Chapel QB poses major threat to Troy
Hot Springs has nowhere to go but up when it hosts Watson Chapel tonight at Reese Memorial Stadium in the 5A-South opener for both teams.
The Trojans lost 41-3 to visiting Arkadelphia last week when, coach Chris Vereen said, “we really didn’t do anything well, to be honest.”
Hot Springs (0-3) surrendered an 80-yard touchdown from Cannon Turner to Logan Lucas on the first play from scrimmage, Arkadelphia going up 31-3 by halftime. Lucas also threw a touchdown pass in the second quarter while the Trojans managed just 135 yards and four first downs.
After struggling to contain Turner and Lucas, Hot Springs can expect a challenge from Watson Chapel quarterback Jakobi Jackson. Also an all-state outfielder for the baseball Wildcats, Jackson completed nine of 12 passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns in Watson Chapel’s 52-32 loss at Warren.
Limiting Jackson’s big plays is a must for the Trojan defense tonight after the junior accounted for both scores in last season’s 14-7 win over Hot Springs.
F. Lake-Robinson
On paper, tonight’s meeting between Fountain Lake and Joe T. Robinson is a battle of David versus Goliath with the 0-3 Cobras going on the road against the 3-0 Senators in western Pulaski County.
Fountain Lake trailed by just a touchdown in the first quarter last week against Smackover, but that deficit grew to 22-7 at halftime. Frustration mounted for the Cobras in the second half as the team committed 11 penalties in the 36-21 loss.
Coach Tommy Gilleran said he understands their frustration, but promised consequences if the personal fouls continue to be a problem.
“We’re going to punish kids if we have to,” Gilleran said. “Hopefully when guys start missing time on the field, they’ll realize that we’re not going to play around with those penalties and we won’t have to worry about it moving forward.”
Gilleran was pleased with his team’s rushing performance, led by sophomore Andrew Roberson’s 138 yards and three touchdowns. Coupled with the passing ability of quarterback Hunter Bryant that’s been on display with 479 yards and three touchdowns through the first three games, Gilleran said his offense is firing on all cylinders.
“Our offensive line has been coming together over the last couple weeks and it’s really been the difference for us on offense,” said Gilleran. “When you have balance, the defense can’t take one thing away. With our running game stepping up for us last week, we really think we’re starting to get that balance on offense.”
Led by quarterback Hunter Eskola and receiver Koilan Jackson, the Senators have one of the most potent offenses in Class 4A with an average of nearly 50 points per game. Eskola tossed three touchdowns in Robinson’s 42-0 win over Baptist Prep, giving him 13 for the season while Jackson has totaled 13 catches for 293 yards and three touchdowns.
“It’s going to be hard, but we have to put them in a predicament where they start pressing on offense,” Gilleran said. “We know they can score and they can score fast, so we have to do our best to limit big plays and try to avoid putting our defense in tough situations.”
Hooten’s Arkansas Football lists the Senators as a 28-point favorite and Gilleran knows his team must do everything right to prevail.
“No penalties, no turnovers and long, extended drives are a must for us,” he said. “We have to keep their offense off the field and put points on the board when we have the chance. If we start going three-and-out, it could be a long night for us.”
Jessieville-Bismarck
After a forfeit by Mountain Pine and a loss to Mount Ida, Jessieville got its first official win of the T.J. Burk era last week in a 47-0 rout of Two Rivers that was shortened to less than three full quarters because of inclement weather.
Quarterback Adam Saveall completed six of eight passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns, adding another score on the ground while Ruben de Haas led the Lions with two catches for 69 yards and three total touchdowns.
Ricky Owens had a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter to set the final margin, one of two turnovers forced by the Lions.
Jessieville (2-1) hosts Bismarck tonight in its homecoming and a 3A-5 opener, the visiting Lions coming off a 40-21 loss to Cutter Morning Star to send them to 0-3. Skyler Chectos completed seven of 15 passes for 129 yards with two total touchdowns in the loss and Zaine Umer led Bismarck with 103 yards rushing on 16 carries.