Buckaroos knock off Little Johns
Smackover’s Greg Turner accounted for five touchdowns and 280 yards from scrimmage Friday as the Buckaroos outscored Danville 49-35 at Memorial Stadium and advanced in the 3A state playoffs. Smackover improved to 9-1 and will host Osceola next week in the quarterfinals.
The Little Johns ended their season with an 8-4 mark.
“It’s great. I’m ready to go eat turkey and be able to play during Thanksgiving week. It’s fun,” said Smackover coach Brian Brown.
Turner rushed for 218 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries. He had two receptions for 62 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-clinching 41-yard grab on fourth down with 4:22 left in the fourth.
The Bucks rushed for 251 yards and accumulated 484 total yards.
“Our guys up front, we dominate. I don’t know if we got a little tired or what in the fourth quarter. But, Greg ran the ball great, like he always does,” said Brown. “Our running game has been like that all year. It’s kind of a saviour.”
Smackover built a 35-14 halftime lead behind Turner, who had 14 carries for 187 yards and three touchdowns at the half. That included a 90-yard touchdown scamper with 28 seconds left in the second quarter.
“I was just waiting for my linemen to make their blocks,” Turner said. “When they did that, it was over.”
Danville climbed back into the game in the third, holding Smackover without a first down and cutting the deficit to 35-28 going into the fourth.
The Bucks’ lead was 42-35 and they faced a fourth-and-11 play from the 41 in the final five minutes of the game. Smackover went for it and Roshard Boone found Turner running a seam route out of the backfield. The pass was perfect and Turner made the catch, broke a tackle and then somersaulted into the end zone for a 41-yard TD reception with 4:22 remaining.
“I knew it was going to be open,” said Boone. “I just had to get the pass on point.”
As for the play call?
“That wasn’t me. I’ll tell you that. That was my son,” laughed Brown. “I said, ‘rip it if you’ve got it.’ That’s kind of how we’ve been all year. If you believe in what you’ve got, you just go ahead and do it. That’s what we did.”
With a two-score deficit, Danville was forced to pass. The Bucks’ William Mitchell sacked Preston Donnell and then recovered a fumble on the next play to seal the victory.
Boone was 11-of-19 passing for 233 yards and four touchdowns. None bigger than the fourth-down toss to Turner.
“He did a good job on that. He’s done that all year,” said Brown. “When it’s time to come up big, he does. That was a great throw.”
Jaqueze Modica had six receptions for 79 yards and two touchdowns. Harley Williams was 7-of-7 on extra points and had a big hit on a kickoff return.
Danville’s T.J. Lewis rushed for 112 yards on 16 attempts. Quentin Tolbert carried 21 times for 102 yards. Donnell completed 12-of-14 passes for 137 yards.
Smackover took the opening possesson and marched 50 yards to the end zone. Turner finished the drive with a 43-yard touchdown run with 11:37 left in the first quarter. The Bucks went up 14-0 after a 70-yard drive. K.J. King had a 33-yard reception and Boone scrambled for 21 yards before Turner scored on a 3-yard run with 7:58 left in the first.
The Little Johns answered with an 11-play drive. On fourth-and-2, Lewis fought his way into the end zone for a 2-yard touchdown run. Yovani Alcoer kicked the first of his five extra points with 3:33 left in the opening quarter.
Smackover’s offense stalled and Danville answered quickly with a 1-play drive. With three receivers flooded to the left, Donnell found tight end Evan Lane wide open down the middle for a 32-yard touchdown hook-up, tying the game at 14-14 with 1:48 left in the first.
The Bucks responded with a 77-yard march in 11 plays. Boone hit Modica for 34 yards to convert a third-and-12. On third-and-2, he executed a play-action fake and found Jackson Cook in the end zone for a 12-yard TD strike and a 21-14 lead with 10:15 left in the second.
Smackover’s defense came up with a stop on fourth-and-1 and the Bucks took over at the 28. After a holding penalty and a run for no gain, Boone dropped back to pass and was flushed to his left. As the defense approached, he lofted a touch pass to Javon Modica, who was wide open. Modica took it 45 yards for a first down. The drive culminated when Boone hit Turner out of the backfield on a neatly executed screen pass. Turner appeared to be tackled twice and performed an amazing Houdini trick, emerging from a group of defenders and running into the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown reception.
When asked how he did it, the senior said, “Faith in God.”
The score and Williams’ PAT pushed the lead to 28-14 with 4:04 left in the second. The Bucks forced a punt, which was downed at their own 10 with 44 seconds left in the half. Smackover gave the ball to Turner, who found a crease over the left side and went the distance, 90 yards for the touchdown with 28 seconds on the clock.
Were the Bucks trying to run out the clock to end the half?
“We were not,” said Brown. “We were trying to get him loose. I told him, we’re not trying to fall into the pile. We were trying to score. He saw an opening and he hit it.”
The Little Johns refused to fold at the half and dominated in the third. Danville took advantage when a deep snap skidded through the Smackover punter’s legs. The Little Johns took over at the 25 and Donnell scored on a 1-yard run with 5:59 left in the third.
After another defensive stand, Danville used a 10-play drive with Tolbert scoring on a 5-yard run on the final play of the quarter, trimming the margin to 35-28.
After Cook recovered Danville’s sky kick at the 48, the Bucks were faced with a third-and-3. Boone faked a handoff and found Jaqueze Modica open for a 45-yard touchdown pass with 10:29 left in the fourth.
Danville answered with a 71-yard drive, capped by Donnell’s 34-yard scoring toss to Lewis on third-and-9. The kick cut the deficit to 42-35 with 7:15 remaining.
King recovered the ensuing onsides kick at the 47. Turner ran for 2 and then 11 for a first down. A flag for an ineligible receiver pushed the Bucks back to the 45. Turner ran or four but an incomplete pass brought up thirdand-11. Boone was dropped for no gain, setting up the fourth-down pass from Boone to Turner.