Magnet Cove starts season with road win against 3A team

MOUNTAIN VIEW — Magnet Cove began its 2018 regular season in pursuit of a 2A-5 conference title with a 28-18 road win Friday against a playoff team in Class 3A.

Mountain View (0-1) finished the 2017 season with a 3-8 record and a 3-4 record in the 3A-2 conference. The Yellowjackets exited the first round of the playoffs, 38-14, at Charleston, but picked up a forfeit victory from Earle.

Magnet Cove (1-0) finished the 2017 regular season in a threeway tie atop the 2A-5, but entered the playoffs as the conference’s No. 3 seed. The Panthers began the season with a strong showing Friday in pursuit of an outright 2A-5 championship.

The Panthers forced the Yellowjackets to punt on the opening possession of the game, taking over on their own 30-yard line. Senior running back Eli Dawson, 1,436 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns a year ago, capped off the 70-yard scoring drive with a 15-yard rushing touchdown. An extra point kick by junior Alex Ordonez put the visitors up, 7-0.

The score held until the second quarter when Mountain View junior Tim Curran scored from one yard out. The visitors held the lead after a failed 2-point attempt attempt.

Magnet Cove answered on the next drive. Senior running back Trenton Robinson scored on a 16-yard touchdown to extend the Panthers’ lead. They led, 14-6, following another point after by Ordonez.

The Panthers took the 14-6 lead into halftime and quickly pounced again early in the second half. Robinson scored again on a six-yard rushing touchdown early in the third quarter. Another kick by Ordonez gave Magnet Cove a 21-6 lead.

A four-yard rushing touchdown by Mountain View cut into the lead in the fourth quarter. The margin remained, 21-12, after a second failed 2-point attempt.

The Panthers punished the hosts again on the next drive. Sophomore Landon Stone notched the visiting team’s final touchdown of the night on a 48-yard run with two minutes remaining in the game. Ordonez’s fourth extra point kick set Magnet Cove’s final tally.

Mountain View added a final rushing touchdown late in the game and failed on a third 2-point try, setting the final score.

Friday’s game was held during the Arkansas Activities Association’s Week 0, which was built into the schedule with schools across the state starting the fall semester earlier than usual.

Magnet Cove is scheduled to be off this week, Week 1, before playing the team’s second game of the season on Sept. 7 at home against Atkins (1-0), a member of the 3A-4 conference. The Red Devils opened the season with a dominant 43-13 victory on Friday on the road against Hector (0-1).