ARKADELPHIA — The path of Nathan Nall’s junior season has included a few more bumps than the quarterback would have liked.
But that doesn’t mean Henderson State Coach Scott Maxfield won’t consider his opinion.
Maxfield took Nall’s advice when the Reddies faced a fourth-down situation, trailing by six points in overtime against East Central (Okla.), - and it helped the Reddies (4-3, 3-1 Great American Conference) win a game after blowing a 16-point lead in regulation.
Nall threw a short pass to Jarvis Smith, and the running back beat the East Central defense to the corner to tie the game. Eric Torres’ extra point sent the Reddies storming to midfield to celebrate a 42-41 victory.
“Nathan Nall, our quarterback, suggested that play,” Maxfield said. “He’s the one that really made the call.”
Nall looks to be the Reddies’ quarterback again after completing 27 of 45 passes for 296 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception in his first start since Sept. 17.
He struggled through his first three starts and was pulled during halftime of a loss to Southwestern Oklahoma State. He was replaced by freshman Kevin Rodgers. Nall played last week - a victory over Southeastern Oklahoma State - because Rodgers suffered a concussion.
Nall played Saturday because Maxfield thought Rodgers wasn’t ready, and, after a shaky first quarter, Nall gave his coach what he’d been hoping to see for two months.
It didn’t start well, with four of the Reddies’ first six possessions ending with punts and two others in lost fumbles as East Central (5-3, 3-2) took a 13-0 lead.
But a 35-yard fade to Labroderick Barnett set up Smith’s 25-yard touchdown run and, after East Central went three and-out, Nall needed four plays to find Israel Valentin for a 15-yard score and the Reddies led 14-13.
Nall led two more touchdown drives before halftime, one that took seven plays for Valentin to score from 10 yards out and the other five plays for Nall to find Elliot Hebert from 7 yards and Henderson State led 28-19 at halftime.
The Reddies took their largest lead when Smith, who rushed for 163 yards, capped a 6-yard score by diving into the end zone to make it 35-19 early in the third quarter, which capped a string of five touchdowns in six drives.
“So much up and down,” Nall said. “It was like we weren’t even there in the first quarter. We just rode the wave and it turned out in the end.”
Dontae Smith returned the following kickoff 91 yards down the right sideline. The extra point attempt was blocked, and Henderson’s lead was 35-25.
Kick returns kept East Central in the game. The Tigers returned the game’s opening kickoff for a score when Qumain Black fumbled after a 60-yard return and Dustin Lassel scooped it up and took it the final 30 yards.
But the kicking game was also hurt East Central.
Kicker Brian Gonzalez, struggling with a groin injury suffered last week, missed three extra points, including the extra point after Tyler Vanderzee’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Colter Huff in overtime.
“He’s been injured and he hasn’t practiced at all,” East Central Coach Tim McCarty said of Gonzalez. “That’s just how it is.”
East Central also missed a two-point conversion attempt and had two field goals blocked.
Gonzalez made a 38-yard field goal to tie the game 35-35 with 2:19 left, then got a chance to win it after East Central’s Jason Catchings intercepted a Nall pass, the Reddies’ fifth turnover, with 1:15 left.
Gonzalez lined up for a 52-yard field goal with 15 seconds to play, but the kick was blocked, and the game went into overtime.
HARDING 70, SW OKLAHOMA STATE 28
SEARCY - Harding fullback Kale Gelles’ 59-yard touchdown run on the Bisons’ first play from scrimmage was the first of a school-record eight rushing touchdowns as Harding (3-5, 2-1 Great American Conference) routed Southwestern Oklahoma State (4-4, 2-4) at First Security Stadium.
Harding reached 70 points for the second time this season and remained one of only three teams in the GAC with fewer than two conference losses.
Southwestern Oklahoma lost its third consecutive and gave up its highest point total since falling 76-6 to North Texas State (now North Texas) in 1950.
Harding scored touchdowns on each of its six possessions in the first half and led 42-21 at halftime. The Bisons picked up two rushing touchdowns in the first half from senior slot back Jeremy Holt, and one each from Gelles, Braden Rubey and Ahmad Scott.
Harding also scored on a 77-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Chaz Rogers to senior Tyler O’Quin.
It was more of the same for the Bisons in the second half. Junior quarterback Kelvin Martin rushed for a 5-yard touchdown with 4:21 left to put Harding up 49-21.
The Bisons added additional rushing touchdowns from Rubey and redshirt freshman Romo Westbrook in the fourth quarter and also scored a defensive touchdown on a 49-yard interception return by junior Jasper Bodiford.
Harding had 479 yards on the ground, the second-highest total in program history and the fourth time this season the Bisons have totaled more than 450 rushing yards. Holt had 113 yards on five carries, Martin had 110 yards on 19 carries, and Gelles had 104 yards on 11 carries.
NE OKLAHOMA STATE 47, ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO 46
MONTICELLO - Arkansas-Monticello (3-5) lost at home for the first time this season, falling to Northeastern Oklahoma State (5-3) at Convoy Leslie-Cotton Bowl Stadium.
After Willie Landers fumbled at the Northeastern Oklahoma State 14, the River Hawks took a 47-46 lead when Joel Rockmore scored from 2 yards out with 24 seconds left. Rockmore’s touchdown capped a 13-play, 80-yard drive.
Boll Weevils quarterback Damon Wicker’s pass was intercepted by Kyler Harris with five seconds left.
Wicker passed for 320 yards and 3 touchdowns and ran for 129 yards and 2 scores. Nakita Myles had 72 yards on 10 carries and 2 touchdowns.
Landers finished with 7 catches for 143 yards and 2 touchdowns.
ARKANSAS TECH 28, SE OKLAHOMA STATE 16
RUSSELLVILLE - Arkansas Tech scored a touchdown in each quarter to snap its five-game losing streak at Thone Stadium at Buerkle Field.
The Wonder Boys gained just 283 yards of offense, but held the Savage Storm to 214 yards and got an 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown from A.J. Whitmore that turned a two-point deficit into a 21-16 lead in the third quarter.
Casey Henderson then added a 38-yard touchdown run to give the Wonder Boys their first Great American Conference victory.
Trayshun King led Arkansas Tech (2-6, 1-2) with 81 yards rushing and scored on a 45-yard run on the third play of the game.
Southeastern Oklahoma State (2-5, 1-4) scored just one offensive touchdown, a 3-yard run by Don Brown in the third quarter, but Johnny Seals returned a fumble 21 yards for a score and Chris Peoples kicked a 36-yard field goal in the first.
Sports, Pages 31 on 10/23/2011