LITTLE ROCK — Coach Jim Stanley was a bit nervous before his Vilonia team took the field against Sylvan Hills. He was wondering if his Eagles would come out ready against the Bears.
It didn't take long for his team to answer his questions.
The Eagles scored the games first 27 points, including an interception return for a touchdown in the first quarter, and cruised to a 45-14 victory over the Bears in the Arkansas Kickoff Classic at War Memorial Stadium.
"That was my biggest fear, was the first quarter," Vilonia coach Jim Stanley said. "I told the kids, 'you know, we've just got to hang with them the first quarter, because I knew they would be fresh and I was hoping we could wear them down. And after we did so well in the first quarter, it sure did take a relief to be ahead like that."
Vilonia (1-0) didn't take long to get on the board, scoring on their second offensive drive on game Most Valuable Player Drew Estes' 21-yard touchdown run to open the scoring. They would score three more times before Sylvan Hills (0-1) prevented the shutout with a 67-yard touchdown run by Trey Bone.
"They hit hard and they've got the home run guy with (running back James) Sax," Sylvan Hills coach Jim Withrow said. "You know, when you've got the outside guys with him, and you can do all the stuff on the inside, it makes it hard."
The Eagles finished with 276 total yards to the Bears' 235. Estes finished the game with eight carries for 76 yards and two touchdowns.
Read more about this game in tomorrow's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette