Monday night lights
Arkadelphia trips up Stuttgart 23- 12 as high school football kicks off.
Blake fuels Badgers
A Stuttgart fan hung over the rail in the final minute and shouted at Arkadelphia quarterback Jeff Blake: “Who do you think you are?” the fan said. “Michael Vick?”
Blake’s performance could easily have reminded fans of the mobile NFL quarterback.
The senior rushed for 114 yards and 2 touchdowns on 24 attempts, and completed 12 of 28 passes for 154 yards and 1 touchdown to lead the Badgers 23- 12, seasonopening victory at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock on Monday night.
A Stuttgart Ricebirds fan hung over the rail in the final minute and shouted at Arkadelphia Badgers senior quarterback Jeff Blake: “Who do you think you are?” the fan said. “Michael Vick?”
Blake’s performance could easily have reminded fans of the mobile NFL quarterback.
Blake had just scrambled for 13 yards to the Stuttgart 8, and on the next play, kept for a touchdown. His final run, with 1: 09 left in the game, completed the scoring in Arkadelphia’s 23- 12, season- opening victory over Stuttgart at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock on Monday night.
Blake rushed for 114 yards and 2 touchdowns on 24 attempts, and completed 12 of 28 passes for 154 yards and 1 touchdown.
“I feel like I kind of played well, but I have to work on some things, mainly seeing things better on passing routes,” Blake said. “I have to find them and get it to them.”
Blake said that came easier in the first half than in the second, when Stuttgart strengthened its pass rush.
“They started sending more blitzes,” he said. “I wasn’t very prepared for it, and I just got erratic.”
Stuttgart, which trailed 17- 6 at halftime, made the game competitive. A 71- yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Michael Smith to senior running back Darius Earvine cut Arkadelphia’s lead to 17- 12 with 2: 54 left in the third quarter, but it would not be enough.
“They’re a good football team,” Arkadelphia Coach J. R. Eldridge said. “Stuttgart puts good players on the field, so it feels good to go into Week 2 with a victory.”
Stuttgart sophomore running back Kirk Hughes rushed for 192 yards on 22 carries. Smith completed 9 of 26 passes for 139 yards and 1 touchdown.
Arkadelphia finished 9- 4 last season and had consecutive playoff victories at Pottsville and Gosnell before a 34- 27 loss at fellow 7- 4A member Mena.
Stuttgart was 4- 6 last season and finished out of the playoffs.
Arkadelphia’s opening score Monday night came on a 9- yard touchdown pass from Blake to junior receiver Shemar Dickens with 8: 13 left in the first quarter.
Senior Nathan Warner’s 26- yard field goal gave Arkadelphia ( 1- 0) a 10- 0 lead with 8: 41 remaining in the first half.
Stuttgart ( 0- 1) cut Arkadelphia’s lead to 10- 6 on a 10- yard touchdown run by sophomore reserve quarterback Dontranell Robinson Jr. with 2: 42 before halftime, but Arkadelphia quickly responded.
Blake’s 22- yard run on first down put Arkadelphia on the Stuttgart 41. Senior running back Jathan Bowens carried 15 yards on the next play.
With time winding down, Blake found senior running back Ty Kosters on a crossing pattern for 13 yards to the 2 and scored two plays later on a 1- yard sneak that gave Arkadelphia a 17- 6 halftime lead.
“Our defense in the second half bent a little bit, it didn’t break,” Stuttgart Coach Vince Perrin said. “We’re young, but we’re growing up, and we’re going to be OK.”