PEARCY -- Big plays finished off Lake Hamilton's comeback from a 10-0 deficit in a 34-17 victory over Malvern on Friday night at Bank of the Ozarks Field.
After falling behind 10-0 in the first quarter, the Wolves rallied for a 13-10 lead going into halftime and pulled away in the second half with three touchdown runs.
Jarrod Woodall ran 36 yards for a score on the third quarter's opening possession. Lake Hamilton answered a Malvern touchdown with Josh Nazario's 21-yard run and Johnathan Buss's 54-yard burst, the latter setting the final score with three seconds left in the third quarter.
Malvern came out strong behind quarterback Trace Collie, who completed 7 of 8 attempts for 64 yards as the Leopards reached the Wolves' 6 before stalling. After a procedure penalty, Elliott Coston bounced a 28-yard field goal off the left upright for a 3-0 lead.
Donell West dropped a handoff on Lake Hamilton's next possession and the Leopards recovered it at Lake Hamilton's 32. On third and 6, Collie ran around right end for 27 yards to the 1, and Monte Hernandez bulled over on the next play as Malvern increased its lead 10-0 with 6:35 left in the first quarter.
Malvern held Lake Hamilton to minus-1 yard in the first quarter, and the Wolves didn't manage a first down until guard Tanner Scott pounced on a botched handoff for a 2-yard gain after Buss' 9-yard run. Lake Hamilton faced third and 16 after an illegal block, and quarterback Jess Ledbetter picked up 8 yards back on a keeper before flipping a short pass under pressure to Josh Nazario, who slipped tackles en route to a 35-yard touchdown. Ethan Johnson's extra point pulled Lake Hamilton to within 10-7 with 8:53 left in the half.
The Wolves' defense stiffened, forcing a three-and-out series. West then took a pass from Ledbetter 66 yards, picking up a downfield block from receiver Bryce Briggs before being tackled by Elliott at the 13. Three runs picked up 6 yards before Johnson tied the score with a 24-yard kick with 4:46 left before halftime.
Alex Martinez and Zeb Ward teamed for a third-down sack that forced a Malvern punt. The Wolves went three and out, but linebacker Skyler Cox intercepted a short Collie pass on first down and returned 8 yards to the Malvern 35.
A pass-interference call against Elliott gave Lake Hamilton first down at the 20 but saved a touchdown. An 11-yard run by Nazario made it first and goal at the 9 before the Wolves settled for Johnson's 26-yard go-ahead field goal 8 seconds before the break.
Collie threw 59 yards to Keidric Dickens for a third-quarter touchdown before Lake Hamilton's touchdown runs by Nazario and Buss sealed it.
NO. 6 TEXARKANA 16,
LIBERTY EYLAU (TEXAS) 13
TEXARKANA — Cornerback Kadreus Cheatham intercepted three passes, one of which was returned for a touchdown in the third quarter and another that ended Liberty-Eylau’s final possession to help the Razorbacks hang on.
Cheatham’s first interception came early in the third quarter, when he returned an interception 27 yards for a touchdown and after missing the extra point, Texarkana lead 13-7. Cheatham’s efforts helped Texarkana earn a victory in a game in which it was held to 144 yards of total offense.
Quadarius Cheatham ran for a 7-yard touchdown run to put Texarkana up 7-0 and it led 7-6 at halftime. After Kadreus Cheatham’s interception return, Tyler Braswell’s 24-yard field goal with less than two minutes remaining to put Texarkana up 16-14.
Sports on 09/13/2014