Shepherd, defense carry Rogers
CLASS 7A
ROGERS 51, LITTLE ROCK CATHOLIC 17
ROGERS — After a slow start Rogers Coach Chad Harbison desperately needed a big play from his team.
Trailing 7-0 to Little Rock Catholic in the second quarter, Harbison turned to senior running back Joshuah Shepherd. All it took was one play. The speedster darted 90 yards up the middle for a touchdown, which would be a sign of what would transpire all night.
Shepherd tallied 246 yards and 3 touchdowns off 17 carries, leading the Mounties to a 51-17 victory over the Rockets in the Class 7A playoffs on Friday night at Whitey Smith Stadium. The win sets up a second-round playoff date at Conway.
The multi-sport star was responsible for more than 60 percent of the Mounties’ 397 yards of total offense.
“He’s been phenomenal for us all year long,” Harbison said. “We got off to tough start and needed to get rolling. He’s been shaking off big runs like that all season for us, so seeing him do it tonight wasn’t a surprise. Having a guy like him in the backfield is such a dangerous weapon for us.”
“I think since we were passing a lot, the defense wasn’t expecting it,” Shepherd said of the play. “I know anytime it’s my turn to get the ball, I have to make the most out of it. Our line blocked good all night and it’s my job to reward them for it.”
The big play from Shepherd kick-started the Mounties’ offense which scored 20 points in the second quarter. Little Rock Catholic wouldn’t go away though. A touchdown strike from Preston Scott to Brooks Ward with 11 seconds left in the second quarter narrowed the lead to 20-14 at the half.
Scott finished the game 19of-31 passing for 193 yards and two touchdowns.
The teams traded field goals early in the third quarter, but Rogers took over from there.
In the game’s final 16 minutes, the Mounties put up 28 unanswered points, including two defensive scores from a pair of sophomores.
Defensive back Mabry Verser took a 40-yard scoop-and-score to the end zone early in the fourth quarter, and linebacker Isaac Chapman put a final nail in the coffin with a 47-yard pick-six with 1:39 in the game.
“Our defense was lights out there in the second half,” Harbison said. “We gave up several big penalties but came up with stops when we needed them. Coming up with turnovers was huge for us and anytime you get your defense scoring points you can’t ask for much more.
“I am just so proud of the way our guys responded on that side of the ball all night.”
Rogers forced four turnovers and held the Rockets to 214 yards.
Quarterback Noah Goodshield went 13-of-22 passing for 112 yards, including a 7-yard touchdown pass to Finley Bunch. Senior receiver Kade Seldomridge counted for 57 receiving yards and threw a touchdown pass of his own on a 6-yard flea-flicker to Grayson Cash in the second quarter.
The win was Harbison’s first playoff victory at the helm in Rogers. The Mounties will travel to Conway, the No. 2 seed from the 7A-West, with a trip to the semifinals on the line.