ALMA — Defenses in the 5A-West Conference are finding even the best game plan to stop Isaac McCoy may not be successful.
Alma’s all-purpose back ran for 171 yards and three touchdowns Friday despite being a decoy much of the game. It was enough to lead the Airedales to a 28-19 victory over No. 6 Vilonia at Airedale Stadium.
McCoy, who has scored eight touchdowns in two conference games, scored twice in the second half as Alma (4-1, 2-0) pulled away from a 7-7 halftime tie. His 30-yard run with 1:50 remaining sealed the victory.
It came two plays after Daniel Guilbeau tackled Vilonia’s Trey Lewis for a 4-yard loss on fourth down, the only fourth-down failure by the Eagles in five attempts.
“They took Isaac out of the game,” Alma Coach Todd Dilbeck said. “They gameplanned him and that allowed [receiver Aaron] Craig to get open for a touchdown and Ryan [Saunders] ran hard.
“Isaac had to be a decoy tonight. It allowed other things to open up.”
It also helped that theEagles (4-1, 1-1) played what Coach Jim Stanley termed their worst game of the season. Vilonia had nine penalties for 94 yards, lost two fumbles and had an interception.
“We played horrible,” Stanley said. “That was just terrible. You can’t play like that on the road in the 5A-West. Penalties, touchdowns called back, fumbles, interceptions, missed field goals. Oh my goodness.”
A penalty on the Eagles’ first play wiped out a 57-yard touchdown run by quarterback Drew Knowles. A fumble on their second possession led to Alma’s first touchdown, a 1-yard run by McCoy with 2:51 left in the first quarter to cap a 63-yard drive in which McCoy had every carry.
Vilonia also had a field goal blocked in the first half and had two second-half turnovers.
Vilonia took a 13-7 lead early in the second half when the ball slipped out of Alma quarterback Austin McCourt’s hand on a pass. Chris Calhoun returned the interception 19 yards for a touchdown. James Gardner missed the extra point.
McCoy the decoy helped the Airedales regain the lead. McCourt faked a handoff to McCoy on an end-around tothe left, then hit Craig streaking down the right sideline for a 46-yard touchdown pass for a 14-13 lead with 5:03 left in the third quarter.
Vilonia answered on a 9-yard run by Lewis, his second of the game, on the first play of the fourth quarter. But the Eagles failed on a two-point try, leaving them with a 19-14 lead.
McCoy took over on the next series, gaining 56 yards, including the final two for a 21-19 lead with 8:33 remaining.
Knowles had 128 yards on 16 attempts, but fullback James Sax, Vilonia’s leading rusher this season, was held to 55 yards on 14 carries.
HARRISON 31, SILOAM SPRINGS 21
HARRISON - The Goblins spotted the Panthers a 14-0 lead before scoring 31 consecutive points to take control at F.S. Garrison Stadium.
The homecoming victory for the Goblins (3-2, 1-1) broke a two-game losing streak while Siloam Springs (3-2, 1-1) saw its two-game winning streak end.
Siloam Springs, which was coming off its first victory against Greenwood in 16 years last week, took a 14-0 lead behind senior running back Grady Truitt, who rushed for 112 yards in the first quarter and scored a touchdown. Chris Villasenor caught a 24-yard touchdown pass from Braden Pippin to give the Panthers a 14-0 lead with 6:43 remaining in the first.
Harrison came right back when quarterback Tate Stokes ran for a 73-yard touchdown with 26.9 seconds left inthe first quarter.
The Goblins scored 10 more points in the second quarter and added 14 in the third to take control of the game.
GREENBRIER 49, HUNTSVILLE 13
HUNTSVILLE - Greenbrier running back Hunter Winston scored five touchdowns to lead the No. 4 Panthers to a victory at Huntsville.
Winston accounted for 262 yards of total offense. The Panthers (5-0, 2-0 5A West) produced 590 yards and ran away with the victory despite committing four turnovers.
Greenbrier junior quarterback Neal Burcham completed 28 of 38 passes for 399 yards and 3 touchdowns as the Panthers used a balanced attack to pull away from the Eagles. Winston ran for 141 yards and 3 touchdowns on 22 carries and caught 9 passes for 111 yards and 2 scores.
The Panthers overcame three firsthalf fumbles by racking up 368 total yards on their way to a 28-13 lead at halftime.
GREENWOOD 35, MORRILTON 0
GREENWOOD - Drew Morgan ran for three touchdowns in the first half to power the Bulldogs to a victory over Morrilton in a 5A-West Conference game. Morgan finished with 75 yards rushing and scored on runs of 10, 14, and 16 yards.
Greenwood (3-2, 1-1) led 35-0 at halftime, and the second half was played with a running clock because of the 35-point sportsmanship rule.
Greenwood entered Friday’s game following consecutive defeats to Shiloh Christian and Siloam Springs, which beat the Bulldogs for the first time in 16 years. Morrilton (1-4, 0-2) wasn’t nearly as strong.
Sports, Pages 26 on 10/02/2010