PINE BLUFF -- Pine Bluff's Jyrimee Thompson caught four touchdown passes, the defense added two scores and the Zebras scored the game's final 20 points to pull away from the Searcy Lions 57-34 in a 6A-East showdown at Jordan Stadium.
Thompson caught 6 passes for 112 yards, including touchdown receptions of 13, 16, 13 and 48 yards. It is the second week in a row that the 5-9 senior has hauled in four TD passes. He also caught a two-point conversion pass.
"We're picking it up," Thompson said of the Zebras, who have averaged more than 50 points per game the past 4 weeks. "At the first of the season, we were slacking but we've started playing as a team. It's good."
Quarterback Tyler Foots, who completed 15 of 22 passes for 180 yards threw the 4 touchdown passes to Thompson. Foots also ran 19 times for 147 yards, scoring on runs of 20 and 21 yards.
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The Zebras overcame the pass-happy Lions. Senior quarterback Mason Schucker completed 29 of 69 passes for 374 yards and 5 TDs.
But Pine Bluff (6-1, 4-0) intercepted three of Schucker's passes, two of which were returned for touchdowns. The other set up a 1-yard scoring run.
Searcy (5-2, 2-2) trailed 37-13 midway through the third quarter but the Lions scored 21 points in a span of four minutes to cut the Zebras' lead to 37-34.
The Lions gained possession at their 5 with 10:06 to play with a chance to take a lead, Searcy managed 2 yards in its next three plays and was forced to punt.
Three plays into Pine Bluff's ensuing possession, Foots found Thompson open down the left sideline for a 48-yard touchdown with 7:34 left. The Zebras scored the game's final 20 points.
"We had three turnovers that led to 21 points," Searcy Coach Mark Kelley said. "When we do that, the math doesn't add up for us."
Defensive tackle Kevawn Goins scored the game's first points, grabbing a tipped pass and returning his interception 33 yards to give the Zebras a 6-0 lead with 5:23 left in the first quarter.
Junior Rod Stinson returned an interception 48 yards for a touchdown with 3:45 left in the game.
Martavis Thompson's 49-yard interception return set up Kylen Williams' 1-yard TD run with 5:34 left in the third quarter.
Senior receiver Eli Nevels led the Lions with 6 catches for 144 yards, including touchdowns of 52 and 57 yards. Trenton Turner, Gabe Chapman and Alonzo Tripp also caught TD passes from Schucker. Turner caught 7 passes for 90 yards. Tripp caught 8 passes for 82 yards and Chapman's two catches went for 36 yards.
Pine Bluff finished with 444 yards of total offense. Junior Braylon Moody ran 21 times for 103 yards. Searcy's managed 445 total yards, but had only 71 yards rushing on 15 carries.
Searcy converted 3 of 9 fourth-down conversion attempts, with the first eight of those attempts coming in Searcy territory.
"They give us four downs for a reason," said Kelley, whose team did punt four times. "We're going to go for almost every time. We had some big plays on fourth down. It's just one of things I believe in, especially since we have a quarterback that's dynamic and the receivers that we have. We might as well get in as many plays as we can."
Sports on 10/14/2017