Lady Rabbits improve to 4-2 with rout of Baptist

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

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lonoke also plays Central Arkansas Christian before Christmas break. 

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

Lonoke School District to start search for new football coach

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

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

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

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

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

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

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

Bison rout Bulldogs in first-round playoff game

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

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quitman had 68 yards rushing and 157 yards passing. 

Lady Bison rout 5A Maumelle on night of celebration

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

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

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

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

That was just part of the fun that night.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bison rally again, beat Lions on homecoming

Carlisle's Jasean Harper heads toward the end zone for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the Bison's 35-34 win over Clarendon on Friday night. (Photos by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

CARLISLE — For the second week in a row, the Carlisle Bison had to rally from a double-digit deficit to get a conference victory.

The Bison, now 6-3 overall and 5-2 in 2A-6 play, trailed 28-14 at halftime to Clarendon but rallied for a 35-34 homecoming victory Friday night at Fred C. Hardke Field. The win is Carlisle’s fifth in a row. Last week, Carlisle trailed Brinkley 30-6 before rallying for a 40-36 win over the Tigers. 

Carlisle pulled to within seven at 28-21 with 3:43 left in the third quarter. Devon Kendrick scored on a 1-yard run then kicked the extra point. This was the culmination of a 79-yard, 9-play drive. Jasean Harper had a 39-yard run on the drive. 

The Bison took a 29-28 lead when Tristan Seidenschwarz intercepted a Clarendon pass and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown with 1:38 left in the third quarter. Kendrick added the two-point conversion. Carlisle's Gray Amaden forced the  Clarendon quarterback into a bad pass that led to the score.

The Bison added to their lead following an interception by Braiden Jenkins. Carlisle drove 81 yards in four plays with Harper scoring on a 25-yard run with 6:20 left. The 2-point conversion was no good and the Bison led 35-28. 

The big play of the drive was a 33-yard run by Ian Seidenschwarz, who appeared to be stopped near midfield but kept his feet after rolling off a Clarendon defender and ran the ball to the Lions 25. 

Clarendon would not go away. 

The Lions pulled to within one at 35-34 when Jama Cross scored on a 1-yard run with 3:45 left in the game. He attempted a pass on the 2-point conversion try but Harper intercepted the pass to preserve the Bison’s one-point lead.

Carlisle took to be in control of the game after a 12-yard run by kendrick down to the Clarendon 42 following an onside kick attempt. But the Bison were penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, backing them up 15 yards. The Bison then fumbled the ball back to Clarendon with 3:29 left.

Clarendon’s Marvin Horns then ran the ball 30 yards to the Bison 14. They gained only yard before facing fourth-and-nine at the Bison 13. A bad snap on the play led to the Bison getting a tackle behind the line of scrimmage. They took over at their own 18.

Kendrick then ran 6 yards. Then Harper was horse-collared tackled on the next play. After an automatic first down, the Bison kneeled out the clock to get the win. 

Harper led the Bison with 119 yards rushing on 11 carries. Kendrick had 117 yards rushing on 24 carries. Ian Seidenschwarz had 54 yards on four carries. 

Carson Cunningham completed 1 of 2 passes for 26 yards. Houston Garrich caught the pass.

Carlisle got off to a quick start, leading 7-0 with 9:14 left in the first quarter. Kendrick scored on a 9-yard run. He also kicked the extra point.

Clarendon scored the game’s next 14 points to lead 14-7. The Bison tied it at 14-14 when Harper scored on a 15-yard run with 11:07 left in the first half. Kendrick kicked the extra point. 

Clarendon scored two second-quarter touchdowns to lead 28-14 at halftime. 

Carlisle has already clinched a spot in the Class 2A state playoffs, which start in two weeks. 

The Bison can get the second seed from the 2A-6 with a  win over defending state champion McCrory on Thursday at home. If the Bison lose, they would be the third seed if Palestine-Wheatley loses to Hazen. If the Patriots beat Hazen and McCrory beats Carlisle, the Bison will be the fourth seed. Second- and third-place teams will host first-round playoff games.
Kickoff Thursday night is set for 7 o’clock.

Carlisle's Houston Garrich [40] battles Clarendon's Jaquan Bones for a pass in the first quarter. 

Jackrabbits can't keep up with Cougar

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

LONOKE — The Lonoke Jackrabbits dropped their second consecutive game with a 47-19 loss to Helena-West Helena Central on Friday night at James B. Abraham Stadium.

With the loss, Lonoke is now 2-5 overall and 1-3 in 4A-2 play.

West Helena returned the opening kickoff 74 yards and a touchdown to lead 7-0. The Cougars added to their lead later in the first quarter, leading 14-0.

Lonoke, running the ball out of the double wing offense, cut the deficit in half at 14-7 in the second quarter when Dylan Smith scored on a 23-yard run. Mario Reyes kicked the extra point.

West Helena started pulling away and led 33-7 at halftime. 

The Cougars then scored another touchdown to lead 39-7. 

Lonoke scored twice in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 39-19. 

After a bad snap on a punt gave Lonoke the ball at the West Helena 1, quarterback Will Miller scored on a sneak to make the score 39-13. 

Lonoke’s other touchdown came on a scoop-and-score by Isaac Toney. 

West Helena tried a lateral and Toney got the ball at the Cougars 35 and returned for the score.

West Helena scored a final touchdown to account for the scoring.

Xavier Hodge led Lonoke with 125 yards rushing on 23 carries. Logan Dozier had 58 yards on 19 carries. 

Kameron Cole, Dylan Smith and Toney had six tackles each to lead the Jackrabbits. 

Lonoke will travel to North Little Rock to take on Central Arkansas Christian this Friday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Mustang Mountain. 

Bison rout undefeated Patriots, 38-12

Carlisle's Ian Seidenschwarz scores a Bison TD against Palestine-Wheatley. (Photos by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

CARLISLE — For the first time in three seasons, the Carlisle Bison have won three games in a row and have a winning record at any point during the season.

The Bison improved to 4-3 overall and 3-2 in 2A-6 play with an impressive 38-12 win over previously unbeaten Palestine-Wheatley on Friday night at Fred C. Hardke Field. 

The Patriots entered the game at 6-0 and 5-0 in league play. 

“They are all big from now on,” Bison coach Mark Uhiren said. “We feel like we messed up big time at Augusta. I’m not saying they are a lesser team or anything like that but I think we’re much better than we put on that night.”

Against Augusta, the Bison fell behind 36-0 before rallying to within 10 at 42-32 before losing 50-32. 

“We did put on a show and scored 32 points but they just got up on us,” Uhiren said. “It was one of those things that kept getting away from us. The Des Arc game could have gone either way. We had it. We just should have clinched it.

“We feel like we messed up twice. So, we’ve got to make amends for that. That’s the way we’re approaching it — a game at a time. If we can stay focused a game at a time, we’ll be okay.”

The Bison got the ball to start the game then drove 65 yards in 12 plays with Devon Kendrick scoring on a 9-yard run with 6:38 left in the first quarter. The extra point was no good, leaving the score at 6-0.

The next three plays were some of the strangest anyone will ever see. Carlisle’s Carson Cunningham intercepted a Palestine-Wheatley pass. The Bison then fumbled the ball back to the Patriots. Kendrick then recovered a Palestine-Wheatley fumble at the Patriots 30.

Six plays later, freshman Ian Seidenschwarz scored on a 4-yard run with 2:10 left in the first quarter. Kendrick added the two-point conversion to give the Bison a 14-0 lead.

The Patriots got on the board when Garrett Wilson ran 57 yards for a touchdown with 4 seconds left in the first quarter, making the score 14-6.

After the teams traded punts, the Bison drove 75 yards in seven plays with Kendrick scoring on a 23-yard run with 4:14 left in the first half. Ty Golleher added the two-point conversion to give the Bison a 22-6 lead.

The Bison got the ball back after Tristan Seidenschwarz recovered a Patriots fumble at the Bison 43 with 3:03 left in the first half. 

A key play in the game happened on this drive. Facing fourth down, the Bison went for it on fourth-and-nine from their own 44. Carlisle’s Jasean Harper was able to drag defenders for a 16-yard gain and a first down. Four plays later, Harper broke away from the defenders and scored a touchdown on a 30-yard run on the final play of the first half. Golleher added the two-point conversion to give the Bison a 30-6 halftime lead.

The Patriots scored their second touchdown with 6:49 left in the third quarter. Carter Milton threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Jarod Ferguson. The two-point conversion failed, leaving the score at 30-12.

The Bison capped the scoring when Kendrick scored on an 11-yard run with 4:43 left in the game. Cunningham then threw to Zach Caviness for the two-point conversion to make the score 38-12.

Golleher led the Bison with 149 yards rushing on 28 carries. Kendrick had 122 yards on 13 carries. Harper had 55 yards on five carries.

The Bison are currently in fourth place in the 2A-6 conference behind Des Arc and Palestine-Wheatley. They are a half game behind McCrory, which is 4-2 in league play.

Carlisle travels to Brinkley this Friday before hosting Clarendon and McCrory to end the season. 

Bison coach Mark Uhiren talks to linemen Tyler Sanders and Houston Garrich.