Ozark runs over Warren

OZARK — A third-quarter explosion propelled Ozark to the Class 4A quarterfinals.

The Hillbillies scored 27 unanswered points in the quarter to seize control of the game and cruise to a 41-17 win over Warren Friday night.

Ozark (11-1), the No. 1 seed from the 4A-4 Conference will host Pea Ridge, a 21-14 winner over Star City, at Hillbilly Stadium next week in the quarterfinals. Pea Ridge is the No. 2 seed from the 4A-1.

“We’re thankful to be playing next week,” Ozark coach Jeremie Burns said. “With all the injuries we have had and all of the sophomores we had to play, this is big to be playing on Thanksgiving.”

With four minutes left in the first half, the Hillbillies trailed the Lumberjacks 177. Ozark then scored on five of its next six possessions with the lone non-scoring drives being a kneel-down to end the first half. Quarterback Ryker Martin, who replaced injured starter Harper Faulkenberry, rushed for 163 yards and 3 touchdowns and Eli Munnerlyn added 151 yards, 2 touchdowns that fueled the Hillbilly rally.

The Hillbillies also recovered two fumbles on kickoffs in the third quarter and both led to touchdowns that blew the game open.

“Those turnovers were huge for us,” Burns said. “We ran the ball well in the second half and we made some adjustments on defense and played better (in the second half).”

Warren (10-2) also failed to capitalize on two scoring possessions in the second half.

“We thought we had some chances and just missed on them,” Lumberjack coach Bo Hembree said. “We couldn’t score and that concerned me. We played well in the first half, but we didn’t get the ball in the end zone when we had chances. It just was not our night.”

In the first half, Warren controlled the ball for more than 15 minutes in building a 17-14 lead. Vincent Steppes finished the half with 126 yards on 17 carries and a score. He also set up Cedric Calvert’s 1-yard touchdown run with a 41-yard run the play before for a 17-7 lead.

Martin cut the Lumberjacks’ lead to 17-14 on a 25-yard keeper with 2:53 left in the first half.

On Ozark’s first possession of the third quarter, Munnerlyn scored on a 52-yard handoff off right tackle to give the Hillbillies a 21-17 lead. That was Ozark’s first lead since 7-3 in the first quarter.

Warren tried to answer, getting inside the Hillbilly 30. The Ozark defense stiffened, however, and a fourth-down pass came up short of a first down.

The Hillbillies then marched 74 yards in 9 plays, capped by an 11-yard touchdown by Munnerlyn for a 27-7 lead with 3:58 left in the third quarter.

Then came the Warren kickoff miscues as both lost fumbles led to Martin touchdowns of 5 and 12 yards to put the game away.

FOUR DOWNS

• Ozark scored the final 34 points of the game, including a 27-point third quarter.

• In the third quarter, the Hillbillies recovered two fumbled kickoffs by Warren.

• Ozark rushed for 345 yards and had two backs rush for more than 100 yards – quarterback Ryker Martin (163 yards, 3 touchdowns) and running back Eli Munnerlyn (151 yards, 2 TDs).

• Next week: Ozark (11-1) will host Pea Ridge (8-4), the second seed from the 4A-1, in the quarterfinals. Pea Ridge defeated Star City 21-14.