Hurricane want to end Zebras' reign

The Class 6A semifinal round hasn't been kind to Jonesboro the past four years.

The Hurricane have played in the semifinals since 2011, only to fall one game short of the state championship game. Jonesboro lost to Pine Bluff last season and in 2012, and to El Dorado in 2011 and 2013.

Class 6A semifinals

PINE BLUFF AT JONESBORO

WHEN 7 p.m.

WHERE Cooksey-Johns Memorial Stadium, Jonesboro

RECORDS Pine Bluff 11-0, Jonesboro 8-3

COACHES Pine Bluff: Bobby Bolding; Jonesboro: Randy Coleman

KEY PLAYERS Pine Bluff: QB Ladarius Skelton, Sr., 6-2, 210, RB Romar Reades, Sr., 5-8, 192, WR David Beasley, Sr., 6-3, 190. Jonesboro: RB Kylon Tate, Sr., 5-11, 175, RB Princeton Pitts, Sr., 5-9, 170, WR Jonathan Adams, Jr., 6-3, 180.

The Hurricane get another crack at Pine Bluff, the defending Class 6A champions, tonight at Cooksey-Johns Memorial Stadium in Jonesboro.

"We'd like to think that the odds will eventually be in our favor," Jonesboro Coach Randy Coleman said.

Jonesboro (8-3) defeated Alma 34-27 in the second round last Friday at home when senior running backs Kylon Tate and Princeton Pitts combined for 322 yards rushing. Tate had 173 yards and 1 touchdown on 17 carries, while Pitts finished with 149 yards and 2 touchdowns on 22 carries.

Pine Bluff Coach Bobby Bolding said Jonesboro's running game will be tough to stop.

"They make people miss," Bolding said. "They'll drop the boom on you."

Pine Bluff and Jonesboro are No. 1 seeds, but Bolding isn't bothered by the Zebras having to go on the road to defend their title.

"We don't mind traveling," Bolding said. "We'll go wherever. The further we go, the typically better we play. We'll be mentally sharp. It is what is going on the road. No sense in crying about it."

The Zebras rolled to a 42-21 victory last Friday against Russellville. Senior quarterback Ladarius Skelton threw three touchdown passes to David Beasley.

"I thought we did some real good things the other night," Bolding said. "We've jumped out on people early all year long, but we've gotten lackluster instead of stepping on somebody's throat."

Pine Bluff has won 13 consecutive games dating to last year and has showed no signs of slowing this season. Coleman said with Pine Bluff's ability to score points, Jonesboro can't fall too far behind.

"We've got to score points," Coleman said. "They're just that good offensively. We'll have to score a lot to be in the ballgame. We have to finish the drives with points or we won't have a chance."

The Zebras have played in three consecutive state championship games and won their first state title since 1995 last December against Benton. Bolding has been high on the team's talented senior class, which includes Skelton and Beasley, and hopes the group can get get the Zebras back to War Memorial Stadium again.

"We've got a lot of guys who have a lot of experience that have been there and done it," Bolding said. "This is a very competitive group of seniors.

"They like winning. They're accustomed to winning. Hopefully they'll continue to do it."

Sports on 11/27/2015

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