LR McCLELLAN 52, MORRILTON 50
Pierre Strong had 12 carries for 167 yards and 4 touchdowns, but his only catch provided the difference for Little Rock McClellan (8-2) in its victory over Morrilton (7-4).
Strong's 26-yard touchdown came came with 6:25 left in the game and was the final score in the Class 5A opening-round playoff game.
Donte Pittman scored from one yard out to pull Morrilton within 52-50 with 3:58 left, but the Devil Dogs couldn't convert on the two-point conversion.
Trenton Lewis added 10 carries for 116 yards and 2 touchdowns for McClellan.
Strong's first touchdown came on a 24-yard run in the first quarter. He scored on a 58-yard run in the second and added two more rushing touchdowns in the third quarter.
Lewis' two touchdowns came in the first half.
Through 10 games, Strong has been one of the top running backs in Class 5A. He's rushed for 1,859 yards and 24 touchdowns on 130 carries this season for the Lions, the 5A-Central's No. 2 seed.
The Lions will travel to Hot Springs Lakeside for a second-round game Friday.
Caleb Canady threw three touchdown passes for the Devil Dogs, the 5A-West's No. 3 seed. Lane Granberry added two rushing touchdowns.
Sports on 11/14/2015