Chop off old block: Lumberjacks equal 15-0 season in ’01

Warren players celebrate after the Lumberjacks knocked off Pea Ridge to win the Class 4A state championship on Friday night at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
Warren players celebrate after the Lumberjacks knocked off Pea Ridge to win the Class 4A state championship on Friday night at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

Fifteen years later, the Warren Lumberjacks are 15-0 again and state champions.

[HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD: Full results + recaps, photos and more]

The Lumberjacks capped their second undefeated season and won their fourth state championship with a 54-37 victory over Pea Ridge on Friday night in the Class 4A state championship game at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

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Keemontrae McKnight (left) of Warren recovers a fumble by Pea Ridge’s Carson Rhine (right). The Blackhawks had four turnovers in the game.

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Warren running back Dennis Daniels (5) dives for extra yardage as he is tackled by Pea Ridge’s Robby Pickthall (bottom) and Kenneth Dorsey during Friday night’s Class 4A championship game at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. Daniels rushed for 189 yards and four touchdowns as the Lumberjacks claimed their fourth state title.

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Warren cornerback Carrington Gilbert pulls down Pea Ridge wide receiver Hayden Holtgrewe, who finished with 7 catches for 96 yards and 1 touchdown, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Lumberjacks from winning their second state title in the past three years and fourth overall.

Warren last went 15-0 in 2001, winning the then-Class AAA state championship over Booneville. Coach Bo Hembree, who was in his third season in 2001, has led the Lumberjacks to all four of their state titles (2001, 2002, 2014, 2016).

"I'm getting old," said Hembree, 43, in his 18th season at Warren. "But it's just unbelievable, man. Our community has such great supporters. You can see the crowd tonight, being as cold as it is. That's the reason why we're successful, because of all of the help we get from them."

Senior running back Dennis Daniels rushed for 189 yards and 4 touchdowns on 28 carries, averaging 6.8 yards per carry. Daniels, who had been slowed by a high ankle sprain late in the regular season and into the playoffs, scored on runs of 6 and 2 yards and twice from 4 yards out.

Daniels never lost yardage and was quick to give credit to his offensive line.

"My linemen are what got me there," Daniels said. "They are just as important as me. Without them, none of this is possible."

Hayden Lassiter, a two-year starter at quarterback, completed 10 of 12 passes for 208 yards and 1 touchdown. The senior also had eight tackles and an interception, earning the game's MVP honors.

Two sophomores led Warren's receivers. Keemontrae McKnight caught 5 passes for 83 yards and 1 touchdown while Treylon Burks finished with 3 receptions for 95 yards.

The game was tied at 19-19 with 1:40 remaining in the first half when Burks forced a fumble by Pea Ridge junior quarterback Jakota Sainsbury. Senior defensive lineman Devonta Brown recovered, giving the Lumberjacks the ball at the Pea Ridge 21.

Four plays later, Daniels scored his third touchdown of the half, this one a 4-yard run, making it 26-19 with 39 seconds left in the first half.

Pea Ridge pulled within 26-25 with 7:11 left in the third quarter on junior Drew Winn's 2-yard run, but Evan Green missed the point-after attempt. That was as close as the Blackhawks would get, as senior Byron Person had a 2-yard touchdown run and Daniels tacked on a 2-yard run to extend the Lumberjacks' lead to 40-25 with 16 seconds left in the third quarter.

Warren pulled away in the fourth quarter, with Lassiter scoring from a yard out and Burks returning a Sainsbury interception 19 yards for another score with 5:10 remaining to stretch the Lumberjacks' advantage to 54-25.

The Lumberjacks outgained the Blackhawks 503-296 and forced three turnovers.

"We couldn't give them extra possessions," Pea Ridge Coach Stephen Neal said. "They were able to capitalize on those, and there's a reason why they're the 4A state champions, because they have a really good football program."

Pea Ridge was led by senior running back Zaine Holley with 106 yards and 2 touchdowns on 20 carries. Winn added 75 yards and 2 touchdowns on 17 carries. Sainsbury went 11-of-19 passing for 139 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception.

Hembree was glad to send his seniors out with a state championship, Warren's second in three seasons.

"We've got four now," Hembree said. "These seniors, they will have this for the rest of their lives. It's going to be a deal where they'll come back and have their rings on. It's going to help our younger kids. When we left town today, all of the kids came out at school and watched us go by. These kids were young when we played in this game in 2013 and 2014 and in 2006.

"It's just a tradition. We hope we can build on it."

Sports on 12/10/2016

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