Episcopal passes Mayflower’s test, advances

EPISCOPAL COLLEGIATE 47,

MAYFLOWER 34

MAYFLOWER — Episcopal Collegiate survived a tough test from Mayflower on Friday night, holding on to win 47-34 in a 3A state quarterfinal game.

The Eagles (9-4) scored first on a 31-yard pass from Adam Dycus to Lloyd Lasker, followed by a successful 2-point conversion, a pass from Drew Duncan to Josh Woodham. The Wildcats (121) answered immediately with a 45-yard kickoff return from Allie Freeman that set up a 25yard Kelvin Robinson rushing touchdown a play later.

Episcopal took a 14-8 lead near the end of the first quarter on a 45-yard pass from Douglas Munson to Freeman. Mayflower’s last lead, 15-14, came on a 30-yard pass from Dycus to Woodham at the start of the second, but Episcopal again answered quickly with a 61-yard rushing touchdown from Robinson.

Nick Becton caught two

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Scores also can be tweeted using the hashtag #arpreps. touchdown passes in the second quarter, one of 80 yards from Freeman and another of 20 yards from Munson. Before halftime, Mayflower turned a Munson interception into a 20-yard touchdown pass from Dycus to Lasker, and Episcopal led 34-22 at intermission.

Episcopal opened the third quarter with a clock-burning, 54-yard drive that ended in a 1-yard Robinson rushing touchdown, and scored on a 62-yard pass from Munson to Robinson after Mayflower went three-and-out.

Up next CLASS 4A SEMIFINALS Malvern at Mena Warren at Nashville

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CLASS 2A SEMIFINALS Brinkley at Junction City McCrory at Hazen

Although the Wildcats took an early lead and never looked back, they didn’t look quite as sharp against the Eagles as against other recent opponents.

Halfway through the third quarter, Episcopal’s offense sputtered; the Wildcats didn’t get another first down after Robinson’s scoring reception. The Eagles intercepted Munson twice, sacked him three times, and forced an early Wildcats fumble.

Mayflower also added two more touchdowns when the Wildcats’ offense stalled — a 1-yard run from Justin Bailey and a 43-yard pass from Dycus to Woodham — but the Eagles’ rally fell short on two failed two-point conversions and two unsuccessful onside kicks. In the end, Mayflower scored more on Episcopal than any opponent this season except Prescott and Benton Harmony Grove.

Episcopal Coach Richie Marsh said the Eagles “were really athletic in the secondary and took a few away from us.”

Mayflower Coach Todd Langrell also praised his opponent. “I give them credit. They had a good game plan for us,” he said.

Next week, Episcopal Collegiate is set to play in a 3A semifinal contest at Smackover, which beat Fordyce 4914 on Friday night.

Marsh said his team would “try to match [Smackover’s] athleticism and toughness and size up front” in next week’s rematch of a 2013 quarterfinal. The Buckaroos beat the Wildcats 36-15 last year.

SMACKOVER — The Buckaroos, who didn’t score a touchdown until the second half in a victory earlier this season against the Redbugs, scored on each of their first four possessions Friday night en route to a Class 3A quarterfinal victory over the Redbugs (7-6).

The victory sends the Bucks (12-1) into a semifinal for the second consecutive year, and unlike last year, when it had to play at Glen Rose, the 6-3A champs will be hosting Little Rock Episcopal, which advanced with a 4734 victory over Mayflower.

The Bucks’ offense rolled over the Redbugs’ defense, which had held three of its past five opponents to 12 points or less. Smackover defeated Fordyce 33-0 on Oct. 17.

Logan Clark completed 9 of 14 passes for 184 yards with 2 touchdown passes to Elmo Hempstead, as the Bucks picked up 467 yards of total offense.

Smackover’s defense came up five turnovers, including three interceptions of Fordyce quarterback Ross Rogers.

The Bucks scored first after gaining possession with an interception at their 13.

Keiandre Purifoy picked up 30 yards on two tough runs to give the Bucks a first down at the Fordyce 42. Clark completed a 30-yard pass to Jordan Jones, and on the next play, Willie Manning capped the 87-yard drive by scoring on a 12-yard run up the middle.

The Bucks struck again after forcing a three and out, needing less than three minutes to add to their lead.

There was a 24-yard completion from Clark to Jackson Martin, and a 13-yard run by Hempstead that gave the Bucks a firs and goal at the 10.

Jordan Jones scored on a sweep on second and goal from the 8, coming in motion and taking the handoff from Clark.