PINE BLUFF -- Following last week's victory over Russellville, Pine Bluff Coach Bobby Bolding wasn't enthused about playing Searcy for a second time this season. Turns out, his worries were all for naught.
The Zebras scored 28 consecutive points during a 15-minute stretch in the first half to take control, and they never looked back in rolling past the Lions 34-14 in the semifinals of the Class 6A state playoffs Friday night at Jordan Stadium.
Sophomore quarterback Tyler Foots completed 11 of 20 passes for 151 yards with 3 touchdowns and carried 24 times for 170 yards and a score for Pine Bluff (11-1), which is headed back to the state championship game for the fifth time in the past six seasons. The Zebras will take on Greenwood, 45-14 winners over West Memphis, for the title next Friday at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
"I was really, really pleased with the way we played, especially on defense," Bolding said. "It's always tough beating a team twice in the same season, but we got a good effort on offense and did a very good job on special teams. There wasn't a whole lot I wasn't pleased because I thought we played a very solid game in all phases.
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"And that's what you want to happen at this time of the year."
Running back Braylon Moody added 100 yards on 11 carries, while wide receiver Jyrimee Thompson caught 7 passes for 111 yards and 3 touchdowns for the Zebras, who haven't lost since dropping a 20-12 decision to Cabot in the season opener. Since then, Pine Bluff has ran off 10 victories in a row and has rarely been challenged, but Bolding had his concerns about this one.
Pine Bluff had won the past three meetings with Searcy (10-3), including a 57-34 victory on Oct. 13, but the Lions had outscored their opponents 211-18 during their six-game winning streak. Bolding's fears were ramped up after Searcy took a 7-0 lead on a 71-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Mason Schucker to wide receiver Eli Nevels on the third play from scrimmage. But the Zebras' defense put the clamps on the Lions thereafter.
"Whenever you play a really good defensive front like Pine Bluff has, it's really hard to sustain drives," Searcy Coach Mark Kelley said. "We tried to start fast, but when you play a team like Pine Bluff that has amazing players all of the field, it's tough. When they dropped and played man, they forced us to try to beat them through the air. And then we weren't able to run it consistently when they had a four-man box.
"So you've just got to give those guys credit. They played a very good game, and we weren't able to sustain drives when we needed to."
Schucker finished 21 of 37 for 283 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. He also lost a fumble for the Lions, who trailed 28-7 at halftime. Nevels had seven catches for 155 yards.
The Zebras cut the Lions' advantage to 7-6 on Foots' 11-yard touchdown pass to Thompson on their opening series with 6:19 left in the first quarter to start their 28-point outburst. Thompson picked off Schucker less than four minutes later and returned it 53 yards for a score to give Pine Bluff the lead for good. His 41-yard touchdown catch made with 20-7 with 8:41 to go in the first half, and Foots' 1-yard touchdown run at the 3:01 mark gave the Zebras their 21-point cushion at the half.
Running back Gabe Chapman cut Searcy's deficit to 28-14 with his 1-yard touchdown plunge with 3:57 remaining in the third quarter, but Thompson virtually put the game away with his 37-yard touchdown catch on Pine Bluff's ensuing series.
"We slowed [Searcy] down just enough," Bolding said. "Our defense played well because that's a very good offense that they went up against. By slowing them down, we were able to put some drives together ourselves on offense and build a lead, and that's what we wanted."
Bolding and the Zebras will go for their third title in four seasons next week, but they will have to beat a familiar foe to get it. Pine Bluff and Greenwood have split their past four meetings since 2012, with the Zebras winning their most recent one, 28-21 in the 2015 state final.
"We're going to have to play perfect football," he said. "I've seen them on film, and that's the best Greenwood team I've seen. So it's going to be a challenge, that's for sure."
Sports on 11/25/2017