Twin RBs deliver for Mayflower

CLASS 3A

MAYFLOWER 53, SMACKOVER 46

MAYFLOWER -- With 1:11 left in a tie game, 68 yards to go and one timeout, Mayflower was just fine with running the football against Smackover.

Mayflower's twin junior running backs, Deon and Keon Simmons, had already amassed 461 rushing yards and 7 rushing touchdowns, and Mayflower Coach Todd Langrell handed the game to the brothers who had helped the Eagles reach their first undefeated regular season in more than 13 years.

"In our offense, with those two guys, running it is just as effective as throwing a 68-yard pass," Langrell said, "because they can take it to the house anytime."

Five Deon runs later, Mayflower (11-0) reached the Smackover 1 with 4 seconds left. The next play was a motion sweep to Keon, who veered across the goal line to beat Smackover 53-46 in the second round of the Class 3A state playoffs at Patrick Stadium.

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"Our coach told our line to block, and we just cut up field," said Deon, who finished with 394 yards on 38 carries and 2 touchdowns. "We went all the way downfield and scored."

Keon finished the game with 118 yards on 17 carries and 6 touchdowns.

Smackover (7-5) recovered from a 33-16 halftime deficit to tie the game at 46 with 1:12 left in the game.

Junior quarterback Roshard Boone led the Buckaroos on consecutive scoring drives. He first lobbed a 55-yard touchdown pass to sophomore receiver Jaqueze Modica that made it 46-38 with 10:19 left in the fourth quarter, and then he lobbed another 30-yard pass to Modica on the following drive, which set up a six-yard touchdown run by Demarous White.

Boone caught a two-point conversion on a reverse-pass play from senior receiver Peyton Jones.

"We lost tonight, but I think that's the proudest I've been of them all year," Smackover Coach Mike Baysinger said. "From the first quarter to the last quarter. It came down to four seconds left, and stuff happens sometimes. Somebody's gotta lose."

It appeared Mayflower would run away with the game when Deon and Keon scored two touchdowns each to give Mayflower a 34-16 halftime lead. Deon had 224 halftime rushing yards on 19 carries, including a 49-yard touchdown run with 1:09 left in the half, where he broke two tackles and stiff-armed a defender on his way to the front-left pylon.

Smackover fell behind when it couldn't score on its final three possessions of the first half, but the Buckaroos opened the second half with a drive that included a 14-yard touchdown run by sophomore running back Dettravon Crockett to cut Mayflower's lead to 33-22 with 9:07 left in the third quarter.

White rushed for 178 yards on 30 carries, and his touchdown runs of 2 and 6 yards came during the second-half surge.

"They kind of gave us a dose of our own medicine," Langrell said. "We weren't prepared for that. We're just glad we have Keon and Deon Simmons."

Mayflower will advance to the quarterfinals to play Rivercrest (11-2) next week.

Sports on 11/18/2017

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