Zebras scamper past Hurricane to another final

PINE BLUFF 35, JONESBORO 24

JONESBORO — Bobby Bolding’s Pine Bluff football team was clinging to a four-point lead in the fourth quarter and had just been hit with a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

Bolding didn’t agree with the call, which had been given to his defensive line for clapping to imitate the snap count, and trusted his team enough to express his feelings. When his comments to officials drew another 15-yard penalty to put Jonesboro on the Pine Bluff 26, the Zebras responded by forcing a turnover on downs, then tacked on one final touchdown and escaped Cooksey-Johns Field with a 35-24 victory to advance to next Friday’s Class 6A final at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

“I knew our kids would get my back on that penalty,” Bolding said. “I knew they would bow up and get my back. I wasn’t worried about it.”

Pine Bluff (9-3), which will play in its third consecutive Class 6A final on Friday in Little Rock, gave up 335 yards rushing and 476 yards total to Jonesboro, but twice came up with key stops when clinging to a 28-24 lead.

The Zebras jumped to a 22-3 lead when they ended their first three drives with a 37-yard Romar Reades run; a 70-yard pass from Ladarius Skelton, who had 307 yards of total offense, to Tyran Simmons; and a 19-yard Reades’ run.

But Jonesboro got back into the game with a 16-yard pass from Carson Coats to Jonathan Adams to make it 22-10 at halftime. Then, in the third quarter, Darren Veasley’s 39-yard run got the Hurricane (9-3) within 22-17. After Pine Bluff’s Kentorious White capped a 70-yard drive with a 2-yard run to make it 28-17, Coats found Ke’dren Brunson over the middle for a 38-yard score to make it 28-24.

Jonesboro then forced a punt and got the ball on its own 24 early in the fourth quarter. Veasley, Brian Mitchell and Deavion Binion, who combined for 273 yards rushing, moved the Hurricane to their own 44, where they faced a fourth-and-1.

That’s when Pine Bluff was hit with its first personal foul penalty that put Jonesboro on the Pine Bluff 41. Then Bolding was called for a penalty to put Jonesboro on the Pine Bluff 26. But the Hurricane couldn’t do much with the gifts. They were called for a delay of game, then Coats ran for 10 yards, and threw incomplete second and third downs from the Pine Bluff 21. On fourthand-5, Binion was stopped for a 1-yard gain to turn it over on downs.

Skelton then followed with a 27-yard run to put it away and send the Zebras to another state title game.

Pine Bluff lost to El Dorado last season and in 2009 and to Greenwood in 2012. A victory would be the Zebras’ first state title since 1995.

“Glad to be back,” Bolding said. “Hopefully third time’s a charm.”

Of his team’s missed chance, Jonesboro Coach Randy Coleman said, “The kids fought hard the whole game. I didn’t think there was any sort of feeling of let down for them. More than anything, just a feeling of let down for myself. I’ve got to make better calls right there.”