Harris, Tigers repel Reddies, win GAC title

ARKADELPHIA — Ouachita Baptist got more than bragging rights in the 91st Battle of the Ravine here Saturday.

The school’s third Great American Conference football championship came with the Tigers’ 49-42 victory over Henderson State at Cliff Harris Stadium.

Ouachita finished 9-2 and atop the league standings after defending GAC champion Harding beat co-leader Arkansas Tech in Russellville. Harding, with eight straight victories, and Arkansas Tech finished 8-3, the Bisons beating both OBU and Tech on the road after an 0-3 start.

Drew Harris scored all seven OBU touchdowns, four rushing and three receiving. He finished with

153 receiving yards and 58 rushing yards.

“He’s a motivator. He’s more than just a great football player; he’s a great young man,” said Tiger coach Todd Knight. “Coach (Jay) Derby and the offensive staff put him in position, but he’s a phenomenal player. He makes the plays. He gets it done.”

Ouachita never trailed in the game, leading 7-0 after Lucas Reed passed nine yards to Harris and Cole Antley kicked the point with 1:27 off the clock. Henderson made it 7-7 on Andrew Black’s 2-yard run and Julio Cervantes’ extra point, and Cobra Jones’

1-yard run and Cervantes’ kick pulled the Reddies even at 14.

Austin Warford’s touchdown passes of 58 and

38 yards to Harris regained the lead for OBU, the Tigers going up for good with 12:16 before halftime. Harris ran two yards for a score before Evan Lassiter’s two-yard pass to Darion Gray set the halftime score at 28-21.

Harris had third-quarter touchdown runs of 16 yards and 1 yard, then scored from two yards out for a 49-28 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Henderson, in a determined effort against its crosstown rival, stayed within one score at 35-28 on Blake Faulk’s 12-yard run and scored twice in the last 6:41. Jones went over from one yard and Black caught a six-yard touchdown pass from Lassiter, the latter on a 98-yard drive in 17 plays. Lassiter passed for 463 yards, Black with 10 catches for 131 yards.

But in pulling within 43-42-6 in the all-time series, Ouachita snapped Henderson’s NCAA Division II record of 31 straight road victories. Henderson, 1-4 at Carpenter-Haygood Stadium this year, finished

6-5.

Ouachita, with its first GAC title since 2014, learns its seeding for the NCAA Division II playoffs at 4 p.m. today, when the bracket is released. The Tigers have won five in a row, edging preseason GAC favorite Southern Arkansas 45-42 in Week 10.

“When you put it all together and do it all at the same time, it’s just amazing,” Knight said. “First of all, the Battle of the Ravine. It wouldn’t really matter if there was something else on it; it’s just fun to win that game. For these guys to come back after the two early losses (Southeastern Oklahoma and Harding) and go 9-2 and win the conference and now have a chance to go to the playoffs, it’s just a great feeling for the guys. They’re so deserving. The way they practice, the work they put into it off the field.”

Individual statistics

Passing

Henderson: Evan Lassiter 47-64-0 for 463 yards

(2 touchdowns). Ouachita: Austin Warford 17-20-0 for 232 yards (2 touchdowns). Lucas Reed 2-3-0 for

32 yards (1 touchdown).

Rushing

Henderson: Blake Faulk 12-55 (1 touchdown). Cobra Jones 7-21 (2 touchdowns). Ouachita: Drew Harris 16-58 (4 touchdowns). Kris Oliver 14-56. Receiving

Henderson: Andrew Black 10-131 (1 touchdown). Ben Johnson 10-86. Cobra Jones 5-61. John Murray

6-55. Darion Gray 6-47. Ouachita: Drew Harris 7-153

(3 touchdowns).

Attendance: 8,088.

Harding-Arkansas Tech

RUSSELLVILLE — Harding needed one drive and one stop, both in the fourth quarter, to deny Arkansas Tech a share of the conference title.

Terrence Dingle’s 30-yard quarterback keeper with 7:17 left stood up for a 24-17 Bison victory at Thone Stadium, defensive back Dra Smith collecting an interception on Tech’s final drive.

Harding entered the game at No. 8 in the D2 Super Region 3 rankings with Tech at No. 7. The top seven teams in the Super Region advance to the playoffs. If Harding is selected, the Bisons will likely travel for their first-round game. Tech will likely be the GAC representative in the Agent Barry Live United Bowl.

After Eric Perez missed a 46-yard field goal, Harding drove 71 yards in seven plays for the winning touchdown. Dingle carried 14 yards to the Tech

35 and got loose around right end on the scoring play. Senior offensive tackle Gavin De Los Santos (Lake Hamilton) recovered a Cole Chancey fumble in the end zone for Harding’s first touchdown of the game.

Ty Reasnor passed 16 yards to J.V. Davis for a Tech touchdown and ran five yards for a 14-7 Wonder Boy lead in the second quarter. Harding pulled within 14-10 at halftime and led 17-14 on Dingle’s five-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Perez kicked a tying field goal from 35 yards with 1:38 left in the period but later missed for only the second time this season.