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.