LR Christian eases into PA showdown

LR CHRISTIAN 59, LR HALL 27

Little Rock Christian rolled from the start of its 59-27 victory over Little Rock Hall at Christian’s Warrior Field on Friday night.

Now it’s on to a game circled on the 5A-Central calendar.

Little Rock Christian (5-1, 4-0 5A-Central) will host defending state champion Pulaski Academy, currently 7-0, next week. Hall was part of Little Rock Christian’s ongoing preparation for what has routinely become its game of the year.

“We had an agenda and a mission, and we accomplished the mission, and we just have to get ready for a really good Pulaski Academy team next week,” Little Rock Christian Coach Eric Cohu said. “Every game builds toward the next one. Each game, we have to play our best, because football is a momentum game. We can’t be losing momentum this late in the year.”

Junior running back Jayvean Dyer-Jones started the rout with a 55-yard touchdown run four minutes after the opening kickoff.

The first of two opening-quarter touchdown passes from senior quarterback Colin Cooper to senior receiver Corey Plat gave Little Rock Christian a 14-0 lead with 4:33 left in the first quarter.

Dyer-Jones ran for 112 yards and 1 touchdown on 8 carries, all in the first half. Cooper completed 10 of 14 passes for 159 yards and 3 touchdowns.

“They did everything right,” Little Rock Hall Coach Jim Withrow said. “I was really impressed. I thought the quarterback did a great job handling their offense. He was very impressive.”

An 88-yard kickoff return by junior BJay Sisk pulled Hall (1-6, 0-4) within 14-7 after Platt’s first touchdown catch, but his second — on a 29-yard pass from Cooper — gave Little Rock Christian a 21-7 lead with 2:51 left in the first quarter.

Little Rock Christian’s next possession was stopped on fourth and 12 on the Hall 31, but senior Isaiah Hankins later kicked a 48-yard field goal to give Little Rock Christian a 24-7 lead early in the second quarter.

After its next possession, Little Rock Christian led 31-7 on Platt’s 3-yard touchdown run, a score followed shortly thereafter by a 16-yard touchdown run by junior running back Brian Gittens that gave Little Rock Christian a 38-7 lead with 6:12 left in the second quarter.

Little Rock Hall punted away on its next possession, but an interception return of 77 yards by junior defensive back Timothy Price put it at the Little Rock Christian 1. Little Rock Hall pulled within 38-14 after senior Kavionne Rucker’s 1-yard run with 2:50 left in the first half.

That was time enough for two home-team touchdowns, the first on a 59-yard run by Gittens and the final on a 1-yard pass from Cooper to senior tight end Anthony Pugh that gave Little Rock Christian a 52-14 halftime lead.

Little Rock Christian scored in the second half on a 3-yard run by Gittens. Little Rock Hall cut the margin with a 46-yard touchdown run by Rucker and a 1-yard sneak by senior quarterback Dylan Brown.