Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Ouachita holds off Harding from the 1
OUACHITA BAPTIST 7, HARDING 3
SEARCY — The final score — Ouachita Baptist 7, Harding 3 — makes it sound like not much happened Saturday night at First Security Stadium.
But what this Great American Conference game lacked in offense, it certainly made up for with fourth-quarter drama.
OBU (6-0), the sixth-ranked team in Division II, overcame the first-half loss of its starting quarterback, Brayden Brazeal, drove 85 yards for the game’s only touchdown early in the fourth quarter, and then had to stop the Bisons after they drove to the Tigers’ 1 in the final seconds.
An illegal procedure penalty pushed Harding back to
the 6, out of running distance, and the Bisons’ fourth-down pass attempt sailed wide and out of the end zone to secure the victory for OBU.
“It was a heavyweight bout is what it was,” OBU defensive back Hayden Lassiter said. “People should have paid to see it.”
A crowd of 3,900 was on hand, and they were all on their feet in the closing seconds when Harding responded to OBU’s touchdown drive with a 14-play, 69-yard drive that consumed nine minutes and had the OBU defenders on their heels.
“There’s nothing good-feeling about it,” Lassiter said. “We just knew we had to keep playing.”
Harding had fourth and goal at the 1, and fullback Cole Chancey crashed into the end zone for what appeared to be the winning touchdown, but there was a flag in the backfield.
An illegal motion penalty moved it back to the 6, and when quarterback Preston Paden rolled to his right, he couldn’t find a Bisons receiver to throw to.
“It’s a super tough loss,” Harding Coach Paul Simmons said. “But our guys fought like crazy.”
Harding (4-2), which came into the game as the No. 19 team in Division II, dominated the game statistically and for most of three quarters.
The Bisons, who led 3-0 at halftime, held the ball for the first 14 plays and 8:15 of the third quarter, but there was a mishandled snap on first and goal at the OBU 6, and the Tigers had new life.
OBU didn’t move the ball on its next drive, but when the Tigers got the ball back at the outset of the fourth quarter, they drove 85 yards in 12 plays, taking up 5:26, with Shun’cee Thomas going the final 19 yards for the game’s only touchdown with 9:22 to play.
Harding dominated time of possession (40:21-19:39) and total yards (308-176), but its only score came on Cameron Scott’s 19-yard field goal with 10:12 to play in the half, the culmination of a 16-play, 76-yard drive that consumed 9:10, the only sustained offensive movement by either team.
The big play on the drive was Simmons’ decision to go for a first down on fourth and 1 from the OBU 42 at the outset of the second quarter.
Chancey’s 6-yard run put Harding on the OBU 36, and the Bisons grinded it out until they faced another fourth and 1 at the OBU 2.
Simmons called on Scott this time, and he kicked a 19yard field goal to put Harding up 3-0.
The teams combined for 5 first downs and 67 total yards in the first quarter that included one 6-yard completion from redshirt freshman quarterback Brazeal to Harris, Brazeal’s only completion of the first half.
Brazeal left after the second series, with ice on his right hand, and Harris took over from that point, with OBU trying to move the ball in a Wildcat attack.
Backup quarterback Caleb Salisbury took over late in the second quarter and never attempted a pass despite dropping back on two occasions.
Harding outgained OBU 31-6 in passing yards and outrushed the Tigers 131-38 in the first half.
There were 10 punts in the first half, with Jake Ford averaging 43.8 yards on 6 attempts, with one dropping inside the Harding 20.
SOUTHERN ARKANSAS 21, SOUTHERN NAZARENE 16
Junior defensive back Stacy Lawrence intercepted a pass with 1:00 remaining to help unbeaten Southern Arkansas University escape with a victory over pesky Southern Nazarene at Wilkins Stadium in Magnolia.
Southern Nazarene (1-5) scored with 6:57 remaining when Gage Porter hit Jacoby Hicks for a 27-yard touchdown, but the final two Crimson Storm drives ended with turnovers.
Sophomore linebacker Kobe McDonald recovered a Southern Nazarene fumble with 6:04 left. Southern Nazarene started its final drive on its own 8 with 1:31 remaining and ended two plays later with Lawrence’s interception.
Senior quarterback Barrett Renner completed 11 of 18 passes for 215 yards, including a 53-yard scoring pass to senior Kile Pletcher for Southern Arkansas. Sophomore Lorenzo Alexander ran for 81 yards and scored on runs of 4 and 1 yards.
Jaidon Parrish led the Muleriders (6-0) in receiving after catching four passes for 81 yards.
Anthony Washington made two sacks, and DaVondrick Lison was in on eight tackles for the Muleriders.
HENDERSON STATE 56, OKLAHOMA BAPTIST 21
Junior running backs Querale Hall and Logan Moragne combined to rush for 340 yards, and the Reddies used a 28-point second quarter to crush the Bison at Carpenter-Haygood Stadium in Arkadelphia.
Hall ran 15 times for 173 yards, scoring on runs of 3 and 63 yards. Moragne rushed 15 times for 167 yards, which included a 53-yard TD run.
Tied at 7-7 after one quarter, the Reddies (3-3) scored three touchdowns in the first five minutes of the second quarter to put the game away. Henderson led 35-7 at the half.
The Reddies outgained the Bison 599304 in total yards, including a 383-87 advantage on the ground.
Junior Richard Stammetti threw three touchdown passes for the Reddies, completing 17 of 29 passes for 206 yards. Ben Johnson led Henderson’s receivers with eight receptions for 71 yards. Stammetti’s TD passes went to John Murray for 19 yards, Chase Lodree for 38 yards and Doug Johnson for 6 yards.
Freshman defensive back Shane Sanders gave Henderson a 7-0 lead 40 seconds into the game with a 30-yard interception return.
Oklahoma Baptist (2-4) quarterback Preston Haire completed 16 of 45 passes for 217 yards and 2 TDs, but he was intercepted 3 times.
ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO 34, ARKANSAS TECH 16
Cole Sears passed for a touchdown and ran for another, and freshman cornerback Jimel London intercepted two passes — one of which he returned 68 yards for a touchdown — as the Boll Weevils topped the Wonder Boys at Buerkle Field in Russellville.
Leading 3-0, London intercepted Carter Burcham’s pass and returned it for the University of Arkansas-Monticello’s first touchdown with 14:19 remaining in the first half.
Arkansas Tech (2-4) closed to within 10-7 with 9:57 left before halftime on a 41-yard run by Bryan Allen, but the Boll Weevils (2-4) scored the next 24 points to put the game away.
Sears completed 20 of 33 passes for 220 yards. He tossed a 10-yard TD pass to junior Jeremy Hampton with 5:33 remaining before halftime to give the Boll Weevils a 17-7 lead.
Hampton also scored on a 34-yard run in the third quarter, and Josh Marini connected on field goals of 35 and 34 yards.
Allen ran 22 times for 127 yards. Terrez Hampton caught five passes for 102 yards for Arkansas Tech.
UAM outgained Tech 360-327 and controlled the ball for more than 39 minutes.
Christian Jefferson also had an interception for the Boll Weevils.