RUSSELLVILLE -- No Week 9 stumble this time.
Junior quarterback Breylin Smith completed 7 of 9 passes for 150 yards and 2 touchdowns -- all in the first half -- as top-ranked Conway rolled to a 41-10 victory over Russellville in a 7A/6A-Central game Friday night at a frigid Cyclone Stadium.
Conway (9-0, 6-0 7A/6A-Central) can complete its first perfect regular season since 1977 with a victory next week against unbeaten Bryant. The game will decide the conference championship, and a No. 1 seed in the Class 7A playoffs.
The Wampus Cats also started 8-0 in 1997 and 2002, only to be beaten -- as the state's top-ranked team -- on the road by North Little Rock (24-7) and by Bryant (36-33 in double overtime) in Week 9.
No worries Friday.
The Wampus Cats scored the final 41 points of the first half to lead 41-3 at halftime, outgaining the Cyclones 307-65 in total yardage.
"I think that's the best Conway team I've seen since I've been coaching," said Jeff Holt, Russellville's coach for the past 15 years. "They'll have a chance to go a long way."
Russellville (2-7, 0-6) will have to beat Siloam Springs in the regular-season finale to make the Class 6A playoffs.
The second half was played under the Arkansas Activities Association sportsman rule (running clock) because the score differential was at least 35 at halftime.
"Proud of the guys, the way they came out and played," Conway Coach Clint Ashcraft said. "The situation was kind of weird, really, since the game didn't mean anything for the playoffs."
After scoring on six consecutive possessions in the first half, Ashcraft cleared his bench for the final two quarters.
Before leaving, Smith threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Brock Mitchell and an 11-yard touchdown pass to senior tight end Hunter Rose. Rose's touchdown reception gave the Wampus Cats a 41-3 lead with 5:11 left in the first half.
Senior tailback Kevin Chamorro -- in one quarter -- finished with 108 yards rushing and 1 touchdown (3 yards) on 10 carries.
Senior wide receiver Matt Cummins also scored on a 21-yard reverse for a 21-3 lead with 2:32 left in the first quarter.
Russellville had taken a 3-0 lead on Allen Daiber's 40-yard field goal with 8:20 left in the first quarter.
Conway has beaten Russellville five consecutive times.
SILOM SPRINGS — Bryant’s offense scored all of its points in the second quarter Friday night as it rolled to a 31-7 victory over Siloam Springs at Glenn W. Black Stadium.
Bryant Coach Paul Calley was concerned his team might come out sluggish after making the four-hour bus ride to Siloam Springs, and that was the case as the Panthers held the Hornets scoreless in the first quarter. But the Bryant warmed up quickly in the second quarter on an evening when the temperatures plunged below 40 degrees.
“I knew we’d start slow,” Calley said. “It’s the first cold snap of the year. We don’t do well with cold.
“[Siloam Springs] played really well defensively in the first quarter. They stuffed us. I’m not going to make any excuses. They played really well. We finally got it going. Once we get the momentum, it’s hard to stop.”
The Hornets (8-0-1, 6-0) were forced to punt on their first three offensive possessions, but the Panthers (3-6, 1-5) — who were playing without senior quarterback Chris Lampton because of a knee injury suffered Wednesday — weren’t able to generate much offense behind sophomore quarterback Luke Lampton, Chris’ younger brother.
The Hornets scored on all five offensive possessions of the second quarter.
Runs of 33 and 9 yards by Kylon Boyle and 15 yards by Brandan Warner set up Bryant’s first score, which came on an 8-yard run by Sevante Turner for a 7-0 lead.
Warner hit Evan Lee for a 75-yard scoring strike on the Hornets’ next possession to make it 14-0, and he found Boyle for a 26-yard catch to set up a 5-yard scoring run from Boyle for a 21-0 lead.
Bryant added a 31-yard field goal from Alex Denker and a 4-yard touchdown run by Gunner Burks before the half was over as the Hornets took a 31-0 lead.
The Hornets finished with 393 yards of offense, including 248 passing.
Warner finished 11 of 17 for 188 yards, while Boyle had 5 carries for 51 yards and 3 catches for 39 yards.
Siloam Springs got on the board in the fourth quarter when Lampton capped a 14-play, 86-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown run.
Sports on 11/01/2014