Foreman turns tables on Mount Ida, 24-21
LITTLE ROCK — Foreman’s football team believed strongly in a script that ended happily for the Gators Friday night.
Avenging a 36-7 loss in the regular season, first-time finalist Foreman stunned defending Class 2A champion Mount Ida 24-21 before 4,123 at War Memorial Stadium. Mount Ida (14-1) had its 21-game winning streak snapped in only the third loss since third grade for the 14 Lion juniors.
“They’re not losers,” said coach Mike White, seeking his third state title at the school. “They always expect to win, even though they feel pretty devastated now.”
Foreman (13-1) won eight in a row after its Oct. 13 conference defeat at Mount Ida’s Stidman Field. The Gators held the Lions to a season-low 21 points in the rematch following one-sided playoff wins over Clarendon, Bearden, Danville and Salem.
“Every kid on the team wanted another shot at Mount Ida,” said second-year Foreman coach Mark King. “I told them that if Mount Ida took care of business and we took care of business, we could play them again for all of the marbles. To be the best, you’ve got to be the best — and Mount Ida was king of the mountain.”
In a media vote, Foreman junior Kyren Batey received MVP honors for deeds on both sides of the ball. Directing the Gators’ flexbone offense, Batey carried 21 times for 211 net yards and two touchdowns. His
20-yard keeper put the Gators ahead 24-14 with 3:39 left, helping Foreman withstand a late Mount Ida touchdown on Ridge Gibbs’ 60-yard pass to regular first-team quarterback Cade Jackson.
Batey also made two big defensive plays, his fourth-and-four stop of Gage Dyer from the Foreman 43 giving the ball back to the Gators with 5:59 left. Earlier, sweeping off the edge, Batey blocked Tyler Allenbrand’s field-goal attempt of 27 yards with the score tied. Batey’s 69-yard keeper on the ensuing drive set up Sam Gamble’s
30-yard field goal for a 17-14 halftime lead. Batey finished the year with 2,058 rushing yards and 34 rushing touchdowns. He, like his teammates, took a Mount Idaor-bust approach to the playoffs.
“That’s the only team I wanted to play,” said Batey, a first-year starting quarterback who learned the option-oriented flexbone offense from last year’s Foreman starter and at a Harding University camp.
Mount Ida outgained Foreman 367-343 but didn’t take advantage of opportunities, missing field goals on drives of 7:16 and
8:12. Penalties hurt the Lions dearly in the second half, a holding call negating a nineyard touchdown run by Dyer on a drive that Allenbrand missed from 37 yards.