Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Homecoming parade
Rogers High School band’s color guard members march Friday during the school’s homecoming parade in downtown Rogers. The school’s Mountaineers played St. Louis Normandy High School’s Vikings at Gates Stadium.
ROGERS —Rogers High won a pair of nail-biters to start the season, but the Mounties made short work of St. Louis Normandy on Friday night.
Sophomore quarterback Hunter Loyd threw for two touchdowns and ran for another in the first half as the Mounties improved to 3-0 with an easy 42-0 win over the winless Vikings to celebrate homecoming at Whitey Smith Stadium.
Rogers coach Mike Loyd said his team left nothing to chance, jumping to a 21-0 first-quarter lead and cruising past the Vikings, who dropped to 0-5.
“They had some good athletes, just enough to kinda worry you,” Loyd said. “Our defense is getting better. We made some plays and we did, we took care of business. We’re 3 and 0 with a young football team. I counted 12 or 13 sophomores and six or seven juniors out here.
“It’s good for your younger kids to get to play on Friday nights no matter what the circumstance. We got a lot of kids reps and a lot of kids deserve some reps. They’ve worked hard. I you can get them in under the lights, we’ve had back-to-back great crowds. They enjoy that atmosphere, too.”
Loyd connected for the first of two touchdown passes to senior Hunter Hawkins from 4 yards out on the opening drive. Junior Clay Workman cut outside to finish off the second drive with an 18-yard run. The Mounties pushed the lead to 21-0 in the first quarter after the first of three interceptions.
Sophomore defensive back Logan Watkins picked off Normandy quarterback Joseph Washington and returned it to the Vikings’ 1. Loyd sneaked it in for a three-touchdown lead with more than two minutes left in the opening quarter.
Loyd finished 7 of 11 passing for 121 yards and went to the bench late in the second quarter with the Mounties leading 35-0. Hawkins finished off the scoring by returning the second half kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown for his third score of the game.
The Mounties were able to establish the run in the first half more effectively, after being inconsistent in the first two weeks. Senior offensive lineman Dusty Schureman, the lone returner in a group that starts three sophomores, said he’s trying to be a leader and bring the young players along.
“All my pride has been in the young o-line this year, doing the best I can help them,” Schureman said. “If it’s a question they have or if it’s a missed assignment, it’s like ‘Hey, this is what you need to do and let’s get it corrected.’
Mounties running back/ receiver Colin McWhorter dressed out, but did not play after leaving last week’s game in the second half with a possible concussion. Loyd said he could have played, but preferred he’s 100 percent when Rogers begins 7A-West conference play next week at Springdale Har-Ber.
“It’s good for your younger kids to get to play on Friday nights no matter what the circumstance. We got a lot of kids reps and a lot of kids deserve some reps.”
— Rogers coach Mike Loyd