Mark King's first game with the Magnolia Panthers had its moments.
But ultimately Warren, a perennial Class 4A state championship contender, was too much for the Panthers.
Magnolia lost to Warren 41-21 on Aug. 27 at Wilkins Stadium on the campus of Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia.
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Senior Amir Cooper led the Panthers, rushing for 112 yards and one touchdown on 12 carries.
Junior linebacker Malachi Copeland's interception led to senior quarterback Braelyn Beasley's 3-yard touchdown run to give the Panthers a 6-0 lead with 8:17 left in the first quarter.
That was Magnolia's last lead, as Warren went on to lead 21-7 at halftime and stretched its advantage to 34-14 with 3:04 left in the third quarter.
Discipline and conditioning were key issues for the Panthers.
Junior cornerback Robert Mack was ejected in the third quarter after throwing a punch and will miss the Panthers' next game Friday against Crossett.
"That's the type of stuff I'm trying to change," said King, who coached at Foreman for three seasons and led the Gators to a Class 2A state championship in 2017 before being hired at Magnolia. "We'll get there. The kids have been let go so long to do things their own way. Now, they're having to be disciplined."
Also, several Panthers players had to leave the Warren game with cramps, which was disappointing to King.
"I guess it was just a little more intense," King said. "Maybe they're not living right on the weekend for a game on Tuesday. We'll get that fixed. I pride myself on coaching teams that don't get beat on conditioning. If we get beat by a better team, that's fine. But we don't ever want to get beat because we're not conditioned."
Magnolia had 74 players when King arrived in February. When the Panthers played their first game, they had 42 players.
"It's 42 kids that work hard," King said.
King, though, is looking forward to what's ahead for the Panthers, who play in the 5A-South Conference, which features defending league champion Texarkana and Class 5A state championship contender Little Rock McClellan.
"When I first got here, they were soft," King said. "I don't think we could have made an omelette. But we've come a million miles."
TWO RIVERS
Losing streak ends
Two Rivers snapped its 36-game losing streak with a 12-8 victory over Marshall on Friday.
It was the Gators' first victory since Week Four in 2015, when they defeated Booneville 40-33.
Gators Coach Matt Garrett, who was hired in 2018 from England, was glad to see his team come out on top.
"It was crazy," Garrett said. "Being at England and Warren, I've been part of some big wins. On Friday, they dumped water on top of me. Fans came down from the stands to celebrate with us. There was a big dogpile.
"We've had two senior classes that have gone through here without a win. It was one of the best game-winning feelings I've ever had."
Senior running back Myles Johnson scored from 21 yards out on the Gators' first drive of the game that took 81/2 minutes off the clock.
"It was a big drive for us," Garrett said.
In the third quarter, sophomore quarterback Riley Dunman's quarterback sneak from one yard out made it 12-8.
Marshall scored before halftime to take an 8-6 lead. Garrett said he was curious to see how the Gators would respond in the second half.
"Learning how to win is one of the hardest things to do," Garrett said. "They didn't quit. I couldn't be more proud of these kids."
Two Rivers forced five turnovers. Junior safety Hayden Smith had an interception, while senior defensive back Lucas Carter recovered two fumbles.
The Gators have 27 players in the program. Garrett added that there's 26 players on the junior high team, which has him optimistic about the Gators' future.
"The numbers are getting up," Garrett said. "The work ethic is head over heels better. The program as a whole is heading in the right direction. They're starting to buy into what I'm trying to do."
While the victory was a big one for the program, the Gators return to action Friday at home against Quitman. So, Garrett has had to get his team refocused after one of the most emotional weeks in program history.
"It's back to reality," Garrett said. "We had the ball inside the 10-yard line seven times. We kept them around.
"It feels a lot better going to school after a win. But that wins means nothing now. We have to prepare like we're on a 37-game losing streak.
"The kids needed that [Friday's victory]. But as a football coach, I'm looking at Quitman."
OSCEOLA
Hooks not happy
Osceola Coach Robert Hooks was not pleased with how the Seminoles fared in their season opener against Valley View.
The Seminoles never led in a 36-19 loss to the Blazers on Aug. 26 at Centennial Bank Stadium in Jonesboro.
Osceola (0-1) managed 194 yards offensively against Valley View.
"We weren't in shape," Hooks said. "That's my fault. We're going to go back to work. There are no excuses."
Senior quarterback MJ Vance passed for 111 yards and one touchdown and rushed for another score to lead Osceola.
Osceola, which played in the Class 3A state championship game last season against Booneville at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, hosts Blytheville on Friday, and Hooks is hoping for a better performance by the Seminoles in their second game.
"We're not as deep as we were last year," Hooks said. "We've got a few more skill guys going both ways. That right there is where we have to make sure we're in better shape than we were last year. It's one of those things that snowballed on us."
EXTRA POINTS
• Harrisburg's home game against Cross County will be played at Jonesboro's Cooksey-Johns Stadium on Friday. Harrisburg is installing a new FieldTurf surface and the project is not complete. ... Ashton Williams rushed for 171 yards and 3 touchdowns on 15 carries to help Drake Widener earn his first victory as Riverview's coach in a 48-32 victory Friday at Brookland. Logan Miller added 110 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns on 15 carries for the Raiders (1-0). ... Tonight's Hot Springs Lakeside-Lake Hamilton game will be televised live at 7 p.m. on KARZ-TV (channel 42 in central Arkansas). It's the second matchup between the Garland County rivals since they resumed their series last year. The Wolves won last year's game 31-27 at Lakeside.
Sports on 09/05/2019