Conway Christian edges Magnet Cove on late FG

CONWAY — Josiah Smith kicked a tie- breaking field goal with less than four minutes to play, capping Conway Christian’s 2A-5-South championship- clinching 17-14 win over visiting Magnet Cove Friday night.

Smith’s kick capped the Eagles’ comeback from a 14-0 halftime deficit, and ended the Panthers’ string of three straight conference titles. Conway Christian ( 8-1) remained unbeaten in league play going into its regular-season finale against Bigelow.

Magnet Cove (6-3) fell into a tie with England for third place, both 4-2 in league play. Poyen is 5-1.

“I tell you what, we played as about as good a first half as we played all year,” Panthers coach Ronnie Efird said. “We turned around and didn’t play good the second half. … We stopped their passing (game) the first half, they came out and ran it down our throats. We couldn’t stop them.”

Magnet Cove scored in the first quarter on Josh Smetlzer’s 15-yard run, and added Zack Dunlap’s 9-yard touchdown run and Smeltzer’s second point- after kick in the second. Clayton Dent ran for both Conway Christian TDs, scoring on 4- and 5-yard runs in the third and fourth quarters .

Panthers quarterback Harrison Wade went 10 for 18 for 93 yards and two interceptions. Dunlap led Magnet Cove in rushing with 432 yards on 13 carries, Smeltzer adding 31 on six tries.

“It was the third game in a row we didn’t have 100 yards rushing,” Efird said. “We’re still struggling in the running game.”

The Panthers close the regular season against Cutter Morning Star Thursday night at home.

CMS (4-5) fell to 2-4 in the 2A-5 Friday with a 20-8 loss at Bigelow. Details were unavailable.

Gurdon-Mount Ida

GURDON — Jackie Harvell rushed for three touchdowns, and Dwayne Marlow had rushing and receiving scores as Gurdon clinched a No. 1 playoff seed with a 32-16 win over visiting Mount Ida Friday night in a 2A-7 firstplace showdown

Gurdon (7-2) moved to 6-0 in conference while dropping the Lions ( 7- 2) into a second- place tie for Lafayette County at 5-1. Mount Ida plays Lafayette County Thursday at home, both having lost to Gurdon.

Harvell score on runs of 1 yard in the first quarter, 20 in the third and 80 in the fourth. He also returned a fourth- quarter interception 30 yards to the 1, setting up Marlow’s TD run. Marlow caught a 45-yard touchdown pass from Parker Whitson in the second quarter.

Arkadelphia-Bauxite

ARKADELPHIA — Alex Buckley ran for 149 yards, and Ty Kosters scored three touchdowns to lead the Badgers to a 49-14 win over visiting Bauxite Friday night.

Jeff Blake rushed for 81 yards and two scores as the Badgers (7-2, 4-2 in 4A-7 )rolled up 392 total yards. Brandon Moore returned the opening kick off 80 yards for a touchdown.

Bauxite’s Blaze Vinyard scored on a 65-yard run, Ben Madison running 1 yard for the Miners’ other touchdown.

Arkadelphia closes the regular-season Thursday at Malvern, which lost 28-26 to firstplace Nashville Friday.