The Des Arc Eagles backfield followed its offensive line for 475 rushing yards and a 35-21 season-opening victory over the England Lions at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock on Tuesday night.
"I tell our kids that we should be able to line up and say, 'We're running it right here, so try to stop us,' " Des Arc Coach Drake Widener said. "It's something we take pride in. People know what we're going to run. It's just a matter of whether they can stop it or not."
Des Arc's ground attack, led by junior Jackson Morton's 143 yards and 1 touchdown on 14 carries, did not surprise England Coach Andrew Roberson.
"They are good," Roberson said. "Coach Widener does a great job over there. We knew what they would do, and we know we're just going to have to get better."
England kept Des Arc within reach with junior quarterback Mason Brazeal before he was removed from the game with a possible collarbone injury in the second quarter. Thereafter, England followed sophomore reserve Nolan Winchell.
The two combined to pass for 280 yards and 2 touchdowns, but a 73-yard run by junior K'von McPherson set up senior Jalen Rhode's 2-yard touchdown run that pulled England within 27-15 with 46 seconds left in the third quarter.
England senior Justus Filoteo led all receivers with 12 catches for 114 yards.
"He's a special kid," Widener said. "He was really special. He stood out to us on film, and tonight he really stood out.
"We'd play someone underneath him and someone else on top, and it did not matter. We couldn't stop him."
Morton's 19-yard touchdown run gave Des Arc a 35-15 lead with 5:37 left in the fourth quarter, and after England scored on its next possession with a 6-yard pass from Winchell to sophomore Darren McClinton, Des Arc was able to run out the clock.
Widener said his only disappointment was his team's two turnovers.
"We really helped them stay in it," Widener said. "Football is a game of momentum, and when you make mistakes and you don't capitalize when they make mistakes, momentum can swing back and forth."
England drove to the Des Arc 6 on the game's opening possession, but its scoring chance ended on two incomplete passes in the end zone.
Des Arc responded with a 94-yard drive. Senior running back Donald McCoy scored on the seventh play with a 6-yard run with 5:34 left in the first quarter. McCoy's touchdown completed a drive highlighted by runs of 49 and 20 yards by junior running back Cooper Roberts.
Roberts and McCoy each finished with 118 rushing yards.
England's first score came on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Brazeal to senior receiver Tyler Woods that tied the game 7-7 on the Lions' first play of the second quarter.
Des Arc retook the lead six plays later on a 5-yard run by Roberts with 9:12 left in the second quarter.
Interceptions stopped England's and Des Arc's subsequent drives, and Des Arc took its 14-7 lead to halftime.
McCoy's 31-yard touchdown run extended Des Arc's lead to 21-7 on the first possession of the second half.
Sophomore running back Luke Morton's 5-yard touchdown run put Des Arc up 27-7 with 2:04 left in the third quarter.
"Des Arc was a great test for us," Roberson said. "I was mostly proud of my boys for playing as physical as they did and not laying down. They continued to fight."
Sports on 08/22/2018