Fountain Lake holds on in thriller
FOUNTAIN LAKE — In a battle of the No. 2 and No. 3 teams in the 8-man 4A-3A conference, Fountain Lake came out with a 41-34 win over Subiaco Academy.
The Cobras (5-1) and Trojans (3-3) traded blows in the first quarter, ending the first 12 minutes of the game in a 14-14 tie.
The Fountain Lake offense put up 13 points in the second quarter while the Cobra defense held strong, and the home team went into halftime with a 27-14 lead.
Subiaco Academy stayed in the game, putting up six points in the third quarter and holding Fountain Lake scoreless.
Setting up a tight contest in the final 12 minutes, the teams each scored 14 points in the fourth to set the final.
Fountain Lake starter Abe Rose shared time with Destyn Fields at the quarterback position. Rose went 11-for-18 passing for 130 yards and three touchdowns. However, Rose also threw four interceptions. Fields finished 13-of-17 passing for 137 yards and a touchdown.
Juan Diggs continued his spectacular season with 127 rushing yards on five carries. Diggs also added 130 receiving yards on nine receptions.
Running back Abram Davis carried the ball 10 times for 63 yards, and Evan East had nine receptions for 69 yards.
Fountain Lake’s schedule does not get any easier. The Cobras faced the No. 2 team Friday night and will travel to Mountain View next, the No. 1 team in the conference.
MALVERN BEATS NO. 1 TEAM
MALVERN — The Leopards went into Friday night’s matchup with No. 1 Ashdown as the No. 5 team in Class 4A, and Malvern flexed its muscle in a 48-21 win over the Panthers.
The Leopards (5-1, 2-0 4A-7) jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and led 34-14 at halftime. Malvern extended its lead to 48-14 in the third quarter before Ashdown (5-1, 1-1) set the final in the fourth.
Malvern only has three home games this season be
cause of teams that dropped out of the league for 8-man football, and the Ashdown game was also homecoming night for the Leopards.
“It was a great atmosphere for high school football,” Malvern head coach J.D. Plumlee said. “Stadium was packed. Standing room only. Our kids rose to the challenge from the opening kickoff. We kicked off to them. Their opening play we stuffed them in the backfield, caused a fumble, picked it up and we never looked back. It was a great night for us.”
The Leopards did not seem fazed by the hype.
“I thought our kids handled everything really, really well,” Plumlee said. “Handled the big time atmosphere. You’re always kind of concerned about how your guys will respond to a packed stadium and all the hype leading up to it and all the media coverage and the cameras that were there. I thought our guys, once the ball was kicked off, just locked in and we had a good night.”
Malvern quarterback Cedric Simmons went 8-of-10 passing for 152 yards and two scores. Simmons also carried the ball 13 times for 94 yards.
Malvern went up by 34 points at one phase in the game, and Simmons could have had an even bigger night if not for some conservative play calling to close out the contest.
“So there in the second half, especially the last quarter and a half, I was playing to get the game over,” Plumlee said. “He could have thrown probably for another 150 yards if we kept throwing it. He was just on last night. His receivers, Dyelon Caradine and Donta Cagle, man had some explosive plays for him. They caught the ball really well in some tight windows. You know Ashdown is super athletic.”
Leopards running back Jalen Dupree tallied 170 yards and five scores on 32 carries.
“With (Simmons) healthy and Jalen Dupree healthy and our offensive line, either one of those guys back there could’ve carried it any given night,” Plumlee said. “Jalen Dupree has continued to kind of take most of the load running the ball for us right now. But Ced really had a big third quarter for us that really kind of sparked us.”
Cagle only had two receptions on the night but registered 81 yards and a score. Caradine finished with four receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown.
After the big win, Plumlee is not letting his team look too far into the future or get too carried away. The Leopards still have Mena, Nashville and a very enticing showdown with Arkadelphia left on the schedule.
“We have a midnight rule,” Plumlee said. “If we win on Friday night, or we lose on Friday night, you’ve got until midnight to get over it and move on. Everybody woke up this morning and I sent out a message that it’s a new week. Our goal is to be 1-0. Last night’s over with. I’m proud of you, but now we’ve got to get ready for Mena.”
JUNIOR RAMS BLANK TEXARKANA
TEXARKANA — The Lakeside junior high football team kept its perfect season alive when the Rams beat Texarkana 34-0.
With 4:27 to play in the first quarter, Beau Brock tallied a 15yard touchdown rush for a 6-0 lead. Brock then scored again, this time on a 16-yard carry with 1:38 left in the first quarter.
Wally Wolcott connected with Ajay Burns for the two-point conversion, giving the junior Rams a 14-0 lead. A Kavan Morgan interception led to a 13-yard touchdown carry for Darnell Osburn.
Leading 20-0, Wolcott found Drew Morgan on a 20-yard touchdown reception for a 26-0 Lakeside edge at halftime.
Brock set the final when he scored on a 53-yard touchdown carry and then ran in the two-point conversion with 4:03 left in the third quarter.
“Our kids played hard and we are proud of them,” Lakeside junior high head coach Chris Brock said. “Our offensive line consisting of Jagger Janske, Tucker Arnold, Matthew Miller, Cannon Martin and Tucker Young were very good tonight. We just want our guys to play for each other and keep getting better.”
Beau Brock finished with nine touches for 145 yards and three touchdowns. Young, Luke Wrublesky and Logan Downen tallied six tackles each.
Wolcott went 7-of-10 passing for 161 yards and a touchdown. Morgan finished with 101 yards and a score on four receptions. Lakeside (7-0, 4-0) plays Hope Thursday with a chance to clinch the conference championship.
The eighth grade Rams beat Texarkana 30-6. Lakeside scored early when Emerson Collins connected with Quardarius Jackson for a 13-yard score.
Ahead 6-0, Jackson reeled in another pass from Collins, this time for a 37-yard touchdown. Ethan Hornbeck ran in for the two-point conversion.
With Lakeside leading 14-6 and 5:57 to play in the fourth quarter, Collins kept it himself for a 10-yard touchdown run. Collins then found Peter Ohman for the two-point conversion and a 22-6 advantage.
Hornbeck scored on a 5-yard carry with 4:00 left in the game, and Collins ran in the two-point conversion to set the final. The eighth grade Rams improved to 7-0 and 4-0 in conference with the win.
-Lakeside junior high head coach Chris Brock