Greenland tops Gentry in shootout

GREENLAND – In what resembled a classic heavyweight offensive slugfest, it was the Greenland Pirates who got to their feet one final time Friday in a state-record 76-71 victory over Gentry.

The 147 combined points is the most ever scored in a regulation high school football game in Arkansas history.

Greenland (3-0) was down to a fourth-and-9 desperation play at its own 28 with less than two minutes on the clock. Senior quarterback Austin Anderson completed a short out route to Jonas Mackey, who then spun and pitched to a trailing Chandler Alaniz on a hook-and-lateral play. Alaniz raced 67 yards to the Gentry 9 before Hayden Stout went around the left end for the game-winning touchdown to cap one of the wildest games in state history.

The teams also combined for 1,093 yards in total offense, with Greenland racking up 602 of those – 358 on the ground and 244 through the air.

Both offenses hit high gear early, blazing to a 21-21 deadlock in the first quarter, a sign of things to come.

Gentry quarterback Jon Faulkenberry had scoring runs of 28 and 4 in the opening stanza, as well as a 61-yard strike to Garrett Matthews. Faulkenberry finished with seven touchdown runs and 169 yards rushing on 23 carries.

Faulenberry also had touchdown runs of 51 and 68 called back by holding penalties.

Stout was one of the workhorses for Greenland, running for 189 yards on 16 carries, and three scores

After Gentry (2-1) took a 28-21 lead with 10 minutes, 37 seconds to play in the first half, Greenland put 28 unanswered points on the board in a span of 8:38, roaring to a 49-28 lead late in the third quarter.

Stout began the roll with a 78-yard touchdown run, followed by a 30-yard jaunt by Levi Vaughn. Seth Scott then picked off a Pioneer pass and returned in 60 yards to paydirt to put the Pirates in control.

The game looked like it would end in Gentry’s favor, when Faulkenberry scored from 15 yards out with 2:07 left in the game, making it 70-69. The Pioneers then decided to go for the lead rather than the tie, and Faulkenberry scored on the two-point conversion and a 71-70 lead.