LITTLE ROCK — Beavers will take little luck
Glen Rose’s 28-27 overtime victory over Fordyce in the second round of the Class 3A playoffs Friday night didn’t go according to the script.
The script was thrown out because the Beavers (11-0) played without senior Michael Thomas, a starting center and middle linebacker.
Glen Rose Coach Mark Kehner said Thomas broke his right leg 6 inches above the ankle during a tackling drill last Wednesday, a little more than 48 hours before the game.
“Of course, that ruined that practice, everybody hearing the bone pop,” Kehner said. “It kind of put the team in a mental funk. And then it’s Thursday, and we’re trying to find a center and a middle linebacker before we play Fordyce.”
Senior Jonathan Lackey (center) and senior Tanner Glenn (middle linebacker)replaced Thomas against Fordyce, Kehner said.
Kehner said Glen Rose, No. 2 in Class 3A, had some low Shotgun snaps during the first half, but Lackey was more comfortable in the second half.
Both Lackey and Glenn did a “great job,” Kehner said.
The Beavers survived after Kehner’s son, senior cornerback Steven Kehner, recovered a fumble in the end zone after the Redbugs drove to the 1 late in the game. Glen Rose then stopped a two-point run in overtime to advance to Friday night’s quarterfinals against West Fork.
“Don’t get me wrong, Fordyce is one heck of a football team, but we didn’t play our ‘A’ game,” Mark Kehner said. “I think we were in a little bit of a mental funk, hearing the bone pop, plus having to replace [Thomas] so late. But we found a way to win.
“Sometimes, being lucky is better than being good.” HARRISBURG
Milestone for Davis
Harrisburg senior quarterback Zach T. Davis completed 19 of 36 passes for 204 yards and 1 touchdown in Friday night’s 34-22 victory over Charleston in the second round of the Class 3A playoffs.
The yardage increased Davis’ career total to 10,160, the fifth-highest career total by an Arkansas high school quarterback.
Davis needs 211 yards Friday night at Rivercrest to move into fourth place.
Spencer Keith threw for 10,370 yards in 2006-2008 at Pulaski Academy. Stefan Loucks set the state’s career passing record (13,701 yards) in 2003-2006 at Pulaski Academy.
Only five players in Arkansas have thrown for more than 10,000 yards.
BEARDEN Gets defensive
Bearden allowed 52 points in its first two games this fall, but since then the Bears (10-1) have played like the No. 1 team in Class 2A, limiting their past nine opponents to a combined 40 points.
Bearden was beaten 34-14 by Class 3A Camden Harmony Grove in the season opener, then nipped Woodlawn 21-18 in the 8-2A opener the following week.
“The defense has played lights out ever since then,” Bears Coach Mike Cox said.
“I think a lot of it had to do with me getting them motivated.”
Cox said Bearden has always taken pride in having five or six players getting to the football, but that wasn’t happening in the first two games.
“I basically told them it’s like a wasp nest,” Cox said.
“If there’s two on that nest, it’s not very intimidating.
You can go over there and probably swat it down. But if there’s 11 on that nest, you probably don’t want to mess with it. We’ve got people swarming to the ball.”
Cox is 60-7 since he began coaching Bearden in 2006.
Friday’s games CLASS 7A Fayetteville at FS Southside Springdale Har-Ber at Bentonville CLASS 6A Texarkana at Pine Bluff Lake Hamilton at El Dorado CLASS 5A Camden Fairview at Watson Chapel Greenwood at Batesville CLASS 4A Nashville at Shiloh Christian Mena at Pulaski Robinson Ashdown at Pulaski Academy Pottsville at Star City CLASS 3A West Fork at Glen Rose Harrisburg at Rivercrest Rison at Harding Academy Fountain Lake at Mansfield CLASS 2A Carlisle at Magazine Magnet Cove at Spring Hill Bearden at Bigelow Mineral Springs at Danville NOTE All games begin at 7:30 p.m.
Sports, Pages 25 on 11/24/2010