Bearcats bash Cobras
FOUNTAIN LAKE — Mena scored two touchdowns after third- quarter defensive stops and pounded Fountain Lake 47-28 Friday night in a battle of Class 4A newcomers.
Jackson Daugherty, back from a week’s suspension after a previous-game ejection, hurt Fountain Lake early and late. He caught a 67-yard touchdown pass from Sage Kesterson in the first two minutes and broke a 39-yard TD run with 1:16 left in the game.
J.T. McCoy returned a kickoff 92 yards for a Fountain Lake touchdown, but the Cobras fell to 3-3 in 4A-7 and 5-3-1 overall with a Thursday-night game at Ashdown remaining. Mena, which started 6-0, rebounded from back-toback defeats, improving to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in the conference.
Kesterson threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, leading the Bearcats to a 21-14 halftime lead on Allen Tillery Field at Beckham Memorial Stadium.
Mena started quickly with Kesterson connecting on a 67-yard touchdown pass to Daugherty with 1: 16 off the scoreboard clock.
Fountain Lake responded methodically, going 64 yards in 12 plays. Colby Spoon ran 17 yards on play 11 and
quarterback Carson Chandler kept for the last four. With both teams kicking extra points, it was 7-7.
Mena then put together a long drive, 65 yard in 11 plays. Daugherty gained 28 yards on a third-and-20 screen pass, and Kesterson went over from the one on the first play of the second quarter.
A personal foul against Mena on Fountain Lake’s next offensive play put the ball in Bearcat territory. Parker Ross and Spoon,respectively, carried for 10 and 11 yards before Ross powered in from the one on fourth and goal.
Later, Mena benefited from a pass- interference penalty and Kesterson’s 39-yard pass to Brady Davis, the quarterback passing five yards to Luke Bowser with 24 seconds left in the half.
Kesterson started seven of 12 for 149 yards, keeping eight times for 34 yards. Daugherty, back from a one-game suspension for an ejection, gained 144 yards from scrimmage on four touches.
A late hit out of bounds against Mena ( eight penalties for 62 yards by halftime) gave Fountain Lake another chance, but after Chandler threw 11 yards to Ross, two passes fell incomplete as the period ended.
Fountain Lake drove 53 yards in 10 plays for a tying score, using almost five minutes off the second-half clock. Spoon carried 22 yards on fourth and six, after which Ross went over from the one. Tyler Patton’s 34-yard extra point, after a unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty on the touchdown, made it 21-all.
Mena responded in less than two minutes, Daugherty breaking a 24-yard run. Kesterson passed 19 yards to Justin Castor, and Daugherty scored from a yard out.
Fountain Lake’s next drive started at the 50 but resulted in a turnover on downs. Kesterson, after keeping for 4 and 18 yards, passed 31 yards to Daugherty for a 35-21 lead.
A Daugherty interception and subsequent face-mask penalty furthered the Cobras’ collapse. Kesterson passed 16 yards to Davis, and Daugherty scored from the one on the third play of the fourth quarter.