollinger. 

The Lady Bison scored the next seven points to tie the game at 19-19 at halftime. Josie Fortner started the run with two free throws. Wolfe then hit a three-pointer. Fortner and Heather Bowlan each hit a free throw to account for the first-half run.

Carlisle scored the first four points of the second half — two each by DeShaye Ricks and Hancock, to take a 23-19 lead, a lead they would never surrender.

Lonoke broke the 11-0 run when Kaley Woodruff scored with 5:51 left in the third quarter.

Carlisle then went on a 14-4 run to lead 35-25 with 3:32 left in the quarter.

Lonoke could not get any closer than six points the remainder of the game. Woodruff hit a three-pointer with 7:19 left to make the score 37-31. Carlisle then scored four in a row to lead 41-31. 

Carlisle coach Jonathan Buffalo was proud of his team’s ability to come back twice. 

“I told them in the lockerroom before the game that it going to be whoever has the most heart out there, are you going to play harder than them, are you doing to show more tenacity and more passion,” he said. ““I thought that in second half, once we got the lead, of protecting it, playing smart with the basketball, doing the little things that we needed to do.”

Both teams struggled at the free throw line. Carlisle made 14 of 29 attempts; Lonoke made 6 of 19 attempts. 

“Any time you go out on the road against a bigger school, a good basketball team, and you come out with a win, you can’t be anything but happy,” Buffalo said.

Lonoke coach Heath Swiney was proud of the way his team started the game. 

“In the first quarter, we did a really good job of executing of what we had seen on film in the past,” he said. “In any defense, there are some holes. We were getting some easy shots because we were going inside first then outside. 

“After that, we just settled on those outside shots. We probably shot just as many threes from the second quarter on as we did shots in the paint. In basketball, that normally doesn’t work out for you real well, most nights.”

Swiney also gave credit to the Lady Bison for being able to rally.

“They just chipped away at it,” he said. “Both teams got in foul trouble. I thought Carlisle’s kids off the bench did a good job of doing thing well when they came in and had to. 

“They didn’t lose the lead.”

Hancock led all scorers with 12 points. Wolfe and Ricks had 10 points each. Fortner had seven. Bowlan added five. Kiara Miller scored two. Ricks and Taylor Cullum had eight rebounds each. 

Woodruff and Kaleigh Thompson led Lonoke with eight points each. Hannah Moseley had seven points and seven rebounds. Dollinger had six points. McClain had five. Eva Richardson had two points.

Jackrabbits win first playoff game in 5 years, beat Prairie Grove 35-26

Lonoke senior defensive back Braidon Bryant intercepts a pass intended for Prairie Grove's Jacob Watson late in the fourth quarter of the Jackrabbits' first-round playoff win. Also pictured for Lonoke is Dalton Smith. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

LONOKE — When Taggart Moore took over as Lonoke head football coach five games into the 2016 season, he knew it would be a building process. He got the chance when he had the interim tag removed prior to the 2017 season. His efforts, along with his staff and players were rewarded Friday night.

For the first time since since 2013, Lonoke won a playoff game. The Jackrabbits rallied from a 20-14 halftime deficit to beat Prairie Grove 35-26 at James B. Abraham Stadium in the first round of the Class 4A state playoffs. Coincidentally, the last playoff game the Jackrabbits won was also the last time they hosted a playoff game — 49-7 win over Pocahontas on Nov. 15, 2013. 

“We just feel like we have so many doubters,” Moore said after the win. “These kids poor their heart out for this football team. I just love it when we prove doubters wrong.”

Lonoke (6-5) gave away 13 points in the first half. Prairie Grove (5-6) blocked a punt and eventually scored a touchdown, and, on the last play of the first half, Lonoke attempted a trick play but a pass was ruled a fumble and Prairie Grove scored a touchdown to lead 20-14 at halftime. 

“It shouldn’t have been that close,” Moore said. “I made a stupid call on the throwback. We didn’t come here to lose. So, you’ve got to take some chances.”

Moore gave credit to his team for coming out in the second half ready to play.

“They are special," he said.  "I’m so proud of them. We’ve taken some bad breaks along the way. We were a couple of scores away from being 9-1 or 8-2 in the regular season. Nobody knows what to think of us. I’m proud of them, coaches included. Coach Nick Smith did a heck of a job calling the offense, and Coach Jack Keith, his defense bowed its neck there. We put them in bad spots, and they’ve been good all year.”

Lonoke senior quarterback Braidon Bryant had his best game of his career. He rushed for 212 yards on 28 carries. He also completed 4 of 7 passes for 54 yards. On defense, he intercepted a Prairie Grove pass to seal the victory with with 1:13 to play.

“He is a stud,” Moore said of Bryant. “Every college in the state should be recruiting him. I don’t know why they are not. Maybe they will be now.”

The Tigers took a 7-0 lead with 10:40 left in the first quarter on a 21-yard run by Garrett Heltemes. Cade Walker kicked the extra point.

Lonoke tied it at 7-7 on a 4-yard run by Bryant with 7:38 left in the first quarter. Nick Tate hacked the first of five extra points. 

The Jackrabbits took a 14-7 lead on a 3-yard run by Anthony Parks with 2:17 left in the first quarter.

Prairie Grove tied it at 14-14 on a 9-yard run by Ethan Guenther. The Tigers took a 20-14 lead when Heltemes scored on a fumble return on the final play of the first half.

Lonoke regained the lead on the first possession of the second half. The Jackrabbits drove 59 yards in nine plays with Bryant scoring on a 1-yard run with 8:28 left in the third quarter.

After trading possessions, Lonoke was forced to punt, but the Tigers muffed the ball on a fair catch with Spencer Pepper recovering the ball at the Prairie Grove 8. Two plays later, Bryant scored on a 3-yard run with 44 seconds left in the third quarter to make the score 28-20. 

After another Prairie Grove punt, the Jackrabbits went up 35-20 when Parks broke away from Tiger defenders for a 36-yard touchdown with 7:21 left in the game.

Heltemes scored on a 46-yard run with 6:15 left. Instead of kicking the extra point to make it a one-possession game at 8 points, the Tigers attempted the two-point conversion but the Jackrabbits defense stopped them, leaving Lonoke ahead by 9 points at 35-26. 

Prairie Grove had one final possession, which ended with Bryant’s interception. 

In addition to Bryant’s 212 rushing yards, Parks had 123 yards on 21 carries. Davonta Adams had 46 yards on 10 carries. 

Parks caught two passes for 10 yards. Dalton Smith caught one pass for 10 yards. Shawn Lake caught one pass for 34 yards and a key first down in the fourth quarter.

The Jackrabbits defense held Prairie Grove to 269 yards of total offense. Heltemes led Prairie Grove with 96 yards rushing on nine carries.

Lonoke turns its attention to Ozark for the second round of the Class 4A state playoffs. The Hillbillies had a bye Friday night after winning the 4A-4 conference with a 7-0 mark. They are 8-2 overall. 

Teammates celebrate with Anthony Parks after Parks scored a fourth-quarter touchdown against Prairie Grove (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

Bison fall to Bulldogs, eye first-round playoff game

Carlisle's Kaden Bray heads toward the end zone for a touchdown against Earle on Friday night. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

CARLISLE — The Carlisle Bison will be the fourth seed from the 2A-6 and travel to Magazine for a first-round Class 2A state playoff game with the Rattlers this Friday. 

The Bison ended the regular season with a  36-20 loss to Earle on Friday night at Fred C. Hardke Field. Despite the loss, Carlisle is on an upswing after winning four consecutive games prior to the loss to Earle to earn a post in the playoffs after missing for just the second time in 29 years. 

“I heard one of the players — it was Braiden Jenkins — say ‘Monday starts a whole new season. It’s win or go home,’” first-year coach Caleb Shock said. “That’s exciting. It’s a fresh start. It’s one that these guys have been really hungry for. I know Carlisle missed the playoffs last year.I know they were there two years ago with Coach [Mark] Uhiren in his first year. 

“We’re excited to be back in it and get going with a fresh start.”

In the loss to Earle, the Bison jumped out to a 14-0 lead, taking advantage of a few Earle miscues. 

Carlisle’s Kaleb Boyle recovered a fumble at the Earle 49 with 5:01 left in the first half. That led to Davarius Allen scoring on a 1-yard run with 53 seconds left in the first quarter. Kamryn Taylor added the two-point conversion to give the Bison an 8-0 lead. 

The Bison defense forced a punt on the next Earle possession but a bad snap gave Carlisle the ball at the Earle 40. Seven plays later, Taylor scored on a 2-yard run with 6:15 left in the first half to give the Bison a 14-0 lead. 

Earle then scored 36 consecutive points to lead 36-14 with 8:39 left in the game.

The Bison put together a final scoring drive that culminated in a 9-yard touchdown run by Kaden Bray with 2:30 left in the game. 

“It was awesome … it is something that I wanted them to understand,” Shock said. “A lot of teams, you get down those scores and we had three, four or five starters knocked out. We’ve got back ups in right and left. We just kept going. We were playing offense and our job is to go down and punch it in and they did it.”

Allen led the Bison with 92 yards rushing on 16 carries. Taylor had 70 yards on 20 carries. Jasean Harper had 40 yards on 10 carries. Bray had 41 yards on 4 carries. 

Carlisle ends the regular season at 4-5-1 and 4-3 in 2A-6 play. 

Carlisle 26, Brinkley 12

The Carlisle Bison won their fourth consecutive game by beating Brinkley 26-12 on Oct. 26. 

Davarius Allen led the Bison with 97 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 16 carries. Jasean Haper had 44 yards rushing and a touchdown on eight carries. 

Braiden Jenkins completed 5 of 10 passes for 39 yards and a touchdown. Will Carter caught three passes for 20 yards and a touchdown. He also scored a two-point conversion. 

Jackrabbits rout Riverview, earn home playoff game for first time in five years

Lonoke's Dalton Smith runs with the ball after getting an interception in the third quarter against Riverview. He is following the blocking of his brother Dayton [10]. Also pictured is Anthony Parks. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

LONOKE — For the first time in five years, the Lonoke Jackrabbits will host a home playoff football game.

Lonoke, which beat Riverview 33-8 in the regular season finale Thursday at James B. Abraham Stadium, finished the regular season 5-5 and 4-3 in the 4A-2 conference, earning the third seed and a home playoff game with the Prairie Grove Tigers this Friday.

“It’s exciting,” said Lonoke coach Taggart Moore, whose team hasn’t played in the postseason since 2015. “It’s exciting for our community. We’re really ready for Friday night. We think the environment is going to be electric. I’m glad that this group of seniors is the ones who got to bring a playoff game back home to Lonoke.”

Moore said this season has gone beyond expectations. 

“We knew we wanted to be a playoff team,” he said. “We beat some teams that we weren’t picked to beat. That put us in this position to get this home playoff game. The seniors are a huge part of that but also the juniors and sophomores have been really good for us all year.

“We’ve got a good, bright future.”

Prairie Grove finished fourth in the 4A-1 conference. The Tigers are 5-5 overall and 4-3 in league play. 

“i was there last night, watching them and Lincoln,” Moore said. “They are tough. They run the Wing T and a 3-4 defense. Traditionally, they are in the playoffs every year. They know how to play in the postseason. They know how to play when it’s 30 degrees outside. They are going to be physical and grind it out. They do some things that we’ve got to be ready for. I think the heart of our team is our defensive line and linebackers. i think that plays into our hands.”

Lonoke led 20-0 after one quarter. The Jackrabbits then scored seven points in the second and six in the third to lead 33-0.

Riverview scored it’s lone touchdown in the fourth quarter. 

Lonoke quarterback Braidon Bryant completed 5 of 8 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown. Spencer Pepper, playing his first high school game, caught a 35-yard touchdown pass from Bryant. Dalton Smith caught three passes for 80 yards. 

Davonta Adams led Lonoke with 89 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 8 carries. Anthony Parks had 80 yards and a touchdown on 8 carries. 

Dalton Smith also returned an interception for a touchdown. 

Dayton Smith led Lonoke with eight tackles. Jackson Ward had six. Deon Campbell and Chris Lucas had five tackles each. 

Nick Tate kicked three extra points. 

Bison 'clinch' spot in Class 2A playoffs.

The Bison defense makes a stop during the second quarter of their 32-0 win over Clarendon. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

CARLISLE — Unless something crazy happens in the last two weeks of the season, the Carlisle Bison are headed back to the playoffs.

Carlisle won its third consecutive game Friday night, beating the Clarendon Lions 32-0 on a rain-soaked Fred C. Hardke Field. The Bison are now 3-4-1 overall and 3-2 in 2A-6 play with two games left. Carlisle missed the playoffs a year ago. 

Carlisle is in fourth place, followed by Clarendon at 2-3. Marianna and Brinkley are tied at 1-4 while Marvell is winless at 0-5.

“The kids were running and mud sliding on the sidelines after the game because they were excited about it and it was good to see,” Carlisle coach Caleb Shock said. “It meant that much to them to get back into the playoffs. They know that Carlisle needs to be in the playoffs every year. They should be there. They’ve worked hard and earned their way back in it.”

The game did not start well for Carlisle as the Lions recovered an onside kick to start the game. However, the Bison got the ball back on the next play when Drew Sanders recovered his first of two fumbles in the game. Carlisle then drove 42 yards for the first touchdown of the game.

The Bison faced fourth down when quarterback Braiden Jenkins found Kamryn Taylor for an 8-yard touchdown pass with 7:23 left in the first quarter. Davarius Allen added the two-point conversion to give the Bison an 8-0 lead.

Carlisle scored again after a Clarendon punt. Allen scored on a 4-yard run with 11:11 left in the first half. He also scored the conversion, making the score 16-0.

Clarendon tried to get back into the game, holding onto the ball for almost 8 minutes but turned the ball over on downs at the Carlisle 8 with 3:11 left in the first half. 

“We worked a lot this week on tackling,” Shock said. “They worked at it hard and took the drills that we were doing seriously. I thought it really showed up on the defensive side of the ball. That made a big difference. 

“We had a lot of big stops with some really good tackles. That, in turn, put us in a lot of good situations offensively.”

The Bison added two second-half touchdowns. Allen scored on a 15-yard run with 8:41 left in the third quarter. Kaden Bray added his first of two two-point conversions. Jasean Harper then scored on a 35-yard run with 10:42 left in the game. 

Shock said the victory was his team’s most complete game of the season. 

“As far as offense, defense and special teams, everybody executed pretty well,” he said.

Allen led the Bison with 86 yards rushing on 19 carries. Bray and Harper and 55 yards each. Taylor added 37. Jenkins had 20 yards rushing and 19 yards passing. He completed 2 of 3 attempts. Will Carter also caught one pass for 11 yards. 

Ian Seidenschwarz led the Bison with 14 tackles. Kaleb Boyle had 7. Baylor Craig had 5. Christian Harrison had 4. 

The Bison will travel to Brinkley this Friday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Bison 38, Trojans 30

The Carlisle Bison scored late to beat the Marianna Trojans 38-30 on Oct. 12 at Fred C. Hardke Field.

Carlisle took an 8-0 lead in the first quarter on an 8-yard run by Kamryn Taylor. Davarius Allen scored the two-point conversion.

Marianna tied the score at 8-8 in the first quarter.

The Bison led 24-16 at halftime. Jasean Harper scored on a 1-yard run, and Braiden Jenkins added the two-point conversion.

Will Carter caught a 32-yard touchdown pass from Jenkins, and Harper scored the two-point conversion. 

Both teams scored twice in the third quarter. Allen scored on a 3-yard run to make the score 30-22. 

Marianna tied the score at 30-30 with 7:33 left. The Bison reclaimed the lead at 38-30 with 4:11 left. Allen scored on a 7-yard run and Harper added the two-point conversion. 

Allen led the Bison with 167 yards rushing on 24 carries. Harper had 124 yards on 15 carries. Taylor had 53 yards on 10 carries.

Jenkins completed 3 of 5 passes for 58 yards. Will Carter caught all three passes. 

Jackrabbits win third in a row, now tied for second in 4A-2 play

Lonoke senior punter Hannah Moseley (72) is congratulated by teammates after seeing her first action of the season in the Jackrabbits' 35-8 win over Mills University Studies High on Friday night. (Photo by Ashley McGowan)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

LONOKE — For the first time in four seasons, the Lonoke Jackrabbits have won three consecutive games.

The Jackrabbits routed Mills University Studies High 35-8 on homecoming Friday night to improve to 4-3 overall and 3-1 in 4A-2 play. The victory was Lonoke’s third in a row after dropping three games in a row. The last time the Jackrabbits were winners of three in a row was the 2014 season. 

“I’m glad we were able to come out and overcome all the distractions of homecoming week,” Lonoke coach Taggart Moore said. “I think we are starting to click and get on a roll at the right time.”

Lonoke led 21-0 after one quarter, 28-0 at halftime and 35-0 after three quarters. Mills’ lone score came in the fourth quarter. 

Lonoke’s Anthony Parks continued his hot streak running the football. He rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. Davonta Adams had 119 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. 

Lonoke quarterback Braidon Bryant completed 5 of 7 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown. Parks caught three passes for 65 yards. Shawn Lake caught one pass. Dalton Smith caught one pass for 12 yards and a touchdown. 

Smith also returned an interception for a touchdown. 

Nick Tate kicked five extra points. 

Jackson Ward led Lonoke with 10 tackles. Brayden Coble and Antonio Earl had eight tackles each. 

Also, Hannah Moseley, possibly the first female football player in school history, at least the first in the last 25 years, saw her first action of the season. She had a punt for 30 years in the fourth quarter. 

The Jackrabbits are tied for second in the conference at 3-1 with Heber Springs, which holds the tiebreaker by virtue of it’s previous win over Lonoke in the conference opener. Stuttgart is undefeated at 4-0. The Jackrabbits are primed for their first playoff spot since 2015 if they win at Central Arkansas Christian on Friday night at Mustang Mountain. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Bison score early, often in beating Marvell for first win

Carlisle's Davarius Allen heads into the end zone during the Bison's win over Marvell. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

CARLISLE — The Marvell Mustangs were just what the doctor ordered for the Carlisle Bison football team.

Carlisle scored 52 first-quarter points in a 66-12 win over the Mustangs on Thursday at Fred C. Hardke Field. The win was the first for new head coach Caleb Shock and the Bison are now 1-4-1 overall and 1-2 in 2A-6 play.

“These guys have been working hard since coming back the week after the dead period in July,” Shock said. “We put in a lot of work in July and August and all through September. It was time for a win in Week 1 but it didn’t happen in Week 1 and every other week after that. But it was just good to get one Thursday night. I think the guys are really trying to do things the right way. I’m glad it was able to pay off for them on the scoreboard.”

Carlisle got the ball to start the game. After a long kickoff return by Kamryn Taylor, his teammate Mitchell Couch recovered his fumble at the Marvell 20. Two plays later Davarius Allen scored on a 2-yard run with 11:12 left to give the Bison a 6-0 lead.

Marvell fumbled the ensuing kickoff with Carlisle’s Will Carter recovering the ball at the Marvell 34. Three plays later, Bison quarterback Braiden Jenkins scored on a 5-yard run. He threw to Carter for the two-point conversion to make the score 14-0. 

Carlisle’s third touchdown came on a 38-yard run by Taylor with 7:35 left. Kaden Bray scored the two-point conversion to make the score 22-0.

Marvell fumbled the next kickoff with Carter recovering again. That led to Taylor scoring on a 13-yard run with 4:45 left and Bray adding the two-point conversion, making the score 30-0.

After a Marvell punt, the Bison scored again on a 19-yard run by Jenkins with 2:41 left, bringing the score to 36-0.

Marvell fumbled again on the next kickoff and the Bison pushed the lead to 4-0 on a 10-yard run by Jasean Harper. Allen added the two-point conversion, making the score 44-0.

The Bison’s final first-quarter touchdown came on a 25-yard run by Taylor with 31 seconds left. Jenkins scored the two-point conversion. 

Marvell scored the next two touchdowns to make the score 52-12. 

Carlisle scored a defensive touchdown when Carter returned an interception 65 yards for a touchdown. Collin Jinks also scored a touchdown on a  33-yard run. Bray added the two-point conversion. 

Taylor led the Bison with 76 yards rushing on three carries. Harper had 60 yards on four carries. Allen had 45 yards on six carries. 

C.J. James led the Bison with five tackles. 

Shock said he thinks the Bison can build off this win. 

“Two weeks ago, beginning of the Des Arc week, we scrapped a lot of what we were doing on offense,” Shock said, referring to the spread. “We installed the Wing T. We were already doing some Wing T principles. It wasn’t like it was a completely different concept. We basically put in a new offense. Every week, right now for us with these guys, is getting on the film and taking the things we did well, taking the things we thought we did well, and going back and learning off those. We did that Friday afternoon.

“We tried to learn a lot about blocking schemes and what we needed to do better, especially on the offensive side of the ball. The kids are learning a few new blocking rules. Each week, we’ve got to build off that and get better. Hopefully, we’ll be prepared where we’re sitting in a spot to where we are playing in the playoffs and have some things polished up by then.”

The Bison host Marianna for homecoming this Friday. 

Jackrabbits get signature win by beating defending conference champs

Lonoke's Anthony Parks makes a cut during the Jackrabbits' win over Southside Batesville. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

LONOKE — As Lou Brown said in the movie Major League, “It’s starting to come together.” Well that can be said for the Lonoke Jackrabbits football team.

A week after beating a team for  their first time with a winning record in several seasons, Lonoke followed it up with an even bigger surprise — shocking the defending 4A-2 conference champions.

Lonoke beat Southside Batesville 27-23 on Friday night to improve to 3-3 on the season and 2-1 in league play. The Jackrabbits had to hold on for dear life after leading 27-7 early in the fourth quarter.

“This is easily the biggest win,” third-year Lonoke coach Taggart Moore said. “This game had a little bit of everything in it. I was worried there at the end. But this is the second week in a row that these guys have come together in the end and overcome adversity.”

Lonoke had lost three in a row after beating Carlisle in the season opener. They beat Bald Knob 28-21 on Sept. 28. 

“These guys are tough,” he said of his team. “It’s going to be a tough run to the playoffs.”

Southside took a 7-0 lead after a Lonoke fumble at the Southside 3. The Southerners drove 97 yards and scored on a 6-yard run by Caden Huskey early in the second quarter.

Lonoke responded with a scoring drive of its own, capped by a Davonta Adams 6-yard touchdown run with 8:09 left in the first half. Nick Tate added the extra point. 

Lonoke’s Dalton Smith intercepted a Koby Rich pass and returned deep. A penalty on the return set Lonoke up at the Southside 7. Two plays later, Lonoke quarterback Braidon Bryant scored on a two-yard run with 5:04 left in the first half. Tate’s extra point made the score 14-7. 

Lonoke pushed its lead to 20-7 on a 42-yard run by Anthony Parks with 1:20 left in the third quarter. The extra point was blocked.

On the next Southside possession, Parks intercepted a tipped pass, setting up Lonoke at the Southside 40. Bryant then scored on a 40-yard run with 11:48 left in the game, making the score 27-7.

Southside then did its best to get back into the game. 

 The Southerners cut the deficit to 27-14 on a two-yard run by Alex Palmer with 7:32 left.

Lonoke recovered the onside kick attempt but were forced to punt. But the punt was kicked out of bounds. On the next play, Rich threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to Kilynn Dugger with 5:34 left to make the score 27-21.

Southside then recovered the onside kick and drove the ball to the Lonoke 7. On fourth down, Lonoke’s defense stopped Rich short of a first down.

The Jackrabbits were forced to take a safety, trying to end the game but when Bryant stepped out of the end zone, the clock read 0.2 seconds. 

The Southerners were not able to return the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown. 

Moore said his defense made the plays when it needed to

“I never had a question about them,” he said. “Coach [Jack] Keith has them right. They play tough. Down there on fourth down, I knew those guys would not let them get that first down.”

Parks led the Jackrabbits with 139 yards rushing on 13 carries. Bryant had 110 yards on 10 carries Adams had 81 yards on 18 carries. The Jackrabbits finished with 322 yards in total offense.

“Anthony is tough,” Moore said of Parks. “He’s a stud. He’s a sophomore. Like I’ve said, these kids [sophomores] were my seventh-grade group. I’ve been waiting on that group.”

Southside was led by Brayden Duncan, who had 175 yards rushing on 22 carries. Rich completed 11 of 20 passes for 188 yards. Huskey caught five passes for 105 yards.

Jackson Ward led Lonoke with 18 tackles. Dalton and Dayton Smith had 14 tackles each. Terry Moore had nine. Brayden Coble, Josh Lawson and Antonio Earl had seven each. 

Lonoke hosts Mills for homecoming this Friday. 

Bison getting close but still winless

Carlisle senior Baylor Craig looks to block during the season opener with Lonoke. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

DES ARC — The Carlisle Bison are still in search of their first victory after a 32-14 loss to Des Arc on Friday night at Eagles Field.

Carlisle is now 0-4-1 on the season and 0-2 in 6A-2 play. 

The Bison got off to a quick start, leading 8-0 following a 50-yard touchdown run by Kamryn Taylor in the first quarter. Will Carter scored the two-point conversion.

Des Arc scored 16 second-quarter points to lead 16-8 at halftime. Des Arc’s Luke Morton scored on a 34-yard run. Turner Holland added the two-point conversion. Donald McCoy then scored on a two-yard run and scored the two-point conversion to make the score 16-8. 

The Eagles pushed their lead to 24-8 in the third quarter when Cooper Roberts scored on a 71-yard run. McCoy added the two-point conversion.

The Bison finally broke the string of 24 consecutive Eagles points when Davarius Allen scored on a one-yard run. The two-point conversion failed, leaving the score at 24-14.

Des Arc’s final points came on a three-yard run by McCoy in the fourth quarter. Morton scored the two-point conversion. 

Bison quarterback Braiden Jenkins completed 5 of 11 passes for 82 yards. 

Allen rushed for 61 yards on 11 carries. Taylor had 56 yards on seven carries.

Carter caught four passes for 74 yards. 

The Bison will host Marvell on Thursday night. The junior high game starts at 5:15 p.m. followed by the junior high homecoming ceremony. The senior high game will follow. 

Lonoke gets biggest win in Taggart Moore era as coach

Lonoke's Davonta Adams rushed for 154 yards on 20 carries in the Jackrabbits' 28-21 win over Bald Knob. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

BALD KNOB — For the first time in three seasons, the Lonoke Jackrabbits beat a team with a winning record.

Lonoke, ranked 32nd in Class 4A by Hooten’s Arkansas Football, scored late to beat No. 17 Bald Knob 28-21 on Friday night. Lonoke is now 2-3 overall and 1-1 in 4A-2 play. The Bulldogs are 3-2 overall and 1-1 in league play. 

Lonoke took a 6-0 lead when Brayden Coble recovered a fumble in the end zone. The Jackrabbits missed the extra point.

Bald Knob took a 7-6 lead in the first quarter. Lonoke reclaimed the lead at 14-6, scoring a touchdown and a two-point conversion by Dayton Smith.

Lonoke pushed it’s lead to 21-7 on a 3-yard run by Anthony Parks. Nick Tate added the extra point.

Bald Knob kicked a 25-yard field goal to make the score 21-10 at halftime. 

The Bulldogs scored 11 points in the third quarter to tie the game at 21-21.

Lonoke reclaimed the lead at 28-21 after a 99 yard scoring drive. Tate kicked the extra point to make the score 28-21 in the fourth quarter.

Bald Knob had two scoring chances, including driving the ball inside the Lonoke 5 but turned it over on downs. 

After a Lonoke punt, Bald Knob had one final shot but Lonoke’s Braidon Bryant intercepted a pass near the goal line to end the game. 

The Jackrabbits rushed for 458 yards on 51 carries. Davonta Adams had 154 yards on 20 carries. Bryant had 150 yards on 15 carries. He also scored a touchdown. Parks had 138 yards on 12 carries. He scored two touchdowns. 

Bryant completed 3 of 5 passes for 25 yards. Riley Miller caught two passes for 21 yards. 

Third-year Lonoke coach Taggart Moore said he was proud of his team’s play.

“I want to give credit to Bald Knob,” he said. “They are a well-coached team and play tough. Our kids came together and played as a family tonight.

“I was proud of our defense having three red-zone stands. I was also proud of our offense putting up big numbers in the run game.”

Dayton Smith led Lonoke with 18 tackles. Will McNeill had 15. Jackson Ward has 12. Antonio Earl had 10. Cable had nine. 

Lonoke hosts Southside Batesville this Friday at James B. Abraham Stadium. The Southerners are 3-2 on the season and 1-1 in league play. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Jackrabbits can't keep up with Greyhounds

Lonoke running back Davonta Adams carries the ball during the Jackrabbits' win over Carlisle in the season opener Aug. 31. Adams rushed for 56 yards against Newport on Friday. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

NEWPORT — The Lonoke Jackrabbits looked good early against Newport but the Greyhounds ran away for a 35-14 win in the final non-conference game for both teams.

Lonoke is now 1-2 while Class 3A Newport is 2-1. 

Lonoke kicked off to start the game and recovered an onside kick at the Newport 43. Quarterback Braidon Bryant threw a 43-yard pass to Dalton Smith down to the Newport 3. On the next play, Davonta Adams scored on a  3-yard run. Nick Tate kicked the extra point to give the Jackrabbits a 7-0 lead. 

Newport tied it at 7-7 on a 9-yard run by Tharon Davis with 51.9 seconds left in the first quarter.

Newport scored two more first-half touchdowns to lead 21-7 at halftime. 

Lonoke cut it to 28-14 on an 8-yard run by Bryant with 6:48 left in the third quarter. That score would remain the same until Newport put the game away on a 1-yard quarterback sneak by Cash Forrester with 5:22 left in the game. 

Lonoke coach Taggart Moore gave credit to the Greyhounds for the victory.

“Give credit to Newport,” he said. “They will run a run for a state title this year. We had our chances but couldn’t take advantage of them.”

Adams led the Jackrabbits with 56 yards rushing on 13 carries. Bryant had 35 yards on 10 carries.

Bryant completed 6 of 15 passes for 108 yards. 

Smith caught two passes for 63 yards. Adams caught two passes for 25 yards. Nicholas Dixon caught 1 pass for 19 yards. Anthony Parks caught 1 pass for 25 yards. 

Forrester completed 10 of 20 passes for 185 yards. He had one interception. That was made by Lonoke’s Riley Miler. 

Dayton Smith led Lonoke with 10 tackles. Miller and John Lawson had 7 tackles each. Dalton Smith and six. Will McNeil had five. 

Lonoke opens 4A-2 conference play at home Friday against Heber Springs. The Panthers are 0-3 with losses to Clinton, Greenbrier and Harding Academy.

“It’s been a tough non-conference schedule the last two weeks to prepare us for conference,” Moore said. 

OT rules ignored: Bison-Baptist game ends in 12-12 tie

Carlisle's Kamryn Taylor heads toward the end zone for a Bison touchdown against Baptist Prep. (Photo courtesy of Julie Carter)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

CARLISLE — For the first time in 10 years, a Carlisle game ended in a tie. However, that should not have happened per Arkansas Activities Association rules.

Carlisle and Baptist Prep were tied 12-12 at the end of the fourth quarter. The game should have been extended with an overtime with both teams getting a possession at the opponent’s 10-yard line. 

However, the game officials ended the contest. 

The rule was changed three years ago to allow non-conference games to play overtime. Previous to that, only conference games would use overtime to decide a game.

“It was a poor job on all sides — officials, coaches, everybody for not knowing, enforcing, pushing the current rule,” Carlisle coach Caleb Shock said. “For years and years and years, non-conference games could end in a tie. You’ve got officials and coaches both who did not pursue it the way it should have been done.”

Shock said he told the officials that he wanted to play overtime. 

“We agreed to that,” he said. “We do a coin flip. We’re about to start overtime. The officials told us that this will not count, and that this will go down as a tie.

“After they conferenced about it, it was decided not to play the game because of that. That should not have been the decision that was made.”

Shock said he will take the blame for the game not being played to a conclusion.

“Ultimately, I’m going to put it on me,” he said. “Nobody knew the correct rule. if I had done my job and known it, I would have just sat out there on the field and argued and not got off the field until we got a rulebook and gotten the right thing done.” 

Carlisle’s last tie was a 13-13 game with Perryville in 2008. The Mustangs were coached by former Carlisle coach James Clayton.
The Bison are now 0-2-1 while Baptist is 1-1-1.

The Bison trailed 6-0 in the first quarter after the Eagles recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. The Bison tied it at 6-6 when Eli Moody scored on a 5-yard run with 9:16 left in the first half. The two-point conversion failed, leaving the score at 6-6. 

Baptist reclaimed the lead at 12-6 when Robert Lewis threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Mitchell Leavitt.

The Bison tied it at 12-12 on a 21-yard run by Kamryn Taylor with 2:21 left in the first half. 

“We had 223 yards in total offense and we had an additional 110 yards in penalties,” Shock said. “We should have had 350 yards of offense last night. If we had done that, I have no doubt in my mind if we had done that, there would have been no discussion about overtime.”

Moody completed 10 of 20 passes for 51 yards. Jasean Harper rushed for 73 yards on 18 carries. Moody had 29 yards on 11 carries. Taylor had 21 yards on six carries. 

Shock also said his defense played well, giving up only one touchdown. 

Ian Seidenschwarz led the Bison defense with 13 total tackles. Davarius Allen had six. Kaleb Boyle and Harper had five tackles each.

The Bison will host undefeated Hazen in the 2A-6 opener this Friday at Fred C. Hardke Field. Shock said he knows Hazen is a good team but is looking forward to the game.

“We look at this as an opportunity to play a very good team in Hazen.,” he said. 

Bison play better in loss to Dragons

Carlisle's Jasean Harper runs the ball against Lonoke in the season opener. Harper rushed for 125 yards on 18 carries against DeWitt on Friday night. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

CARLISLE — Even though the result was the same, it was a complete turnaround for the Carlisle Bison football team.

After dropping a 37-0 decision to Lonoke in the season opener, Carlisle went toe-to-toe with Class 4A DeWitt but fell 26-12 in the home opener, which was delayed 90 minutes because of lighting. 

Against Lonoke, the Bison had less than 30 yards in total offense. Against DeWitt, the Bison finished with 222 yards, including 184 yards rushing. 

“We played a lot better … I thought we tried to play pretty physical,” first-year Carlisle coach Caleb Shock said. “Effort has continually gotten better.”

Shock said senior Jasean Harper stepped up after his performance against Lonoke. He rushed for 125 yards on 18 carries. 

“We were on him pretty hard this week,” Shock said. “Last week at Lonoke, he had some pretty decent effort when he had the ball in his hands. But when he didn’t have the ball, he didn’t give very good effort, doing some other things, like blocking and carrying out fakes. 

“It was completely night and day. He gave really good effort without the ball. He did a good job blocking for us. He did a pretty good job on defense. I was really proud to see he responded this week and did things he needed to do.”

Shock also spoke highly of junior lineman Kaleb Boyle.

“He is one, on film, who played his tail off on both sides of the ball,” Shock said. “Across the board,we had much better effort. Execution on some things, we’re still cleaning those up. We’re a couple of plays here or there from the outcome being different.”

DeWitt took an 8-0 lead on the game’s first possession. Tiner Gunnell scored on a 2-yard run with 7:11 left in the first quarter. Seth Courtney scored the two-point conversion.

Carlisle then ran off the rest of the first quarter clock then Harper scored on a 33-yard run on the first play of the second quarter. The two-point conversion failed, leaving DeWitt ahead at 8-6.

DeWitt pushed its lead to 14-6 on a 61-yard run by Courtney with 5:04 left in the first half. 

Carlisle got the ball to start the second half. After a 28-yard run by Harper down to the DeWitt 24, a few plays later, Carlisle’s Kamryn Taylor scored on a 9-yard run with 11:08 left to make the score 14-12. The two-point conversion failed. 

DeWitt pushed its lead back to eight points at 20-12 with 6:10 left in the third quarter on a 16-yard pass from Courtney to Dylan Moser. 

Carlisle looked to have a chance to tie the game but a long run by Taylor was negated by a holding penalty. The Bison did pick up a first down after the penalty but turned the ball over on downs at the DeWitt 20 with 3:33 left in the third quarter.

DeWitt’s final points came on a 9-yard pas from Courtney to Moser with 8:08 left in the game. 

Carlisle quarterback Eli Moody completed 4 of 13 passes for 38 yards. Will Carter caught three passes for 28 yards. Carter also had in interception for the Bison defense. 

Ian Seidenschwarz led the Bison with 12 total tackles. Carter had seven. Boyle had six. 

Carlisle will host Baptist Prep in the final non-conference game this Friday at Fred C. Hardke Field. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. The Eagles enter the game at 1-1. They beat Bismarck 35-29 in the season opener then lost to Central Arkansas Christian 38-13 on Friday.