Dardanelle’s late rally stuns Gentry
GENTRY — In a game that was much closer than last season’s opener, Dardanelle had to come from behind in the fourth quarter, then halt a late Gentry threat to secure a 17-14 victory in nonconference action between the two Class 4A schools Friday night at Pioneer Stadium.
The Sand Lizards had little trouble with Gentry in Dardanelle to kick off the 2018 season, streaking to a 38-12 win. But 2019 proved to be a different story for the revamped Pioneers.
Dardanelle (1-0) scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 1-yard dive by Blake Chambers with 4 minutes, 18 seconds to play. Then free safety Brandon Bunton picked off a Pioneer pass at the Sand Lizard 25 with 2:06 remaining to secure the win.
“That was a very tight game the whole way, and I’m just extremely proud of our kids that they didn’t give up,” said Sand Lizards coach Phil Vega. “Gentry really came out and gave us all we could handle tonight. They are going to be all right going into the future.”
After holding Dardanelle to just three plays on the game’s opening drive, Gentry’s offense wasted little time in striking first. Senior quarterback Brandon Atwood maneuvered the Pioneers on a nine-play drive by completing all three of his passes and running the ball three times for 63 yards, including a 51-yard jaunt around the left end for a touchdown midway through the first quarter.
Dardanelle came right back with a 14-play drive, covering 68 yards, capped by quarterback Jordan Metcalf’s 4-yard run to give the Sand Lizards a 7-6 advantage at the end of the first quarter.
Gentry (0-1) opened the second half with a spirited effort, needing just five plays to go 65 yards for the go-ahead score. Atwood connected with Beau Tomblin on a 23-yard hook-up to move the ball into Dardanelle territory. He then kept the ball on a scamper up the middle of the field for a 34-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion run by Zach Jarnagan put the Pioneers back on top 14-7 with 8:57 left in the third.
“The Atwood kid is a heck of an athlete, he really gets after it,” Vega said. “Trying to keep him hemmed in was really a chore.”
The senior captain completed 11 of 18 passes for 113 yards while rushing 25 times for 176 yards. Still, he deflected all of the credit to his offensive line, particularly three starting sophomores up front, Lucas Guinn, Aiden Whitehead and Isaiah “Twinkie” Freeman.
“Those three sophomores and our whole Oline worked their butts off tonight,” Atwood said. “All the credit for what I did tonight goes to them.”
Sand Lizard kicker Marlon Caballero booted a 37-yard field goal late in the third quarter to cut the lead to 14-10. Metcalf then engineered a 71-yard drive midway through the fourth quarter with the help of tailback Blake Chambers, who completed the drive with the 1-yard plunge.
Gentry moved into Sand Lizard territory on the final drive, only to have it thwarted by Bunton’s pick in the middle of the field.
“Jordan Metcalf made plays for us all night, but no play was bigger than the interception at the end by Brandon Bunton,” Vega said. “That was a huge relief. Anytime you can go on the road and find a way to win that’s all that matters.”
Four downs
• Dardanelle outgained Gentry in total offense, 328-289.
• Metcalf was the spark for the Sand Lizards offense all night long, completing 8 of 17 passes for 77 yards and running the ball 17 times for 118 yards.
• Chambers carried the ball six times for 56 yards on Dardanelle’s decisive drive.
• Gentry will host Huntsville next Friday night, while Dardanelle hosts Charleston.