Wolverines advance

Slade Pearson’s interception set up a late score as Bentonville West beat Conway 31-17 in the Class 7A playoffs.

GREENWOOD — When you play Greenwood, you had better take advantage of your opportunities or the Bulldogs will make you pay.

Searcy missed a field goal that could have tied the game in the second quarter, and then Greenwood ran off 21 points in a seven-minute span en route to a 35-0 Class 6A quarterfinal win Friday at Smith-Robinson Stadium.

The Bulldogs (10-1) will face Sylvan Hills next week in the semifinals with a shot at a fourth straight 6A championship game appearance. This is the 13th time in Rick Jones’ 15 years at Greenwood that his team has been to the state semifinals.

Offensively, the Bulldogs gained 501 total yards. Quarterback Peyton Holt scored two touchdowns and threw for two more. Grant Ennis also booted two field goals for the Bulldogs, who have won 10 straight games since a season-opening loss to Fort Smith Northside.

“When (Holt) has the ball in his hands, he makes great things happen,” Jones said.

The Greenwood defense held Searcy to 165 total yards, including -21 yards rushing that included six sacks.

“(Searcy) were forced to play one-dimensional with (back Max Vickery) not playing,” Jones said. “We are pretty good against one-dimensional offenses. I was proud of the way our secondary played tonight.”

Greenwood was seemingly clinging to a 3-0 lead early in the second quarter when the Lions marched from their 14 to a first-and-goal at the Bulldog 3. Three plays later, Searcy attempted to settle for a 21-yard field goal on the right hash from Peyton Wright. The kick stayed right and was no good.

“When you have a drive like that, you want to finish with points. That was a big turning point,” Searcy coach Mark Kelley said. “At that point, we felt like we’re handling them up front. After that, their defensive line really cranked it up.”

From that point on, it was all Bulldogs.

Greenwood went to the running game and marched 80 yards in four plays, capped by Holt’s 55-yard keeper for a 10-0 Bulldog lead. Holt led the Bulldogs with 138 rushing yards on 15 carries.

“Our offensive line really got physical with them (in the second quarter). They got after ’em,” Jones said. “They were moving them backwards, and that made a huge difference.”

After the defense forced a 3-and-out, Greenwood went on the march with a 71-yard, 7-play drive capped by a Holt 4-yard keeper for a 17-0 lead with 5:36 left in the second quarter.

Another 3-and-out led to one last score before halftime when Holt hit Marc Jones on a screen pass for a 21-yard touchdown with 1:25 left in the half. Just like that, Greenwood led Searcy 24-0.

An Ennis field goal in the third quarter and Holt’s 48-yard bomb to Aaron Ohl on the second play of the fourth quarter made the Bulldog lead 35-0.