Magnolia takes VView out of football playoffs

Magnolia’s offense was more than Valley View could handle in the first round of the Class 5A state football playoffs.

The Blazers, who held opponents to less than 13 points per game in the regular season, gave up four touchdown plays of 40 or more yards as the Panthers rolled to a 42-14 victory Friday night.

Valley View (7-4) gave up almost as many points against Magnolia (6-5) as it did in seven 5A-East conference games.

The Blazers allowed only 48 points in conference play.

Magnolia took a 21-0 lead in the first quarter and the Panthers led 35-7 at halftime on their way to a second-round game next week at Pulaski Academy.

Garrion Curry broke a 61-yard touchdown run only 46 seconds into the game to give Magnolia a 70 lead. Curry scored again on a 24yard run with 6:09 left in the first quarter.

Valley View drove 88 yards in 14 plays for its first touchdown. Carson Turley scored on a 1-yard run to open the second quarter, pulling the Blazers within 21-7.

Magnolia countered with a nine-yard touchdown run at the end of a 10-play, 66-yard drive. Kendrick Carey broke free on an 88-yard touchdown run with 4:38 remaining in the second quarter to give the Panthers their 28-point halftime lead.

The Blazers scored off a double pass with 8:22 left in the third quarter, Keats Grantham finding Reid Tyler on a 35-yard touchdown pass to finish a 10-play, 71-yard drive. The Panthers closed the scoring with 2:31 remaining in the third quarter when Roach scored on a 46-yard run.

••••• Despite their first round state playoff opponent jumping out to a 14-0 lead early, Wynne (4-7), the No. 2 seed from the 5A-East, needed a comeback to beat Hot Springs Lakeside (5-5) to advance to the second round of the playoffs.

Carl Washington, John Watson and Alonzo Holmes scored all of Wynne’s touchdowns.

Wynne next makes the trip to face Greenbrier in a quarterfinal game on Friday.

•••••

While Hot Springs managed to contain Nettleton quarterback Cameron Scarlett with the exception of one run, the Trojans had no answer for Raider running back Koby Bradley.

Bradley scored four touchdowns Friday night as the Raiders remained unbeaten with a 33-14 victory in the first round of the Class 5A state playoffs at Raider Field.

Nettleton (11-0) will host Little Rock Christian (9-2) in the quarterfinals next Friday. The Warriors took down Vilonia 53-29 on the road in the first round.

After Hot Springs (5-6) scored early in the second quarter, taking advantage of a Nettleton onside kick that failed to travel 10 yards, the Raiders scored twice more to build a 27-7 halftime lead.

Bradley sprinted 65 yards to the end zone with 10:21 left in the second quarter. Scarlett broke a 35-yard touchdown run at the 2:56 mark, losing his shoes as he weaved through the Trojans on the way to the end zone.

Nettleton was unable to capitalize on a blocked punt in the third quarter, but the Raiders mounted a touchdown drive on their third possession. Bradley broke outside and coasted to the end zone on a 39-yard run that gave the Raiders a 33-7 lead.

Hot Springs closed the scoring with 11:52 left in the game on backup quarterback Matt Contreras’ 24-yard pass to Jayveon Felton. The Raiders kept the Trojans off the scoreboard the rest of the night, with Kylan Goodlow intercepting a pass with 2:57 remaining to end Hot Springs’ last possession.

While the Trojans were able to make a couple of big plays, they struggled to handle Nettleton’s defensive front.