No. 2 Badgers escape No. 6 Nashville

ARKADELPHIA, Ark.— Sixth-ranked Nashville gave No. 2 Arkadelphia all it could handle before the unbeaten Badgers strung three touchdowns together to pull out a hard-fought 28-19 victory.

It was the 7-4A Conference opener for both teams.

Nashville built an early lead 17-7 midway in the second quarter. The youthful Scrappers struck first when Tyler Lawrence scored on a 2-yard run with 10:12 left in the opening quarter. That score was set up with Asher Walker caught a 46-yard pass from quarterback Lucas Liggin on a third-and-11 play. Christian Aranda kicked the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

Arkadelphia (4-0), which scored a touchdown and extra point in each quarter, answered when Kris Oliver scored on a 2-yard run with 3:38 showing in the opening period. Jackson Ochello kick the first of four PATs.

Nashville then went on 10point run. Aranda kicked a 23yard field goal with 8:12 left in the second quarter. Liggin teamed up with LaMichael Pettway for a season-long 96yard touchdown pass. Aranda's kick gave the Scrappers a 17-7 lead with 7:15 in the second stanza.

The Badgers got in a late score in the half when Oliver caught a 27-yard TD strike from Jakahan Howell, closing the gap to 17-14 at intermission.

Arkadelphia went on top in the third quarter when Hall connected with John Matros for a 9-yard touchdown. Howell later added a 3-yard TD run as the hosts extended their lead to 28-17.

Nashville scored its final two points when several defenders tackled an Arkadelphia ball carrier in the end zone for a safety with 2:21 left in the game.

Liggin and Pettway had outstanding nights, with Liggin connecting on 20 of 42 passes for 327 yards. He was intercepted three times. Pettway caught 13 passes for 253 yards

and one touchdown. Ashdown 35, Pulaski Robinson 0

LITTLE ROCK—Jake Alexander was 10 of 22 for 222 yards passing and connected on three touchdown passes for Ashdown in a surprising rout over Pulaski Robinson.

The win moved the undefeated Panthers to 4-0 and 1-0 in 7-4A.

Ashdown and Alexander served notice on the first play from scrimmage.

Devaughn Sanders caught a 57-yard airial from Alexander six seconds in. Although the extra point was missed, it didn't faze the Panthers offense.

Four minutes later Brandon Northcross socred on a 1-yard run and Lamontrick Turner ran in the two-point conversion for a 14-0 lead.

Alexander hit Parish Guillory on a 21-yard reception with seven minutes left in the first half to go up 20-0.

Kyle Duncan caught Alexander's third TD pass—a 44-yarder with 8:25 left in the third quarter.

Sanders and Ladarius McElroy led Ashdown with three catches each. Turner finished with 58 yards in 18 carries, which included a 1-yard, fourth quarter touchdown.

Kyle Duncan had nine tackles, Tyler Olsen five and Chris Alexander added an interception.

Smackover 28, Fouke 14

SMACKOVER, Ark.—Fouke absorbed its first loss under new coach Rick Barker, and two Smackover passing touchdowns were the difference in the 6-3A opener for both teams.

The Panthers (3-1, 0-1) rushed for 266 yards, led by Tyler Edwardes' 132 yards and a score. Quarterback Jake Garrett was 3of-9 passing for 28 yards and had a 1-yard TD plunge. Fouke had 294 yards of total offense, and the Buckaroos (4-0, 1-0) had 350, including 210 on the ground.

Edwards capped a 65-yard drive on Fouke's first possession with his 19-yard scamper to paydirt. The Panthers forced a punt but muffed it, and

Smackover scored on a 20-yard pass with seven seconds left in the first period.

The Buckaroos' next drive also resulted in a 21-yard TD pass, and the host team took a 21-7 lead into the locker rooms at halftime. Smackover's first two drives of the second half were cut short by lost fumbles, and Garrett capitalized on the second takeaway with his 1-yard score.

Fouke recovered the onsides kick, but the drive ended with an interception. Smackover scored on a run from 93 yards away for the final points of the game.

Prescott 35, Drew Central 6

MONTICELLO, Ark.— Khaalid Stewart ran for 133 yards and three scores and Prescott opened 6-3A play with a rout of the host Pirates.

Stewart had first-half scoring runs of 5, 9 and 57 yards, finsihing with 10 carries for 133 yards.

William Gillard added a 4-yard TD run, and Rondarius Cone returned an interception 46 yards to paydirt for the final Curley Wolf (2-2, 1-0) touchdown.

Cone also also caught a 2-point conversion from Tyler Woods, Stewart ran for a 2-point, and Clay Varnell booted a PAT.

Prescott ran for 300 yards and had 350 yards of total offense against Drew Central, which lost its 26th straight game.

White Hall 35, Magnolia 6

PINE BLUFF, Ark.—Magnolia struck first, but White Hall responded with 35 unanswered points as the Bulldogs secured a 35-6 win over the Panthers to open 5A South conference play.

Douglas Moss hauled in a 51yard strike from Kyron Sanders just 1:39 into the game for the Panthers (1-3, 0-1). White Hall (4-0, 1-0) took a 15-6 lead into halftime, and quarterback Kirk Baugh had a rushing TD and flung two more strikes in the second half.

Spring Hill 23, Foreman 12

FOREMAN, Ark.—Chandler Collier rushed for 109 yards on 14 carries and scored twice as Spring Hill (3-1, 1-0) won its 72A opener over the host Gators

(1-3).

Dariyon Jones got Foreman on the scoreboard first with a 1yard dive, but Jacob Crow tied the game for the Bears on a 24yard romp. Collier booted the extra point to take the lead.

Jones scored again on a 3-yard run, and Spring Hill sacked a Foreman runner for a safety. In the fourth quarter, Collier ran for scores of 1 and 31 yards to seal the SH victory.

Two Rivers 25, Horatio 12

HORATIO, Ark.—The host Lions found themselves playing from behind in their 5-3A opener and lost to Two Rivers to fall to 2-2 on the year.

The Gators (3-1, 1-0) got a fumble recovery for a TD in the first quarter, a 7-yard run by Taylor Smith, and a 92-yard interception return to build a 19-0 lead.

Dalton Wilkerson rushed for a 47-yard TD and a 24-yarder for Horatio (0-1 conference) and finished with 29 carries for 115 yards. Two Rivers added another TD in the final minute of the third quarter before a scoreless fourth completed the upset for the Gators.

Fordyce 63, Genoa Central 3

FORDYCE, Ark.—Going in, Genoa Central knew they needed to play a perfect game to have any chance against Fordyce.

While the effort was evident, the Redbugs were just too powerful on Friday.

The only score the visiting Dragons posted in the 63-3 loss was a 23-yard Uriel Martinez field goal with 2:23 left in the first half.

Martinez's kick cut the score to 49-3 Fordyce.

Braden Chambers, the Redbugs quarterback, threw three touchdown passes in a four-minute stretch of the first quarter to take a 21-0 lead.

Chambers opened the scoring with a 70-yard catch-and-run to Gary Cross. He followed that up with a 12-yarder to Josh Stroud and a 63-yard bomb to Charles York.

Fordyce almost doubled up Genoa in total yardage, amassing 468 yards of offense to Genoa's 232.