Category Archives: Friday Night Lights

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Valley View vs. Maumelle

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Blazers net Hornets, 38-14

Delta Digital News Service

Friday, November 10, 2023

Brayden Morse | Sports Editor

JONESBORO, Ark. – Blazers quarterback Carson Turley’s five touchdown performance helped Valley View defeat the Maumelle Hornets 38-14 on Friday night at Central Dealerships Stadium, advancing to the second round of playoffs next week.

Turley threw two passing touchdowns and ran for three in the victory.

Maumelle’s Alan Timmons (0) fails to stop Valley View running back Anthony Feliz (29) during first half action in Jonesboro, Friday, November 10, 2023. Photo by Atsuki Ohbuchi

Valley View head coach Sean Cockrell expressed his thoughts on the play of his quarterback.

“We have been leaning on him all year and he just took over the game again,” Cockrell said.

On Maumelle’s first drive of the game, a screen pass led to a 34-yard touchdown along with a successful two-point conversion.

Valley View was then held to a three and out when they faked the fourth down attempt with a punt by their quarterback.

Running back Anthony Feliz had a 65-yard run for Valley View, then the very next play Turley scored a 5-yard rushing touchdown. The Blazers settled for a PAT to only be down 8-7.

Valley View linebacker Jude Rapert sacked Maumelle’s quarterback on their fourth down attempt, and the Blazers offense got the ball back with less than a minute left in the first quarter.

A 59-yard touchdown for Valley View was taken away for a personal foul penalty, resulting in the same field position. 

Maumelle’s defense stopped the Blazer offense, but on the punt there was a controversial call for roughing the kicker. The Hornets got the ball back at the end of the first quarter.

Maumelle’s next drive ended in an interception by Valley View safety Laird Cullen, returning passed midfield. A quarterback keeper from Turley resulted in a 33-yard touchdown to give the Blazers a 14-8 lead early in the second quarter.

The Hornets ran a reverse sweep on fourth down to convert in Blazer territory. Maumelle converted on another fourth down on the same drive around the 10 yard-line for excellent field position. 

The Hornets tried to go three in a row on fourth down conversions in the same drive, but stalled to an incomplete pass. Valley View got the ball back around the 15 yard-line. 

Turley threw a 55-yard pass to wide receiver TJ Starks to give the Blazers an opportunity to increase their lead.

The very next play Turley threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Andrew Jones, taking a 21-8 lead with a little more than three minutes left in the second quarter.

Maumelle went on to score a late touchdown to minimize Valley View’s lead, 21-14.

When the Blazers got the ball back, Turley rolled out of the pocket and threw a 30-yard pass to Starks with five seconds left for a field-goal try. Their kick was successful heading to halftime with a 24-14 lead. 

Valley View’s momentum carried over in the second half. Cockrell gave his comments on the way the team played in the second half.

“At halftime we challenged them and told them they had to come out and play hard. They did and I am super proud of the way we played,” Cockrell said.

“At halftime we challenged them and told them they had to come out and play hard. They did and I am super proud of the way we played,”

Valley View head coach Sean Cockrell

Maumelle’s first drive of the second half resulted in the offenses’ second interception, this time to Valley View cornerback Kenneth Robinson.

The Blazers settled for a field goal after the interception but missed to remain 24-24 midway through the third quarter. 

Valley View eventually got the ball back when Turley scored his fourth touchdown of the game on a quarterback keeper, increasing their lead 31-14 at the end of the third quarter.

Turley threw a touchdown pass to Starks for his second passing touchdown, and fifth total touchdown of the game early in the fourth quarter.

The Blazers will play another home game next Friday against the Shiloh Christian Saints, to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Cockrell had some thoughts on their upcoming game.

“We just have to take care of the ball and force some turnovers defensively,” Cockrell said.

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Brayden Morse

Brayden Morse is a multimedia journalism major in the School of Media and Journalism at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. He can be reached at brayden.morse@smail.astate.edu.

Feature Photo: Maumelle’s Bubba Johnson (31) gets stopped by Valley View defense during first half action in Jonesboro, Friday, November 10, 2023. Photo by Atsuki Ohbuchi

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Jonesboro vs. Little Rock Central

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Golden Hurricane defeats LR Central Tigers, 45-6

Delta Digital News Service

Friday, Nov. 3, 2023

Brayden Morse | Sports Editor

JONESBORO, Ark. – The Jonesboro Golden Hurricane earned a home playoff game and a fifth seed in the playoffs under first-year head coach Tyler George, as a duo rushing attack helped the Golden Hurricanes defeat the Little Rock Central Tigers 45-6 at Cooksey-Johns Stadium on Friday night.

Central’s Kamden Buckingham (22) and Kaheem Morris (15) try to stop Jonesboro’s Markeice Stafford (25) during first half action, Friday, November 3, 2023. Photo by Atsuki Ohbuchi

Coach George gave his thoughts on making the playoffs in his first year as head coach.

“I think it’s huge. It’s huge for our program after the year we had last year. Those kids continue to fight. They got battle tested last year moving up to 7A. They came in this year ready for it. Super proud of our kids and our staff to be able to get to where we are right now,” George said. 

Running back Markevious Pickett and running back Jordan Daniels combined for five rushing touchdowns in the win. 

Coach George expressed his thoughts on the successful running game.

“We talk about warrior mentality. They came out the second half and were rocking and rolling,” George said. 

Although the running game was strong throughout the game, the offense struggled to put points on the board early in the game. 

Jonesboro would not get their first points until a little over four minutes left in the first quarter, settling for a field goal as back-to-back penalties occurred on offense. 

Coach George expressed his frustration with the amount of penalties throughout the game. 

“We’ve got to clean some things up. I’m never going to blame the referees at all. We do have some things to clean up and we’ll work on that this week,” George said. 

“We’ve got to clean some things up. I’m never going to blame the referees at all. We do have some things to clean up and we’ll work on that this week,”

Jonesboro head coach Tyler George

The Golden Hurricanes also rotated quarterbacks Terrance Brown and Asa Myers throughout the game, which is rare for most teams. 

Brown threw an interception early in the first quarter, but Jonesboro eventually got the ball back. 

Myers would go on to start their first touchdown-scoring drive as Pickett scored from 12 yards with a 10-0 early in the second quarter. 

When the Tigers got the ball back, defensive end Jonathan Milton sacked the quarterback resulting in a fourth down and long, giving the Golden Hurricanes possession. 

Myers threw a short screen pass to tight end Myreion Taylor for a 45-yard touchdown late in the second quarter. 

Little Rock Central’s next drive ended in an interception by Jonesboro defensive back Taz Clark right before halftime. 

Coming out of the half, the Golden Hurricanes drove down the field in five plays as Pickett scored his second rushing touchdown in a goal-line situation, leading 24-0 early in the third quarter. 

Daniels dominated the second half, scoring a 20-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter and two in the fourth quarter. 

Jonesboro is waiting to see who their opponent is for next week’s game, as Little Rock Central lost their 31st straight regular season game and ended the season with an 0-10 record.

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Brayden Morse

Brayden Morse is a multimedia journalism major in the School of Media and Journalism at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. He can be reached at brayden.morse@smail.astate.edu.

NOTE: Feature photo shows Central’s Kamden Buckingham (22) and Kaheem Morris (15) trying to stop Jonesboro’s Markeice Stafford (25) during first half action, Friday, November 3, 2023. Photo by Atsuki Ohbuchi

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Walnut Ridge vs. Osceola

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Bobcats leap over Seminoles, 32-22

Delta Digital News Service

Friday, Oct. 20, 2023

Brayden Morse | Sports Editor

WALNUT RIDGE, Ark. – An offensive backfield duo helped the Walnut Ridge Bobcats to a 32-22 victory over the Osceola Seminoles on Friday night at Sexton Field. 

Running back Enrique Perez and running back Robbie Tate each had two rushing touchdowns, combining for all four of the Bobcats’ touchdowns. 

Walnut Ridge head coach Jeffery Blake gave his thoughts on Perez’s performance. 

“We have to have a lot of production out of him. We have to have him keep our offense moving,” Blake said. 

Another Bobcat player who stood out was quarterback Jersie Cunningham. Not only did he manage the offense, but he also had two interceptions on defense to give his team excellent field position. 

“Jersie has grown throughout the year. He is a heck of a player and has been this whole time here. He is just a sophomore, so we have got two more years left with him. We expect big plays out of him, and that is what he does each and every week,” Blake said. 

“Jersie has grown throughout the year. He is a heck of a player and has been this whole time here. He is just a sophomore, so we have got two more years left with him. We expect big plays out of him, and that is what he does each and every week,”

Walnut Ridge head coach Jeffery Blake

Osceola’s first drive of the game ended with a touchdown thanks to utilizing the NFL Philadelphia Eagles’ trending play, the ‘tush push’ to convert on a third and fourth down. 

That drive helped the Seminoles knock off five minutes on the clock.

The Bobcats responded with Perez scoring his first touchdown from 20 yards, as well as converting on the two-point conversion to take an 8-6 lead late in the first quarter. 

Walnut Ridge would eventually get the ball back from a Cunningham interception, but then Cunningham threw an interception with Osceola recovering. 

The Seminoles’ next drive was stalled to a punt, when the punt was blocked and recovered by the Bobcats in excellent field position. 

Tate would go on to score his first rushing touchdown to increase the lead, 16-6 before halftime.

After multiple flags on Osceola’s first drive of the second half, they would go on to score a red zone touchdown and convert a two-point conversion to minimize Walnut Ridge’s lead. 

Walnut Ridge found a way to drive down the field with Tate scoring his second rushing touchdown in a goal-line situation, leading 24-14 midway through the third quarter. 

The Seminoles were not going down without a fight, when having a methodical drive to score a touchdown with one second left in the third quarter. 

Osceola’s hopes of a victory were closed when Perez scored a 69-yard rushing touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter.

The Seminoles drove down the field in a red zone opportunity but could not complete a comeback when Cunningham snagged his second interception of the night.

Walnut Ridge was able to run out the clock and seal a victory, giving them a 6-2 record on the season. 

Coach Blake gave his overall takeaways from the game. 

“Just a great football game, great atmosphere. Osceola is a heck of a team, and they were very athletic and fast. I was proud of our guys for sticking together down the stretch and kept it going,” Blake said. 

The Bobcats will travel to play Manila in a conference matchup next Friday. 

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Brayden Morse

Brayden Morse is a multimedia journalism major in the School of Media and Journalism at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. He can be reached at brayden.morse@smail.astate.edu.

NOTE: Feature photo by Dave Adamson on Unsplash

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Nettleton vs. Southside

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Southerners capture Raiders, 42-17

Delta Digital News Service

Friday, Oct. 13, 2023

Brayden Morse | Sports Editor

JONESBORO, Ark. – The Southside Southerners remain undefeated with a strong second half to beat the Nettleton Raiders 42-17 on Friday night at Raider Stadium.

Southerners quarterback Savion Hall scored four total touchdowns, one passing and the other three rushing, but Nettleton had the momentum early and fought, keeping the score 21-17 at halftime.

Southside went for an onside kick to start the game with Nettleton recovering in Southerners’ territory. 

Running back TJ Brown led the Raiders to their first score on their first drive, with three straight rushing plays to reach the endzone. Nettleton then decided to do their own onside kick and recovered at the 34-yard line. 

Nettleton’s TJ Brown (10) runs the ball against Southside during first half action in Jonesboro on Friday, October 13, 2023.

The Raiders’ drive was stalled to a successful field goal attempt by Mason Waln, giving them a 10-0 lead. 

Southside would eventually respond with Hall running straight up the middle for a 30-yard touchdown. 

The Southerners gained quick momentum when Raider quarterback Maddox Hampton threw an interception around midfield in a triple coverage scenario. 

Southside took advantage of the excellent field position with a 32-yard rushing touchdown by Hall, leading 14-10. 

The back and forth game continued, as Brown scored his second rushing touchdown on a 40-yard play to get the lead back early in the second quarter at 17-14. 

Hall’s final rushing touchdown occurred in a goal-line situation to regain the lead before halftime. 

On Southside’s opening drive of the second half, Hall threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to running back Isaac Wallis, leading 28-14. 

Nettleton drove down the field on their next drive but failed to execute on fourth down, resulting in a turnover on downs. 

After that, the Southerners would go on to score two more touchdowns and run the clock out.

The Raiders are now 6-2, looking to bounce back next week as they travel to play Forrest City in a conference matchup. 

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Brayden Morse

Brayden Morse is a multimedia journalism major in the School of Media and Journalism at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. He can be reached at brayden.morse@smail.astate.edu.

NOTE: Feature photo shows Nettleton’s Maddox Hampton preparing to throw the ball against Southside during first half action on Friday, October 13, 2023. Photo by Ibuki Hinohara

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Brookland vs. Southside

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Southerners skin Bearcats, 38-0

Delta Digital News Service

Friday, Oct. 6, 2023

Brayden Morse | Sports Editor

JONESBORO, Ark. – The Southside Southerners spoiled the Brookland Bearcats’ homecoming in shutout fashion with an impressive rushing attack on Friday night at Jordan’s Stadium.

Southside’s Savion Hall (11) tries to get through Brookland’s Barrett Cunningham (18) during first half action on Friday, October 6, 2023.

The long runs were established from the get-go, as Southside wide receiver Seth Case ran for 41 yards on a motion play to put the Southerners in a redzone opportunity on their first drive of the game. 

Running back Gabriel Witt finished the drive with a goal-line touchdown midway through the first quarter. 

Brookland head coach Mark Hindsley addressed Southside’s ability to run the ball on their offensive line. 

“It’s hard to stop them. When their offensive line blocks until the whistle and they do the things they do up front, that is why they had success,” Hindsley said. 

As Brookland geared up for kickoff, Southside recovered the ball in Bearcat territory. Case scored a 31-yard rushing touchdown, giving the Southerners a 14-0 lead early in the first half.

The Bearcats’ defense held the Southerners’ offense on back-to-back drives but could not capitalize on the opportunities. 

After a failed fake punt by Southside resulting in a turnover on downs, Brookland quarterback Hayden Elder threw an interception on the second drive of the game.

Southside would get excellent field position but were stopped to a field-goal try, making the score 17-0 midway through the second quarter. 

The Bearcats were once stopped again on offense, while Southerners quarterback Savion Hall rolled out of the pocket for a 51-yard rushing touchdown right before halftime. 

Unfortunately for Brookland, Southside would get the ball to start the second half. After a failed onside kick by the Bearcats, Witt ran for 37 yards to put the Southerners in another goal-line situation. 

Running back Louis Calhoun punched in for a score, Southside leading 31-0 early in the third quarter. 

The Southerners eventually got the ball back as the Bearcat offense could not connect down the field with passes. 

Back-to-back long runs from the Witt and Case duo, led to their second straight drive with a goal-line situation. Case capped off the drive with his second rushing touchdown of the game. 

Entering the fourth quarter, Brookland was still looking for their first score. Their next drive was stalled as Elder threw his second interception of the game. 

Southside ran the clock out to win 38-0. 

Coach Hindsley expressed his thoughts on the outcome of the game and what the team needs to do moving forward. 

“There were no positives (takeaways). Negatives, there were a bunch of them. We have just got to get better. We have got to get better as a team. We have to get better offensively and defensively. We have to get more focused and have the right mindset going into every week,” Hindsley said. 

Brookland is now 1-4 on the season and looking to get back in the win column as they travel to play Valley View in a conference matchup next Friday. 

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Brayden Morse

Brayden Morse is a multimedia journalism major in the School of Media and Journalism at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. He can be reached at brayden.morse@smail.astate.edu.

NOTE: Featured photo shows Brookland’s Tyler Hammett (12) pushing through Southside’s defense during first half action on Friday. Courtesy of Terrance Armstard

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Nettleton vs. Batesville

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Nettleton offensive trio help edges out Batesville, 34-20

Delta Digital News Service

Sept. 22, 2023

By Brayden Morse | Sports Editor

JONESBORO, Ark. – Nettleton’s offensive trio helped edge Batesville as the Raiders beat the Pioneers 34-20 Saturday night at Raider Stadium.

Quarterback Maddox Hampton, running back TJ Brown and wide receiver Curtez Smith combined for four of the five Raider touchdowns. 

Nettleton Head Coach Steven Hampton discussed his offensive trio and their performance. 

“They ran hard, they ran great tonight and Maddox throwing the ball as well. We feel like we have some weapons and we just have to figure out ways to utilize them,” Hampton said. 

“They ran hard, they ran great tonight and Maddox throwing the ball as well. We feel like we have some weapons and we just have to figure out ways to utilize them,” Hampton said. 

Nettleton Head Coach Steven Hampton

After Nettleton failed to execute on their second drive of the game, they were forced to punt but recovered a fumble by the returner to put the Raiders at Batesville’s 20-yard line. 

Brown converted on third down to put Nettleton in a goal-line situation. Smith then punched in a rushing touchdown to tie the game at seven early in the second quarter. 

On Batesville’s next drive, they took advantage of the Raiders’ penalties allowing them to drive down the field . Running back Owen McLaughlin scored his second rushing touchdown for 15 yards as the Pioneers led 14-7 midway through the second quarter. 

Batesville’s Owen McLaughlin (7) runs the ball against Nettleton during first-half action in Jonesboro, Friday, September 22, 2023.

Hampton connected with Smith for a 10-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 14 late in the second quarter. 

Right before halftime, Batesville found a way to kick a field goal to put them up 17-14.

The Raiders came out with a bang in the second half, with Hampton throwing a 40-yard pass to wide receiver Quordarius Thompson. Hampton ended the drive with a goal-line touchdown to put Nettleton up 20-17. 

After the Raider defense stopped the Pioneer offense, a string of short plays for Nettleton resulted in another goal-line situation where Brown scored a rushing touchdown on a wildcat formation to increase Nettleton’s lead 27-17. 

Back-to-back-to-back turnovers occurred on three straight drives between the two offenses, as Batesville eventually got the ball midway through the fourth quarter.

After a fourth down conversion by the Pioneers, their offense could not get anything else going as they had to settle for a field goal. Batesville minimized Nettleton’s lead 27-20. 

The Pioneers were forced to kick an onside kick late in the fourth quarter, as the Raiders recovered at Batesville’s 45-yard line. 

Running back Xavier Harrell sealed the win with a 22-yard rushing touchdown, putting Nettleton up 34-20 with about a minute left in the game. 

Coach Hampton shared his positive takeaways from the win.

“The first half was about as ugly as it could be. There were not any pointing fingers, it was a lot of pulling together. There were a lot of guys saying hey we got this and we just need to clean it up. That is the biggest takeaway, it is just the mindset. If our guys can grasp a hold of that and come together as a team, I think the sky is the limit for this group,” Hampton said. 

Nettlelton looks to get their second-straight conference win next game, as they travel to play Brookland.

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Brayden Morse

Brayden Morse is a junior in the multimedia journalism program in the School of Media and Journalism at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro.

NOTE: Photos courtesy of Terrance Armstard

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Westside Warriors vs. Heber Springs Panthers

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Panthers ravage Warriors, 42-8

Delta Digital News Service

Friday, Sept. 15, 2023

By Brayden Morse | Sports Editor

JONESBORO, Ark. – The rushing attack helped Heber Springs dominate in Westside’s senior night massacre as the Panthers defeated the Warriors 42-8.

All seven of the Panthers’ touchdowns were rushing by four different players. 

On the Panthers’ first drive of the game, they scored on three plays consisting of runs by running back Weston Warden, fullback Eli Buffalo and running back Parker Brown capping off the drive with a red zone touchdown.

The Warriors’ second drive was also a string of run plays that ended on a turnover on downs around the goal line to give the Panthers the ball back. 

Heber Springs took advantage of Westside’s turnover on downs with an 82-yard rushing touchdown from quarterback Liam Buffalo, to put the Panthers up 14-0 early in the second quarter.

Westside’s Colton Carter (19) looks for an opportunity to pass the ball against Heber Springs during first half action in Jonesboro, Friday, September 15, 2023.

Westside Head Coach Bobby Engle discussed his thoughts on the defensive side during the first half. 

“On defense, we have got to tackle better. We put ourselves in the right position, we just did not make the tackles,” Engle said. 

“On defense, we have got to tackle better. We put ourselves in the right position, we just did not make the tackles,”

Coach Bobby Engle, Warriors Head Coach

Turnovers were also another issue for Westside with a fumble and interception on back-to-back drives.

Running back Dakota Neely fumbled at the 20-yard line with the Panthers recovering in excellent field position. Heber Springs would go on to score another rushing touchdown from running back Eli Buffalo.

Warriors quarterback Colton Carter rolled out of the pocket throwing an interception, while the Panthers once again took advantage of the Warrior turnovers with Liam Buffalo scoring his second rushing touchdown and a 28-0 lead late in the second quarter. 

Heber Springs would eventually get the ball back before halftime, as Eli Buffalo scored a 62-yard rushing touchdown. 

“We have got to play a complete game. We have not done that in three weeks in three games and we have lost. It shows. When we put it together and we do things right then we will win football games,” Engle said. 

Not much scoring happened in the second half, but Warden found his way into the endzone to join the four-player touchdown club as the Panther’s domination continued with a 42-0 lead.

The Warriors scored their one and only touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Carter connected with tight end Jordan Hall to get Westside in scoring position, then running back Gavin Nets finished the drive off with a rushing touchdown. 

Both teams will be on the road for their first conference matchups, as Westside will play Trumann and Heber Springs will play Cave City. 

Coach Engle had some words for their upcoming game against Trumann.

“The game plan is to do what we are coached to do. That is something we have to do,” Engle said. 

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Brayden Morse

Brayden Morse is a junior in the multimedia journalism program in the School of Media & Journalism at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro.

NOTE: Photos courtesy of Terrance Armstard

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Jonesboro vs. DeSoto Central

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Jaguars pounce out the Golden Hurricane 29-13

Delta Digital News Service

Sept. 8, 2023

By Brayden Morse | Sports Editor

JONESBORO, Ark. – DeSoto Central capitalized on Jonesboro’s turnovers and penalties with multiple scores to give the Jaguars a 29-13 victory over the Golden Hurricane Friday night at Cooksey-Johns Field.

Jonesboro quarterback Terrance Brown threw two costly interceptions to give DeSoto Central the ball in excellent field position throughout the game. 

Jonesboro’s Chris Stacy (3) makes a touchdown after catching a pass during first-half action against DeSoto Central on Friday, September 8, 2023. Atsuki Ohbuchi

Brown’s first interception and a team fumble resulted in the Jaguars scoring twice as well as a two-point conversion to give them a 15-0 lead before halftime. 

With 11 seconds remaining in the first half, Brown rolled out of the pocket and redeemed himself with a 42-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Chris Stacy for a 15-7 score.

DeSoto Central’s starting quarterback Eric Perry Jr. was injured in the first half and replaced by Jaden Norwood. Perry Jr. then returned for the second half of play. 

Running back/kick returner Lenden Fairley returned a kick for 80 yards to put the Jaguars in the red zone. Running back Jordan Cannon capped off the drive with a goal-line rushing touchdown, DeSoto up 22-7.

The Hurricanes responded with their own long kick return by Avion Jones right at the 50-yard line, but the next play was a fumble recovered by the Jaguars.

DeSoto’s next drive ended quickly with a botched snap, giving them a fourth and long situation and a punt back to Jonesboro. 

The very next play that the Hurricanes got the ball back, Brown threw his second interception of the night. 

Perry Jr. then led his team down the field with Cannon scoring another goal-line rushing touchdown, DeSoto up 29-7 in the third quarter. 

Stacy caught his second receiving touchdown but this time it was from backup quarterback Asa Myers to minimize the Jaguars’ lead 29-13 late in the fourth quarter, but not enough time left to come back for a miracle win.

The Hurricane will play its fourth straight home game against Cabot for the team’s first conference matchup of the season while DeSoto Central travels to Malvern in a non-district matchup.

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Brayden Morse

Brayden Morse is a junior in the multimedia journalism program in the School of Media and Journalism at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro.

NOTE: Photos courtesy of Terrance Armstard.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Valley View vs. Forrest City

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Blazers tame Mustangs for homecoming win, 54 – 20

Delta Digital News Service

Brayden Morse | Sports Editor

JONESBORO, Ark. – Defense and special teams dominance helped the Valley View Blazers to victory over the Forrest City Mustangs on homecoming at Central Dealerships Stadium on Friday night. 

Valley View had three defensive touchdowns in the first quarter and two special teams touchdowns in the first half.

Blazers Head Coach Sean Cockrell addressed his thoughts on the defense and special teams in the first half in the 54-20 win.

“It was awesome. I thought we played well on all sides of the ball, but to get three defensive touchdowns in the first quarter is crazy. Kickoff return was great, the overhead punt getting out of the endzone. We scouted really well and had a great gameplan. The kids executed it,” he said.

Forrest City fumbled on their first drive of the game with Valley View linebacker Brian Huff recovering for a 25-yard touchdown with eight minutes left in the first quarter, taking a 14-0 lead. 

Valley View’s Zane Guthrie (9) tries to shake Forrest City’s Lee Smith (28) during first half action in Jonesboro, Friday, September 29, 2023.

The Mustangs responded back with a 73-yard touchdown pass, for their first of three touchdowns of the game.

The very next kickoff, Blazer kick returner/wide receiver TJ Starks scored on an 81-yard return. Forrest City got the ball back and fumbled again, while Valley View free safety Laird Cullen recovered. The Blazers once again had great field position.

Valley View capitalized with a 17-yard rushing touchdown from running back Zane Guthrie, leading 28-6 midway through the first quarter. 

The Blazers added two special teams touchdowns back-to-back punts. Linebacker Jayde Taylor recovered and scored the first, while cornerback Kenneth Robinson scored the second. 

The score was 48-6 at halftime, so it was time to take the starters out. 

“We wanted to take them out and did in the second quarter. They scored a couple late in the second half and we got kind of nervous. We had a lot of guys play tonight, probably about 70 guys so we are excited about that,” Cockrell said. 

“We wanted to take them out and did in the second quarter. They scored a couple late in the second half and we got kind of nervous. We had a lot of guys play tonight, probably about 70 guys so we are excited about that.”

– Sean Cockerel, Blazers Head Coach

Valley View went on to score only one touchdown in the second half but ran the ball majority of the time to drain the clock while leading big. Forrest City fought hard for their two touchdowns in the second half but did not have enough time on the clock to complete a comeback. 

The Blazers will travel to play Wynne next Friday at 7 p.m. Coach Cockrell gave his thoughts on how to relay this win to next week’s conference game. 

“We said we wanted to be 2-0 (in conference) and we are. We know Wynne has so much tradition and they are a really good football team. It is going to be tough so we know we are going to have to focus next week to go down there and try to get a win,” he said.

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Brayden Morse

Brayden Morse is a multimedia journalism major in the School of Media and Journalism at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro.

NOTE: Photos courtesy of Terrance Armstard

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Jonesboro vs. Lake Hamilton

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Wolves topple Golden Hurricane 27-20

Delta Digital News Service

Sept. 1, 2023

By Brayden Morse | Sports Editor

JONESBORO, Ark. – Lake Hamilton Wolves’ air-raid offense attack helped defeat the Jonesboro Hurricanes 27-20.

Lake Hamilton’s Derryn Owens (3) shakes Jonesboro defender Christian Taylor (21) during first half action on Friday, September 1, 2023. Photo by Terrance Armstard

The Wolves’ quarterback Easton Hurley had two first-half touchdown passes of 49 yards or more. His first touchdown pass was a connection to Derryn Owens for 55 yards, giving Lake Hamilton a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter.

Before Hurley’s second touchdown pass, Hurricane wide receiver Chris Stacy recovered a muffed punt by the returner to put Jonesboro at the 28-yard line at the beginning of the second quarter. Running back Markevious Pickett capped off the drive with a goal-line touchdown to tie the game at seven.

Hurley then responded with a 49-yard touchdown to running back Coy Autrey on a play-action wheel route to put the Wolves up 13-7 with less than three minutes until halftime.

Jonesboro Head Coach Tyler George praised Lake Hamilton’s quarterback and discussed Autrey’s touchdown reception from lost coverage.

“We got lost in coverage right there. We knew their quarterback could throw it. I talked to their head coach before the game about how their style of offense with the type of quarterback they have, is hard to prepare for,” George said.

“We got lost in coverage right there. We knew their quarterback could throw it. I talked to their head coach before the game about how their style of offense with the type of quarterback they have, is hard to prepare for,” George said.

–Jonesboro Head Coach Tyler George

To start the second half, Jonesboro quarterback Terrance Brown connected with wide receiver Kelen Smith for 46 yards, but fumbled the ball with Lake Hamilton recovering.

The Wolves capitalized on the fumble recovery with a 65-yard rushing touchdown by Hayden Barton to give Lake Hamilton a 21-7 lead with a little less than five minutes left in the third quarter.

Jonesboro responded with a 40-yard pass from Brown to Stacy to put them in Wolves’ territory. Even with the long connection, the Hurricanes were unable to score and turned the ball over.

“We have to be able to score the ball more and we will. We will continue to get better. We got stuck in the joy of last week. Again, it starts with me,” George said.

Jonesboro eventually got the ball back and took advantage with a long reception to tight end Myreion Taylor at the one-yard line. Pickett finished the drive with his second rushing touchdown, minimizing Lake Hamilton’s lead 21-13 early in the fourth quarter.

Hurricane defensive end K.J. Anderson came up with a clutch third down sack, to put the Wolves in a fourth and 23 situation.

After the sack, Brown threw an interception to lose all of Jonesboro’s hope.

On Lake Hamilton’s next drive, Autrey punched in a goal-line touchdown to put the nail in the coffin 27-13 late in the fourth quarter.

Brown bounced back with a 60-yard touchdown pass to Stacy to put the game within reach at 27–20.

Lake Hamilton was able to run the clock out on their next drive to defeat the Hurricanes for the second-straight year.

Despite the loss, Stacy won player of the game with well over the century mark for receiving yards along with a touchdown reception.

Stacy’s coach had positive words for his performance.

“I don’t know what his stat line was tonight but he proved that he has arrived. His performance was really well and it can’t just be him. It has to be everybody and we have talent to get it done. We just fell short tonight,” George said.

Jonesboro looks to bounce back in week three while staying at home in a non-conference matchup against DeSoto Central. Lake Hamilton will attempt to continue their winning ways while traveling to play Little Rock Christian Academy in a conference matchup.

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Brayden Morse

Brayden Morse is a multimedia journalism major in the School of Media and Journalism at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro.

Note: Feature photo courtesy of Terrance Armstard

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Westside vs Brookland

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Brookland’s Sinquan Spratt (6) runs the ball against Westside during Friday night’s game. Spratt scored two touchdowns in the Bearcats’ 39-0 victory over the Warriors.

Big plays send Bearcats to 39-0 rout of Warriors

Delta Digital News Service

Friday, August 25, 2023

By Brayden Morse | Sports Editor

JONESBORO, Ark. – As the Brookland Bearcats dominated the Westside Warriors right from the get-go, with the help of explosive plays, they were able to shutout the Warriors 39-0.

On the Bearcats’ first drive of the game, sophomore quarterback #11 Hayden Elder scored a 70-yard rushing touchdown. The Warriors were then held to a three-and-out, resulting in Elder connecting with sophomore wide receiver #16 Garrett Mays on a 68-yard pass to put Brookland in the red zone.

Junior running back #28 Malachi Stinett rushed for an eight-yard touchdown to give the Bearcats a 12-0 lead along with their first two drives resulting in scores.

Westside’s head coach Bobby Engle had positive remarks despite the loss, along with wanting better awareness from his players.

“The stuff we saw tonight that went wrong, we can fix. We came out flat and stayed flat. Got our butts handed to us,” Engle said.

“The stuff we saw tonight that went wrong, we can fix. We came out flat and stayed flat. Got our butts handed to us.”

– Westside HS Head Coach Bobby Engle

With ticks remaining in the first quarter, junior wide receiver/running back #6 Sinquan Spratt improvised finding an open lane halfway across the field scoring a 68-yard rushing touchdown increasing Brookland’s lead to 18-0.

The Warriors offense unfolded in the first half, with multiple false start penalties and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that set them in poor field position.

“You cannot be undisciplined and get unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. I do not even know how many penalties we had, but we had way too many. We have to get that stuff fixed,” Engle said.

The Bearcat defense opened the second quarter by recovering a fumble straight at the 50-yard line to set the offense up with another opportunity to score. On the next drive, Elder scored his second touchdown of the game with a 10-yard rush on a read-option play to give Brookland a 24-0 lead.

Westside’s offensive struggles continued with back-to-back three-and-outs. While the Warriors struggled for points, the Bearcats scored two more touchdowns before halftime.

Spratt scored a 40-yard rushing touchdown, as well as contributing to the next drive with a 29-yard rush to put Brookland at Westside’s four-yard line. Elder then threw a four-yard passing touchdown to junior wide receiver #18 Barrett Cunningham, increasing the lead to 39-0 at halftime.

Brookland head coach Mark Hindsley has previously stated that a lot of the offense starts in the backfield, and that was evident in their performance.

There were a total of five touchdowns scored in the first half alone by the duo of Spratt and Elder, along with a touchdown run by Stinnett.

The second half was quiet with nobody scoring and lots of rushing plays to drain the clock out.

Hindsley’s offensive plan of run and play-action worked the entirety of the first half.

Engle plans to stick with the same offensive scheme despite the shutout.

“We do not change our system because it is what we run. We just have to do a better job executing,” he said.

In week two, Brookland will travel to Gosnell in a non-conference game, while Westside will travel to Hoxie in a non-conference game as they seek to avenge themselves in non-conference play.

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Brayden Morse

Brayden Morse is a multimedia journalism major in the School of Media and Journalism at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro.

Note: Featured image courtesy of Terrance Armstard.