Late Perkins-to-Wilcox pass propels Van Buren to victory
VAN BUREN 28, RUSSELLVILLE 27
VAN BUREN — Just when the cold front started sweeping through Van Buren on Friday night, the Pointers warmed up.
Van Buren scored on its first and last possessions of the second half, and added one in between, to rally for a 28-27 win over Russellville at Blakemore Field.
Senior quarterback Bryce Perkins rolled right and threw a short pass across the middle to Weston Wilcox, who ran 21 yards untouched into the end zone with 58 seconds left to tie the game. Manning Dodson’s extra point sent the Pointers ahead 28-27.
On Russellville’s second play after the touchdown, senior safety Hayden Greene intercepted a pass to cinch the win.
“Bryce was on the move there and found Weston across the middle,” Van Buren Coach Moe Henry said. “Defensively, Hayden made a big fourth-down stop on the series before and then the interception was incredible. I’m proud of them.”
Russellville (2-5, 1-4 6A-West) led 21-7 at the half, taking a 6-0 lead on a 24-yard touchdown pass from Luke Jones to Mykai Foster in the first quarter, a 14-7 lead on Jones’ 14-yard pass to Peyton Harrison on the first play of the second quarter and the halftime advantage with a 7-yard scoring run by Tracy Daniels.
Russellville’s Bo Mosley and J.C. Carter picked off passes in the first half to keep Van Buren (3-3, 2-2) at bay, and the Pointers missed a field goal to end the first half after having first and goal at the 5.
“We had some things that didn’t go our way in the first half, but our challenge was for them to continue to keep fighting and come out and play a second half,” Henry said. “They did. We had a lot of gut plays that we had a lot of guys make, that was the difference.”
Van Buren scored on the opening series of the second half with Cam Keller converting a fourth down with a 1-yard run with 9:40 left in the third quarter to trim Russellville’s lead to 21-14.
The rest of the third quarter was a war of attrition with Russellville turning the ball over on downs after a sack and suffering turnovers on two straight series with interceptions by Van Buren’s Drew Brasuell and a fumble recovery by Caden Webb.
Van Buren lost a fumble that Tristan Whisonant recovered and failed on a fake punt run before putting together an 11-play drive capped by a 1-yard touchdown pass from Perkins to Philip Steele three plays into the fourth quarter that tied the game at 21-21.
Russellville took a 27-21 lead with its lone scoring drive of the second half with Jones hitting a wide open Harrison for a 34-yard touchdown with 2:03 left.
Van Buren’s Peyton Pschier blocked the extra-point try that ended up the difference.
That left plenty of time for Perkins to guide the Pointers down the field.
“We practice and work that stuff,” Henry said. “Being able to get rid of it quick and being able to find receivers, whenever we’re clicking and we’re on it being in that situation shouldn’t rattle them.”
After an incomplete pass, Perkins hit Trenton Cooley at the left sideline for a gain of 18 yards, scrambled for 8 yards, and hit Keller for 11 yards to the 21 before the game-winning pass.
Perkins finished 19-of-33 passing for 334 yards and 3 touchdowns. Keller ran 24 times for 88 yards and a score. Cooley had six catches for 170 yards and score.
Jones was 14-of-28 passing for Russellville for 184 yards and 3 touchdowns. Daniels had 24 carries for 76 yards and a touchdown.