Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
McClain tosses six TDs as Elkins eases past Greenland
ELKINS — Despite temperatures dipping down into the upper 30s at John Bunch Field Friday night, it didn’t take long for Elkins quarterback Quinn McClain to heat up.The 6-foot-2 sophomore completed 17 of his 24 passes for 271 yards and six touchdowns before taking a seat midway through the third quarter in a 50-21 blowout victory over rival Greenland in 3A-1 Conference action.
McClain admitted that he didn’t have a good week of practice, but was able to lead the Elks to touchdowns on their first three possessions.
“Greenland is our big rival, so we knew we were going to have to have some intensity coming in, and we were able to do that,” McClain said. “And we knew that we were probably going to pass it a lot. The receivers just ran good routes and were able to get open.”
Chance Jones got Elkins (7-2, 5-1 3A-1) on the scoreboard first with a 30-yard run less than three minutes into the game. McClain hit Chad Graham for the successful 2-point conversion to give the Elks an 8-0 lead.
Caston Fields then picked off a Greenland pass at the Pirates 37. The ensuing fiveplay drive ended with McClain connecting with Camren Dunn on a 14-yard strike in the end zone to make it 14-0.
“We knew that Greenland was really well-coached and that they were going to come in here and play hard,” Elkins coach Chad Harbison said, “We knew we would have to play well to win, and we just challenged our kids this week to get off to a good start.
“Tonight, things kind of clicked and we were able to get that early lead, and that really helped us.”
Greenland (5-4, 2-4) did strike back with an 11-play drive late in the first quarter, with Zaylyn Bryant getting the Pirates on the board with a 5-yard run.
McClain then completed the first of his four second-quarter touchdown passes, a 2-yard hitch to Chad Graham, who proved to be the biggest target all night. The speedy Graham hauled in six passes for 99 yards.
“He’s good, fast and was able to make some big plays for us,” McClain said of Graham.
Hunter Cartwright’s 4-yard run got Greenland back within eight points, until Elkins used a perfectly timed flea-flicker — with McClain hitting Dunn for a 34-yard TD — put the Elks comfortably in front 30-14 with 6:41 left in the first half.
Dunn finished with five receptions for 78 yards.
McClain continued to spread the ball around, as he hit Jones out of the backfield for a 36-yard scoring strike. He then connected once again with Graham on a 28-yard completion to give the Elks a commanding 4414 advantage at the intermission.
“We were able to spread it around out there tonight,” Harbison said. “We try to approach it a little different every week, so we are not so predictable. And we have several guys that step up for us.”
McClain’s final pass of the night was a 7-yard touchdown pass to Layne Evans with 7:09 left in the third quarter, making it 50-14.
Harbison was thrilled to see his young quarterback take control of the game early and continue to thrive.
“He’s kind of been a secret,” the coach said with a chuckle. “I don’t think people realize how good he is. He’s big, strong, smart and can throw the ball. He’s just a great kid and a student of the game.
“Now he’s young, and makes some of those youngkid mistakes, but he’s a special one. I’m just glad he’s on our side.”
Greenland quarterback Austin Anderson connected with Jonas Mackey for a 10-yard Pirate touchdown, finishing 10 of 22 on the night for 65 yards.
Elkins tallied 359 yards of total offense, while holding Greenland to just 130.
“Once we settled down and made a couple of adjustments, our defense played really well,” Harbison said. “They keep getting better every week, and that’s what we need to do.”