Cobras show grit, but mighty Senators rule in 4A opener
FOUNTAIN LAKE — Augusta National Golf Club has its Amen Corner on holes 1113, wrapped around Rae’s Creek. Fountain Lake, through a quirk of scheduling, has one in football — but unlike the home of the Masters, it isn’t pretty.
Joe T. Robinson, Nashville and Arkadelphia all in a row, before leaves change color or personal-property taxes come due.
“What other team has to play three of the top four [Class] 4A teams to start its conference season?” Fountain Lake coach Kenny Shelton was wondering Friday night after losing 60-12 to Robinson at Beckham Memorial Stadium.
Nashville (4-0, 1-0 4A-7), with a late field goal on the road, snapped Arkadelphia’s
13-game winning streak Friday night, 22-21, and may be ranked No. 1 in 4A when it plays Fountain Lake (1-3, 0-1) this week at Scrapper Stadium. The Cobras then go on the road against two-time defending 4A champion Arkadelphia (3-1, 0-1).
“But if we get through that, and don’t have any serious injuries, it gets better,” Shelton said. “Not saying that it will happen, but if we win out [against Bauxite, Malvern, Haskell Harmony Grove and Ashdown] or three of our last four, we have a chance to go to the playoffs like we did last year.”
Fountain Lake entered against Robinson (4-0, 1-0) as a huge underdog but did not play like one, especially in the second quarter. It was 20-0 before the Cobras got their bearings, and although unable to slow a Senator offense that upped its 45-point average, Fountain Lake’s small and youthful squad [four seniors] did not flinch.
Junior Jack Wurz, though only 5-8, showed a good passing touch, especially deep. Junior wideout Seth Hughes was in the thick of everything good for the Cobras, hauling in a 41-yard pass for the team’s first score and with a 24-yard reception that set up a seven-yard touchdown run by junior Owen Barthel. Sophomore Caleb Lacy, coming off a 100-yard game at Dover [56-0 Cobra win], went off tackle for 34 yards two plays before Barthel scored at 1:23 of the second quarter.
“They got after us,” said Robinson coach Todd Eskola. “They’re going to get better every week.” Shelton, who took over as head coach after practice started in August, called it an “all-out effort.”
Still, talent prevailed. Robinson scored on its first two possessions, junior Buddy Gaston, an Adonis in shoulder pads at 6-4 and 201, throwing to senior P.J. Hall from the opening kickoff and junior Hunter Smith popping one for a 12-0 lead, both conversions failing.
The Senators unleashed their full might offensively in the last 2:13 of the first half. Answering Hughes’ touchdown, which came one play after a pass-interference call against Robinson, sophomore Daryl Searcy Jr. went
44 yards for a 40-6 lead.
Then on the kickoff after Barthel’s touchdown, a Senator lateraled across field to an open Smith, who skipped the distance with
1:07 on the clock.
“Every coach has about 100 trick plays. That one came from the movie ‘Remember the Titans,’” said Eskola. “We hadn’t tried that play this year but thought it might work against the kick coverage they were in.”
Robinson regained possession for the touchdown that set the second-half clock rolling continuously under the Arkansas Activities Association mercy rule. Gaston netted 38 yards to the Fountain Lake 31 on a play shortened by penalty and Searcy ran
15 yards, leaving 7.8 seconds. Gaston fired to junior Ivan Thomas on a quick post pattern for 16 yards, and senior Keilib Pree kicked it to 53-12.
“I’ve been where he [Shelton] is, on both sides of it,” Eskola said. “I just wanted to get
35 ahead and not have to bring my starters back in the second half.”
Getting the ball back on downs with 1:31 left in the game, Robinson scored again with
8.9 seconds to play. Then after comments by Eskola and a prayer in the end zone, it was time for the Senators to think about Arkadelphia, the last team to beat the Badgers [who earned revenge in the 2018 state finals] before Nashville did so Friday night.
Shelton, meanwhile, in his 10th season at his alma mater, began thinking about the Scrappers and what to say to his team.
“Our kids have shown a lot of maturity and I told them their effort was outstanding,” he said. “We’ll watch the film of this game and look for things to compliment them on and remind them of things they need to do better.”