The lights went out in Batesville on Friday night, but the Little Rock McClellan Crimson Lions didn't let the blackout deter them from their goal of reaching the Class 5A state championship game.
After a 51-minute power outage, the Crimson Lions (10-2) kept their 14-9 lead and beat Batesville to earn their first trip to a state championship game since 1994. They will face defending Class 5A state champion Pulaski Academy (13-0) at 7 p.m. Friday at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
State finals
At War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock
FRIDAY’S GAME
CLASS 5A
LR McClellan vs. Pulaski Academy, 7 p.m.
SATURDAY’S GAMES
CLASS 6A
Greenwood vs. Pine Bluff, noon
CLASS 7A
Fayetteville vs. Springdale Har-Ber, 6:30 p.m.
TICKETS Advance sales: $7 general admission, $6 students; Gate sales: $7 adults and students. Contact schools for more information on advance sales.
McClellan Coach Maurice Moody said leading up to the game that playing a program such as Batesville, which had reached the Class 5A semifinals six of the past 10 seasons, was a measuring stick to see where the Crimson Lions stood in the state. Friday's victory proved to Moody that the Crimson Lions could play against the state's best teams.
"It was monumental for us," Moody said. "I told the kids how tough it was going to be playing up there.
"It never bothered them. It never fazed them. They were in great spirits and had a pep to their step. They were ready to play."
With 4:49 remaining in the fourth quarter and McClellan clinging to a five-point lead, a vehicle knocked down a guide wire in Batesville at 9:18 p.m. Power was lost not only at Pioneer Stadium, but in most of the Independence County town.
It was the second time this season that McClellan has been at a visiting stadium for a power outage. The power went out Nov. 5 in Jacksonville when the Crimson Lions visited Jan Crow Stadium. The game was postponed in the first quarter and resumed the next day, when McClellan beat Jacksonville 60-18.
"We were like, 'Here we go again,' " Moody said. "But we had to finish. We had four minutes left. We had to make sure we were focused when we came back out.
"But we stayed calm. We relaxed."
When play resumed at 10:09 p.m., junior running back Pierre Strong fumbled and the Pioneers recovered. But Batesville turned the ball over on downs. Then McClellan fumbled on fourth and 1, giving Batesville the ball back with less than two minutes remaining.
Trey Thompson caught a 29-yard pass from Zack Griffin with 1:50 left, then Louis Sonnier ran two times to get the Pioneers to the McClellan 31. However, McClellan's Jaylin Cunningham intercepted Griffin to stop the Pioneers' threat. The Crimson Lions ran out the clock and pulled off arguably one of the biggest victories in program history.
"The defense stood up to the challenge," Moody said. "We finished the ballgame."
Trent Lewis led the Crimson Lions offensively, rushing for 143 yards and 2 touchdowns, scoring on runs of 15 and 3 yards. Strong, who has rushed for more than 2,000 yards this season, was limited to 63 yards on 22 carries.
"We just had to pound, pound, pound, and keep the clock on our side," Strong said. "We kept our focus."
Moody said after Friday's game he received at least 50 text messages and had several more over the weekend and on Monday. The pride that has been felt in the McClellan community in southwest Little Rock pleases Moody, who looks to lead the school to its second state title and its first since 1971.
"The kids can hold their chest out a little bit," Moody said. "They know they're playing for a state championship."
Sports on 12/01/2015