Zebras’ 1-2 punch turns back Hornets
5A-CENTRAL
PINE BLUFF 26, MAUMELLE 0
Pine Bluff packed quite the 1-2 punch in its first true 5A-Central road trip this fall, with junior wide receivers Courtney Crutchfield and Austyn Dendy each catching two touchdown passes in a 26-0 victory over Maumelle on Friday night at Bobby Tiner Stadium.
Dendy, who wears No. 1, finished with 6 receptions for 85 yards, including a 32yard touchdown late in the second quarter to give the Zebras (3-1, 2-1 5A-Central) a 20-0 halftime lead. Dendy added a 12-yard touchdown reception with 9:52 remaining in the game to set the final.
Crutchfield, who wears No. 2, had touchdown receptions of 50 and 19 yards in the first half. He also had two interceptions at cornerback and was 2 of 3 on extra-point attempts.
“Those two guys should be playing somewhere, D-I,” first-year Pine Bluff Coach Michael Williams said, referencing future college recruitment. “They’ve just got to clean up the small things and, hopefully, within the next couple of games, they should have everybody in the nation on them. Those boys are awesome. I’ve got to give it to them. And they play on either side of the ball.”
Pine Bluff, despite four second-half turnovers, finished with a 281-96 advantage in total yardage. It also recorded 5 sacks for 41 yards in losses and forced 4 turnovers. Maumelle (2-2, 0-2) was without starting quarterback Weston Pierce in the second half because of a concussion, first-year Hornets Coach Brian Maupin said. Pierce, the starter, completed 3 of 11 passes for 38 yards in the first half.
“We’ll be all right,” Maupin said. “They’re still growing. We’ve got a lot of little things to improve on.”
Pine Bluff, as usual, rotated senior William Howell and junior Landon Holcomb at quarterback. They combined to complete 13 of 22 passes for 218 yards and 4 touchdowns. Howell, who started, was 5 of 9 for 84 yards and 1 touchdown — 50 yards to Crutchfield on Pine Bluff’s first possession of the game.
Holcomb completed 8 of 13 for 134 yards and 3 touchdowns. Holcomb’s first touchdown pass, 19 yards to Crutchfield, came with 8:12 remaining in the first half. It came four plays after Crutchfield’s leaping interception at the Pine Bluff 38. The 32-yarder to Dendy stretched the lead to 20-0 with 2:49 remaining in the first half.
Crutchfield set up the lone second-half score with a 32-yard interception return to the Maumelle 28 with 10:30 remaining in the game. Three plays later, Holcomb completed a 12-yard touchdown pass to Dendy.
Pine Bluff, which dropped to Class 5A this cycle, opened conference play with a 36-22 victory at crosstown rival Watson Chapel before being beaten 30-12 last week at home by Vilonia.
“It was tough last week, really tough,” Williams said. “We’re trying to teach this team how to win again. We were 2-7 the last couple of years. They don’t know how to win. I think that equates to a sloppy second half, not knowing how to finish.”