Jackrabbits rout Ricebirds, one win away from making playoffs

The Jackrabbits all signal for a touchdown after Will Miller scored on a quarterback sneak in the third quarter against Stuttgart. (Photos by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

LONOKE — With their backs against the wall, the Lonoke Jackrabbits came out swinging with their best performance of the season. 

Lonoke started quick in beating Stuttgart 34-7 on Friday night at James B. Abraham Stadium.

With the win, Lonoke improved to 4-5 overall and 2-4 in 4A-2 league play.

Stuttgart got the ball to start the game but was forced to punt with Lonoke getting the ball with a short field. That led to a 6-yard touchdown run by Casey Martin with 7:34 left in the first quarter. Josh Coleman added the two-point conversion. 

Lonoke used a squib kick on the ensuing kickoff. The Jackrabbits recovered the free ball. A few plays later, Lonoke quarterback Will Miller threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Justin Meadows with 5:34 left in the first quarter. Coleman added another two-point conversion to give the Jackrabbits a 16-0 lead.

The Jackrabbits scored 12 points in the second quarter to lead 28-0 at halftime. Miller threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Jawaun Bryant with 9:49 left. Meadows scored on a 10-yard run with 2:06 left. 

Stuttgart got its only points of the game on a  25-yard run by Je'rel Dabner with 7:57 left in the third quarter. Gavin Lawson kicked the extra point to make the score 28-7.

Lonoke's final score came on a 1-yard quarterback sneak by Miller with 3:07 left in the third quarter. 

"This kinda reminded me of Week 1 against Star City," Lonoke coach Doug Bost said of his team's win over the Bulldogs. "We came out and the ball went our way. The kids played hard and we out-physicalled them. It's been a while since we've done that."

Bost said there's an outside chance for his team to make the Class 4A state playoffs but the Stuttgart game was a must-win for them. 

Lonoke can make the playoffs if it beats Riverview in the regular-season finale Thursday night in Searcy. Both teams are tied for fifth in the league standings.  The top 5 teams advance to the playoffs, which begin Nov. 13.

"We have to win the last two and have help from two other teams," Bost said immediately after the win over the Ricebirds. "It was also senior night and we wanted to send them out with a victory."

Xavier Hodge led Lonoke with 118 yards rushing on 26 carries. Coleman had 68 yards on 11 carries. 

Miller completed 4 of 6 passes for 53 yards and two touchdowns. Bryant caught two passes for 31 yards. Meadows caught two passes for 22 yards.

Lonoke's defense held Stuttgart to only 154 yards in total offense.

Ethan Holland led Lonoke with nine tackles. Michael Hodes and Dylan Smith had seven tackles each. Gabe Rooney had six.

Thursday night's game at Riverview will start at 7 p.m.

Xavier Hodge carries the ball in the second half. 

Lonoke falls to CAC; playoff hopes are slim

Lonoke's Jawaun Bryant carries the ball after catching a pass against CAC. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

LONOKE — The Lonoke Jackrabbits are holding on to slim postseason chances after falling to first place Central Arkansas Christian 35-8 on Friday night at James B. Abraham Stadium.

Lonoke is tied for sixth place with Newport and Southside Batesville at 1-4. Riverview is in fifth place at 2-3. The top five teams advance to the Class 4A state playoffs.

The Jackrabbits host Stuttgart this Friday then play at Riverview in Searcy on Nov. 5. 

In the game with CAC, Lonoke fell behind 7-0 before taking an 8-7 lead with 4:56 left in the first quarter. Justin Meadows scored on a 69-yard run. Josh Coleman added the two-point conversion.

CAC scored two second-quarter touchdowns to lead 21-8 halftime lead. The Mustangs then scored two second-half touchdowns to account for the final score. 

Xavier Hodge led the Jackrabbits with 104 yards rushing on 21 carries. Meadows had 59 yards on 7 carries.

Lucas McKenzie led Lonoke with 10 tackles. Dylan Smith had nine. Michael Hodges had eight. Gabe Rooney had seven.

Bison fall to Tigers; inadvertent whistle kills momentum

Carlisle's Tyler Sanders [30] appears to take a handoff from quarterback Ty Golleher but Golleher kept it and appeared to score a touchdown but a whistle ended the play. (Photos by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

CARLISLE — Down 14-0, the Carlisle Bison appeared to have seized some momentum from the Brinkley Tigers but that momentum was taken away by a single whistle.

Brinkley went on to win 34-8 Friday night at Fred C. Hardke Field. The Bison are now 3-5 overall and 3-3 in 2A-6 play.

Carlisle's Ty Golleher had intercepted a pass in the end zone and returned to the Bison 25 midway through the second quarter. On the next play, Golleher appeared to hand the ball to fullback Tyler Sanders, who started the game at center but changed numbers. Golleher pulled the ball back and ran down the right sideline for what appeared to be a 75-yard touchdown run and a one possession game. 

However, an official blew his whistle, thinking that Sanders had the ball and his momentum was stopped. 

The officials had the teams replay first down. However, the Bison were forced to punt on a three-and-out. They were never able to regain any type of momentum. 

The Tigers scored another touchdown late in the first half on a 34-yard run by Accoreia Couch. Brinkley led 22-0 at halftime.

The Bison got on the board when Golleher scored on a 44-yard run with 11:02 left in the third quarter. Sanders scored the two-point conversion.

Brinkley scored two more touchdowns to account for the final score. 

Golleher led the Bison with 49 yards rushing on 6 carries. Sanders had 43 yards on 14 carries. Devon Kendrick had 21 yards on 7 carries.

The Bison can clinch a spot in the Class 2A state playoffs with a win at Clarendon on Friday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. The Lions are 1-5 in league play. 

Carlisle freshman Jasean Harper rattles a Brinkley player with a jarring hit. 

Bison rally for 27-26 win over Patriots

The Bison head to the line of scrimmage after breaking the huddle against Hazen. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

PALESTINE — The Carlisle Bison made the plays when it needed to in a 27-26 win over the Palestine-Wheatley Patriots on Friday night.

With the win, Carlisle is now 3-4 overall but 3-2 in 2A-6 conference play. The Bison are currently fourth in the conference. McCrory is undefeated at 6-0. Des Arc and Hazen are both 4-1, followed by the Bison. Augusta is 3-3. Brinkley is 2-3. Palestine-Wheatley is 2-4. Marvell and Clarendon are both winless at 0-5. The top five teams in the conference advance to the Class 2A state playoffs, which start in three weeks.

In Friday's game, the Patriots led 26-20 with 6:16 left in the game following a 5-yard run by Antwan Dawson.

Carlisle got the ball back to a the Palestine 49. The Bison drove 49 yards in 12 plays with Devon Kendrick scoring on a 2-yard run with 59 seconds left. Nicolas Duhoux broke the tie by kicking the extra point, making the score 27-26.

The Patriots returned the ensuing kickoff to the Bison 48. A few plays later, Palestine fumbled and Carlisle's Cody Edge returned the ball for a touchdown. However, the scoring play was called back because of a block in the back penalty. The Bison took possession of the ball and kneeled out the clock for the victory.

Carlisle led 6-0 in the first quarter on a 39-yard run by quarterback Ty Golleher. Palestine tied it at 6-6 on an 18-yard run by Dawson. 

The Bison reclaimed the lead at 12-6 on 7-yard run by Kendrick with 5:56 left in the first half. 

The Patriots tied it at 12-12 on a  3-yard run by Davonte Jordan with 3:44 left in the first half. They took a 20-12 lead when Dawson returned a Bison fumble 86 yards for a touchdown. They scored the two-point conversion. 

The score remained the same until Kendrick scored on a 14-yard run with 1:20 left in the third quarter. He also scored the two-point conversion to tie the game at 20-20. 

Kendrick led the Bison with 160 yard rushing on 15 carries. Golleher had 129 yards on 7 carries. Tyler Teel had 114 yards on 23 carries. 

Carlisle will host Brinkley for homecoming Friday night at Fred C. Hardke Field. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Jackrabbits break streak, beat Cougars 26-16

Lonoke coach Doug Bost talks to his team during it's preseason scrimmage with Carlisle. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

WEST HELENA — The Lonoke Jackrabbits were in dire need of a victory. On Friday night, they got just what the doctor ordered. 

Lonoke broke a four-game losing streak by beating the Helena-West Helena Central Cougars 26-16. The win was also the Jackrabbits' first in 4A-2 league play. The Jackrabbits are now 3-4 overall; West Helena is is 3-4 overall and 2-2 in conference action.

West Helena took an 8-0 lead on the first possession of the game. Kay Harvey scored on a 1-yard run. 

Lonoke cut the deficit to 8-6 in the second quarter when Savonte Rountree threw an 86-yard touchdown pass to Justin Meadows. The two-point conversion was no good. 

The Jackrabbits took a 14-8 lead by halftime. Xavier Hodge scored on a  3-yard run late in the half. Meadows added the two-point conversion. 

The score remained the same until the fourth quarter when Hodge scored on a 3-yard run with 10:31 left to make the score 20-8. 

Lonoke's final score came on the defensive side of the ball as Steven Barrett returned a fumble 54 yards for a touchdown to give the Jackrabbits a 26-8 lead.

West Helena scored a touchdown and two-point conversion late to set the final score at 26-16.

Hodge led Lonoke in rushing with 117 yards on 18 carries. Rountree completed 3 of 7 passes for 100 yards. Meadows had one catch for 86 yards. Also catching passes were Josh Coleman and Casey Martin. 

Joe Carter and Michael Hodges led Lonoke with 11 tackles each. Dylan Smith had eight. Jawaun Bryant and Ethan Holland had seven tackles each.

Lonoke will host the Central Arkansas Christian Mustangs this Friday at James B. Abraham Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

The Mustangs are 6-1 overall and 4-0 in 4A-2 league standings. 

Hornets fly past Bison

Carlisle's Carson Cunningham knocks the ball out of the hands of Hazen quarterback Drake Ingle. (Photos by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

CARLISLE — It wasn't a good night for the Carlisle Bison football team.

The Bison fell behind 20-0 in a 51-20 loss to the Hazen Hornets on Friday night at Fred C. Hardke Field. 

Carlisle is now 2-4 overall and 2-2 in 2A-6 Conference play. Despite the loss, the Bison are still in the thick of the playoff race. 

The Bison got on the board early in the second quarter when quarterback Ty Golleher rumbled 59 yards for a touchdown. The two-point conversion was no good, leaving the score at 22-6. 

Hazen pushed its lead to 30-6 when Drake Ingle scored on a 56-yard run. Logan Penn added the two-point conversion. 

The Hornets scored three third-quarter touchdowns to lead 51-6 with 2:17 left in the quarter.

The Bison added two fourth-quarter scores to account for the final score. Devon Kendrick scored on an 11-yard run with 3:15 left to make the score 51-12. 

Carlisle kicker Nicolas Duhoux attempted a perfect onside kick, with Tristan Seidenschwarz recovering the ball at the Hazen 45.

Six plays later, Golleher scored his second touchdown of the game on a 19-yard run. Kendrick added the two-point conversion. 

Duhoux attempted another onside kick, which was recovered by Carlisle's Clay Parker at the Hazen 34. However, the game ended on a Hazen interception.

Golleher led the Bison with 96 yards rushing on 8 carries. Tyler Teel had 90 yards on 18 carries. 

Penn led Hazen with 172 yards rushing on 12 carries. Ingle had 112 yards on 10 carries. 

Carlisle will play the Palestine-Wheatley Patriots on Friday night in Palestine. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Bison quarterback Ty Golleher takes a snap against Hazen.

Southerners rally late past Jackrabbits

Lonoke quarterback Savonte Rountree looks to call a play against Newport. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

SOUTHSIDE — The Lonoke Jackrabbits let a two-possession lead slip away as they lost to Southside Batesville 34-28 on Friday night.

The loss is Lonoke's fourth consecutive after starting the season 2-0 and being ranked No. 4 in Class 4A. 

The Jackrabbits led 28-19 with 5:30 left in the game following a 63-yard touchdown run by Justin Meadows. Savonte Rountree scored the two-point conversion. 

Southside pulled to within two at 28-26 when Southside quarterback Josh Millikin threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Terran Harper with with 3:05 left. 

The Southerners then recovered an onside kick at the Lonoke 40. Southside's Levi Ervin ran 30 yards to the Lonoke 10. On the next play, Dallas Hill scored a  touchdown to give the Southerners the lead. Mason Anderson scored the two-point conversion to make the score 34-28.

Lonoke got the ball at its own 33. Rountree then completed two passes two Josh Coleman, which gained 25 yards. 

After an incomplete pass, Rountree ran 3 yards to the Lonoke 48. Two incomplete passes gave the ball back to the Southerners, who ran out the clock to get the win. 

Lonoke took a 6-0 lead late in the first quarter on a 5-yard run by Coleman. 

Southside took a 7-6 lead with 8 seconds left in the first half. Millikin threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Gavin Chambers. Jesus Salas kicked the extra point. 

Southside pushed its lead to 13-6 on a 6-yard run by Anderson early in the third quarter. Lonoke pulled to within one at 13-12 on a 37-yard run by Rountree. 

The Jackrabbits led 20-13 early in the fourth quarter on a 26-yard run by Gabe Rooney. Meadows scored the two-point conversion. 

Southside cut the lead to 20-19 on a 13-yard run by Hill. 

Xavier Hodge led Lonoke with 123 yards rushing on 17 carries. Rountree had 89 yards on 10 carries. Meadows had 82 yards on 5 carries. 

Ethan Holland led Lonoke with 11 tackles. Rooney had 10. Ricky Nichols had 5. 

Lonoke will attempt to break its four-game skid when it travels to West Helena to take on the Helena-West Helena Central Cougars on Friday night. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.