Class 5A
Harrison 49, Batesville 14
Gabe Huskey and Ben Johnson each ran for two touchdowns and combined on another score as Harrison rolled past Batesville in a first-round Class 5A playoff game.
The win sets the stage for Friday's showdown as Harrison (11-0) hosts Pulaski Academy (9-2) in a quarterfinal game. The Bruins have ended the Goblins' season in the last two years.
Johnson's 18-yard touchdown run in the first quarter began a string of 42 unanswered points for Harrison, then he added a 30-yard touchdown run to make it a 42-7 game and begin the running clock.
Huskey started Harrison's scoring with a 35-yard touchdown run, then he scored on a 12-yard run in the second quarter. He then caught a 50-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to make it 35-7 at halftime.
Cole Keylon forced a fumble, then threw a 24-yard touchdown pass on the following play. He also capped the Goblins' scoring with a 19-yard touchdown run.
Alma 34, Forrest City 33
Landon Blair's 1-yard touchdown with 49 seconds remaining and Olof Olsson's extra-point kick rallied Alma past Forrest City and gave the Airedales a quarterfinal game at home.
Alma (5-6) trailed 33-20 midway through the fourth quarter, but Blair hit Grayson Bailey with a 44-yard touchdown pass off a flea-flicker with 4:36 remaining. The Airedales made a defensive stand and took over the ball following a punt on their 49, then drove for the winning score.
Alma led 20-7 at one point after Bailey scored on a 45-yard touchdown run, but Forrest City scored 26 unanswered points before the Airedales' rally.
Bailey, who also had a 12-yard touchdown run for Alma's first score, preserved the win as he intercepted a Forrest City pass at the Airedales' 35 with 27.4 seconds remaining.
Alma returns to action Friday against Hot Springs Lakeside.
Class 4A
Hamburg 28, Prairie Grove 27
Prairie Grove (4-6) missed a late extra point, as Hamburg (6-4) secured the victory in the first-round playoff game Friday.
Brett Rice's 12-yard touchdown toss to Nick Bridges and a scoring run by Gavin Harrod put Hamburg up by two touchdowns after the first quarter.
The Tigers clawed back, tying the game at 21-21 in the second quarter on an interception return by Caden Redfern.
Rice then hooked up with Bridges again in the fourth quarter for a touchdown that put Hamburg back in the lead, before Prairie Grove's late score and subsequent missed extra point.
CAC 49, Gentry 20
Central Arkansas Christian defender Caden McCluskey, who missed seven games because of a lacerated spleen he suffered in the second week, intercepted three passes and returned a fumble for a touchdown as the Mustangs overcame Gentry in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs Friday on Mustang Mountain.
CAC (8-3) intercepted four Brandon Atwood passes and forced a fumble at the end of the third quarter.
McCluskey said his big night was a matter of being in the right place at the right time. His first interception resulted in an 82-yard return for a touchdown to give the Mustangs a 21-12 lead with 4:38 left in the first half.
His final two interceptions came in the fourth quarter.
"I just try to play my hardest," McCluskey said. "It was really a team effort. I mean, I didn't cause the fumble [that was returned for the touchdown]."
Gentry got to the Mustangs for 20 points in the first half, scoring on its first possession using a lateral from a completed pass for a 46-yard score by Zach Jarnagan.
CAC scored on the next possession when running back Tyler Williams ran the ball three consecutive times from the 25, scoring on a 7-yard run for a 7-6 Mustangs' lead with 6:28 left in the quarter.
CAC defensive back Carlito London ended the Pioneers' next possession with an interception with 4:20 left in the quarter.
But Gentry (7-4) scored on a 39-yard pass from Atwood to Beau Tomblin, ending the quarter with its last lead of the game.
By the time CAC stopped Gentry on fourth down with 29 seconds left in the first half, the Mustangs had run just two offensive plays in the second quarter but scored 21 points to take a 28-20 lead at the half. Miller scored on the Mustangs' first offensive play of the second quarter, then caught a 40-yard pass from Palmer Gilbrech for another score with 1:38 left in the half.
In between the two Miller scores, McCluskey intercepted an Atwood pass and returned it 81 yards for a touchdown.
Miller scored again on a 12-yard pass from Gilbrech with 4:16 left in the third quarter. McCluskey's fumble recovery covered 77 yards as time expired in the third quarter.
Williams scored CAC's final touchdown with 8:28 remaining in the fourth quarter. That touchdown was set up by McCluskey's second interception.
"I'm really excited for him," CAC Coach Tommy Shoemaker said of McCluskey before praising the entire defense.
"They really stepped up after we challenged them to do better in the second half."
Pocahontas 68, Gravette 28
Quarterback Dawson Chester accounted for seven touchdowns as the Redskins (7-3) walloped Gravette (4-6).
Chester's first touchdown came early in the first quarter with Pocahontas already down a score when he caught a 47-yard pass thrown by Derrick Kimble.
From there, Chester threw for four touchdown passes and ran for two more.
Warren 34, Elkins 19
It was a big night for senior Vincent Steppes, who scored all five of Warren's touchdowns to lead the Lumberjacks (10-1) over the Elks (5-6).
Warren trailed 13-0 before Steppes dashed 2 yards for a touchdown. He followed that with a 5-yard score moments later and tied the game at 13 at the end of the half.
Steppes scored again early in the second half to give the Lumberjacks the lead for the first time.
After an Elkins score in the third quarter, Warren pulled away in the fourth when Steppes ran for his two final touchdowns.
Class 3A
Prescott 49, Charleston 7
Prescott quarterback Jacobi Nolen passed for three touchdowns and ran for two more to lead the Curley Wolves in the first round of the Class 3A state playoffs Friday night.
Prescott (9-2), winner of nine straight, advances to the second round, and the Wolves will host Pine Bluff Dollarway next. Dollarway (6-5) beat Jessieville, 42-19, in its opening-round playoff.
Nolen scored a pair of first-half touchdowns on runs of 12 and 7 yards as the Wolves opened a 21-7 cushion at intermission. The hosts shut out the Tigers 28-0 in the second half.
Nolen cranked up the aerial assault in the third and fourth quarters, passing for three scores. His first TD covered 62 yards to Jacaylon Zachary, the second 81 yards to Derriun Thompson and the last one 35 yards to Jaylon Hopson. Nolen completed 4-of-6 passes for 196 yards.
Prescott's other touchdowns came on Alex George's 4-yard run and Jeff Williams 53-yard interception return. George led the Wolves with 71 yards on 11 carries.
Luis Rabadan also kicked seven extra points for Prescott.
The Wolves finished with 416 yards total offense, with 220 coming on the ground. Charleston had 222. Prescott also forced two turnovers.
Charleston finishes its season at 4-7.
Class 2A
Mountainburg 44, Murfreesboro 12
Malachi West and Dylan Coughran each ran for more than 100 yards to help the Dragons earn a first-round road victory.
West led the way with 141 yards on 17 carries with two touchdowns and a two-point conversion for Mountainburg, which led 24-6 at halftime. Coughran added 117 yards on 13 carries and three touchdowns.
Noah Johnson also returned an interception 30 yards for a touchdown for the Dragons, who will play at Des Arc next week.
Preps Sports on 11/17/2019