Opening KO sets tone in East all-star romp
CONWAY — The West all-stars were knocked off balance on the opening kickoff Friday night and never recovered.
Kendriel Johnson’s 87-yard return for a touchdown with only 13 seconds off the clock foreshadowed the East’s 55-14 rout in the Arkansas High School Coaches Association all-star football game at Estes Stadium.
Hampton’s Monta Thomas scored three touchdowns in the concluding event of all-star week at the University of Central Arkansas.
“To be honest, when you’re playing in an all-star game, you expect the ball to be going into the end zone,” said East head coach Randy Coleman of Jonesboro. “When you’re playing with the new balls like we played with tonight, it’s hard for those kickers to really kick it well. When they kicked it to Kendriel, coach (Gunnar) Wilbanks designed a really good return. When he got the sideline, it was left up to the kicker, and we like that matchup.”
The West went three-and-out in an opening possession that a lightning delay sent players to the locker room and fans to their vehicles for nearly 45 minutes.
Once play resumed, the East offense set the tone, driving 58 yards for a score, and the rout was on.
Warren’s Hayden Lassiter passed eight yards to Thomas for a touchdown, and Bryant’s Hayden Ray kicked it to 14-0 with 8:21 left in the first quarter.
“The opening kickoff was really tough on us,” said West head coach Billy Dawson, now at Fayetteville after coaching Russellville to the Class 6A title. “They did a good job jumping on us and kinda put it away early. We never got in sync. We moved the ball a little bit but couldn’t score. When the field condensed with those athletes, it’s tough to score.”
Lakeside’s Caleb Dean caught the ensuing kickoff but was stripped of the ball, the East recovering at the West 32. After a short run, Lassiter found Jonesboro’s Jonathan Adams Jr. for 28 yards and a 21-0 lead with 7:25 on the first-period clock.
“He’s used to winning,” Coleman said of Lassiter. “When you’re the quarterback in Warren, you expect to win. He came in all week long, provided some really good leadership. We didn’t quite get everything that we wanted to get in as far as offense, but what we did get in, he had full control of it and executed it well.”
The West averted a shutout when Camden Fairview’s Chris Hargraves found a hole and broke free for 40 yards, Vilonia’s Bryce Garrison kicking
the extra point.
Lassiter later passed six yards to Jonesboro’s Jakaylen Jackson for a touchdown and Sylvan Hills’ Jordan Washington found Thomas from 11 yards out for the score that, with 10:03 left in the game, set the final margin.
The West’s other score came on Russsellville quarterback Cale Fulsom’s 19-yard pass to Hadley Gregg in the third quarter, making it 48-14.
The all-star game has been dominated by the West in recent years, but Coleman praised the East athletes.
“That’s a testament to the kids,” Coleman said. “I told them in the huddle it was an honor to be with them this week, and I really mean that. We had a bunch of really good players that when you get them the ball in space they can make plays and make people miss. I don’t think it was any great schemes, it was just a bunch of great players and playing really well.”
Dawson had positive things to say about Dean and Lakeside and West teammate Ethan Eye.
“Dean was our camper of the week,” he said. “He’s a great kid, a great football player. He’ll be successful at Arkansas State. The Eye kid, offensive lineman, he’ll do a good job at Arkansas Tech. Really good kids, classy character kids.”
For the East, Lassiter was
9-15 passing for 117 yards and three touchdowns, Washington was four of seven with one interception for 91 yards and Thomas, voted the game’s MVP completed his only pass for 33 yards.
For the West, Fulsom was
16 of 28 with one interception for 160 yards and one touchdown, and England’s Brayden Brazeal was six of nine for 25 yards. Dean had three receptions for six yards, returned a punt for eight yards and returned five kickoffs for 118 yards