Harding Academy sailed over the Pirates 42-7 Friday night to advance to the third round of the playoffs.

After the Wildcats botched the snap on their opening drive, they recovered quickly as they picked apart the Pirates defense and marched downfield. A completion from quarterback Will Francis to Trey Davis on fourth down gave the ‘Cats an early lead. The Pirates responded with a 45-yard run by Micheal Lewis.

Pirate quarterback Darian Foud was picked off by Landry Shipman and the Wildcats never looked back. Harding Academy found the end zone four more times in the first half to lead 35-0 at the break.

— The Daily Citizen

Three White County teams advanced their dreams of a state championship Friday night, while two others saw their seasons come to an end in first-round playoff action Friday night.

Searcy 41, Little Rock McClellan 14

Searcy’s first play from scrimmage, a lost fumble, didn’t go how the Lions planned.

However, Searcy was on point for the rest of its first round playoff game, defeating McClellan 41-14 at Lion stadium.

Running back Antwan Arnold started the scoring with a 1-yard touchdown run. Then, quarterback Dezmond Stegall connected a 57-yard touchdown pass to Darius Bowman and a 45-yard strike to Arnold.

In the first play of the second half, Cam Woodruff recorded an ankle-breaking 55-yard touchdown run that put the game far out of McClellan’s reach.

Searcy will host Pine Bluff in the second round at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Harding Academy 48, Mountain View 6

Harding Academy continued to steamroll through 3A opponents Friday night in the first round of the playoffs, beating Mountain View 48-6.

The Wildcats allowed the Yellow Jackets to score on their opening possession for the only time Friday night. The Mountain View defense could not contain Wildcat David Brooker, who scored 4 touchdowns for Harding Academy.

The Wildcats will host Greenland for a second-round playoff game Friday at First Security Stadium.

Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.

Beebe 54, Watson Chapel 48

Beebe pulled off a road upset in the first round of the playoffs Friday night, defeating Watson Chapel 54-48 to advance to the state quarterfinals.

Head John Shannon’s strategy of ball control worked well, as the Badgers held onto the ball for 83 offensive plays — more than double the number of plays ran by Watson Chapel. Beebe recorded 511 total yards of offense — 457 yards rushing and 54 yards passing.

“We knew with their athletes, we would have trouble with them in open space and we wanted to hold onto the football and eat the clock,” Shannon said.

The Badgers will visit Camden-Fairview in the second round of the playoffs Friday night. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

Greenland 42, Riverview 21

Riverview’s season ended in a sea of turnovers.

The Raiders committed five second-half turnovers Friday night, falling to Greenland 42-21 in the opening round of the class 3A state playoffs.

Riverview (4-7) took a 21-14 lead when McKenzie Jones ran for a 4-yard touchdown with 2:50 left in the first half, but from there it was all Greenland.

The Pirates (9-2) scored with 8 seconds left in the half to tie the game, then took the lead for good less than four minutes into the second half.

Camden Harmony Grove 36, Bald Knob 14

Bald Knob’s inability to stop third and fourth down plays, combined with a slow-moving offensive, led to the Bulldogs getting ousted from the 3A state playoffs at the hands of Camden Harmony Grove Friday night, 36-14.

Trevor Hydron put up the first of the Bulldogs’ scores, a 45-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Cordell Crisp. Tyler Gilmore punched in the 2-point conversion.

Gilmore also rushed for a 3-yard touchdown for Bald Knob’s second score, but the effort wasn’t enough to keep the Bulldogs alive.

“Adding softball is something we have discussed at Harding for a long time,” said Harding athletics director Greg Harnden. “With our move to the Great American Conference, we feel like the timing is right.”

Harding had softball in 1983, 1984 and 1985 and won the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference championship in both the ’84 and ’85 seasons, but discontinued the softball team following the 1985 season because no other schools in the AIC planned to field teams during the 1986 season.

Two local schools will open the playoffs at home on Friday, while three others will hit the road in their quests for state titles.

Searcy, No. 2 seed in the 6A East, will start at home against the No. 7 seed from the south, Little Rock Fair. Head Coach Tim Harper said his team has a lot of heart and is hoping to carry the momentum from the Lions’ four-game winning streak into the playoffs.

Harding Academy, winner of Conference 2-3A, will open at home against Mountain View, the No. 5 seed in Conference 1-3A. Head Coach Roddy Mote said the Wildcats are excited to get a home playoff game and hope to make another run to the championship game in Little Rock Dec. 9.

Riverview, No. 4 seed in Conference 2-3A, will travel to face Greenland, the No. 3 seed in Conference 1-3A.

Bald Knob, No. 4 seed in Conference 3-3A, will travel to face Camden Harmony Grove, No. 2 seed in Conference 7-3A.

Beebe, No. 3 seed in the 5A East, will travel to face Watson Chapel, No. 2 seed in the Southeast. Head Coach John Shannon said he felt the Badgers were competitive against No. 1 Batesville Friday, and feels like they can make a good playoff run.

All playoff games will be Friday at 7:30 p.m.

From The Daily Citizen

Harding Lady Wildcats Celebrate their 2011 State Cross Country Championship.

With only one runner finishing in the top ten, the Lady Wildcats victory illustrated that Cross Country is a real TEAM sport as they raced to the 2011 Class AAA state championship.

Harding Academy 48 Rose Bud 8

ROSE BUD — Harding Academy started slow against Rose Bud Thursday, but the Wildcats got rolling in the second half and won the all-White County matchup, 48-8.

The Ramblers opened the scoring with a 33-yard touchdown run by Coleton Greninger. The Wildcats answered with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Will Francis to Tucker Lloyd.

The Harding Academy defense held Rose Bud for the rest of the game, and its offense added touchdowns by Jay Bona, Hunter Gentry and David Brooker en route to the win.

Bald Knob 87 Harrisburg 52

The Bulldogs (4-6, 3-4) advance to the first round of the playoffs next Friday, when they will visit Camden Harmony Grove.

Bald Knob led at the end of the first quarter 27-14 and went into halftime with a 57-32 lead. The Bulldogs led 71-52 at the end of the third before scoring 16 more points in the fourth.

Bald Knob quarterback Cordell Crisp recorded 7 total touchdowns in the contest. He was 18-28 passing with 358 yards and 5 scores. He also rushed four times for 67 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Malachi Watson led the Bulldogs in rushing with seven carries for 118 yards and a touchdown. Tyler Gilmore had 104 yards on eight carries and 2 touchdowns, and added four receptions for 85 yards and a score.

Chris Joyce led all Bald Knob receivers with seven catches for 151 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Riverview 21 Arkansas Baptist 41

Riverview couldn’t do enough to pull off a road upset over Arkansas Baptist Thursday night, falling short 41-21.

The Raiders started strong by putting together an 80-yard drive that was capped off by a McKenzie Jones 5-yard run in the first quarter, but the Eagles found paydirt three times in the first half to send Riverview to the locker room with a 21-7 deficit.

Cole Butler scored on a 6-yard run and 8-yard run in the third and fourth quarters to account for the Raiders’ final two scores.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Searcy 28 Mountain Home 21

Searcy came out on top of the seesaw battle on the road Friday night, defeating Mountain Home 28-21 to wrap up the regular season and secure the No. 2 seed in the conference.

The Lions end the season with a record of 8-2 (5-2) and will host Little Rock McClellan in the first round of the playoffs next week.

Senior quarterback Dezmond Stegall had a big night for Searcy, rushing for 2 touchdowns and 45 and 21 yards, and senior tight end Johnathan Powell added some key receptions in the contest.

The win gives Searcy a four-game winning streak heading into the postseason.

Batesvill 28 Beebe 14

BEEBE — The Badgers moved the ball well throughout the game against Batesville Friday night, but two interceptions and mistakes on defense allowed the Pioneers to get a win over host Beebe, 28-14.

Down 21-0, Beebe’s first score wasn’t until the third quarter when Dustin Stallnacker completed a 65-yard touchdown pass to Ethan Boyce.

The score livened the crowd, but the Badgers could not capitalize on Batesville miscues late in the game, falling to the conference No. 1 at home.

Beebe advances to playoff action next week, where they hold the No. 3 seed in the 5A east.

From — The Daily Citizen

The Lady Wildcats and Head Coach Michal Giboney, background, react after scoring their final point to secure the Class 3A state championship over Mansfield Saturday night in Conway. Image:Jacob Brower - Daily Citizen

Saturday night in Conway, she became a state champion.

In only its fourth year of existence and second year as a varsity program, the Lady Wildcats capped off a 33-2 season with a victory in the state championship over Mansfield in four sets (25-9, 18-25, 27-25, 25-14).

“It feels awesome,” the 5-9 Coleman said amidst getting hugs and shedding tears with her teammates. “This is an awesome way to end my senior year.”

Teammate Emily Giboney was named the game’s most valuable player. The 5-7 junior said she was happy with the way her team performed on the big stage.

“This feels amazing,” she said. “For us to win state in second year of varsity, that’s something to be proud of. We pulled together and worked hard to get to this point.”

Harding Academy Head Coach Michal Giboney said she was proud of the way her players performed Saturday night and throughout the past season.

“This is incredible — there’s nothing like it,” she said, minutes after the Lady Wildcats were presented their trophy. “I knew these girls were capable of doing it. They have great chemistry together.”

Coach Giboney said she is thankful for support from the crowd — which mostly consisted of Harding Academy students and fans.

“Look at all the people who came,” she said. “We have great fans.”

The Daily Citizen

Four White County teams won and two fell in Week 9 of the high school football season Friday night.

Searcy 46, Little Rock Hall 21

Searcy got off to a slow start Friday, but the Lions found their game in the second half and reeled off a 46-21 win over Little Rock Hall to go undefeated at home this season.

The Lions didn’t lead in the contest until there were 7 seconds left in the first half. Darius Bowman stripped the ball from Hall’s running back, setting up Stegall for an 11-yard touchdown strike to Johnathan Powell for an 18-14 lead at intermission.

In the second half, Stegall, Trevor Holden and Chase Caple added scores to secure the win for Searcy.

Harding Academy 48, Brinkley 0

Harding Academy continued steamrolling through 3A-2 play with a 48-0 shellacking of the Brinkley Friday night.

The scoring charge was led by junior Hunter Gentry who recorded 3 touchdowns. Seniors David Brooker and Tucker Lloyd and sophomores Trey Davis and Trevor Smith also contributed with touchdowns.

The Wildcat defense held the Tigers scoreless and forced several turnovers, including a pick-6 for Gentry with no time left in the first half.

Harding Academy closes out the regular season next week at Rose Bud.

Beebe 24, Nettleton 16

It may not have been pretty, but the Badgers did what they had to do to secure a win and earn a spot in the playoffs Friday night.

Beebe won the game 24-16 and went into the locker room at halftime up 11-0. The Badgers appeared to start putting it away in the second half, going up 18-0, but Nettleton rallied to score 16 unanswered points. Senior quarterback Dustin Stallnacker’s 18-yard scamper put Beebe back on the board to clinch the victory.

Stallnacker led the Badgers’ rushing attack with 151 yards on 15 carries and running back Jay Holdway added 109 yards on the ground.

Beebe will wrap up the season at home against Batesville at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Rose Bud 60, Episcopal Collegiate 38

Rose Bud was firing on all cylinders Friday and was perfect in the red zone on its way to a 60-38 win over Episcopal Collegiate for homecoming Friday night.

Up 30-6, the Ramblers turned the ball over three consecutive times to allow the Wildcats to get within 10. However, sophomore Cole Robertson’s 33 carries for 373 yards and 5 touchdowns led Rose Bud to the big win.

The Ramblers finished the contest with a total of 483 yards rushing on 48 attempts for seven touchdowns.

Barton 27, Riverview 14

Barton stunned the Riverview at home 27-14 Friday night.

When the Bears fumbled the opening kickoff, the Raiders took advantage by scoring on their opening drive. Despite the fast start, Barton’s defense kept the Raiders scoreless for the remainder of the first half.

The Bears’ offense saw the end zone twice in the first half with a score by Hunter Mauldin in the first quarter. Barton quarterback Laquarius Hall found receiver Justice Cole for a 50-yard score in the second quarter. Barton led the home team 13-7 at the end of the half en route to the victory.

Hoxie 41, Bald Knob 28

Bald Knob’s inconsistency proved costly Friday, as the Bulldogs fell on the road to Hoxie, 41-28.

The Bulldogs’ offense was held scoreless in the first half for the first time this season, but the defense stayed strong. In the second half, the offense put up 28 points, but the defense stalled out and couldn’t get off the field.

Quarterback Cordell Crisp went 33-of-58 for 395 yards, 3 touchdowns and two interceptions. Tyler Gilmore finished with 113 total yards and two touchdowns. Caleb Mason and Joe Stelly led the defense with nine tackles each.

— The Daily Citizen

Two White County teams recorded victories Friday night, while four others fells short with two weeks left in the regular season.

Searcy 28, Jonesboro 24

The Lions picked up one of its biggest wins in the program’s history Friday night, going on the road to Jonesboro to defeat Jonesboro 28-24.

Jonesboro was previously undefeated in conference play. Searcy improves to 6-2 overall and 3-2 in the conference.

The end of the contest was a seesaw battle. Jonesboro went up 24-21 in the fourth quarter, but Searcy responded shortly thereafter with a touchdown to take a 28-24 lead. The Lions held the Jonesboro offense on its next possession and ran out the clock to preserve the victory.

Searcy returns home Friday to take on Little Rock Hall.

Harding Academy 47, Riverview 6

Harding Academy and Riverview were evenly matched early in Friday’s game, but once the Wildcats got rolling, they were unstoppable and came out victorious, 47-6.

Landry Shipman opened the scoring under four minutes in, and Riverview answered with 5:24 left in the first. However, turnovers haunted Riverview for the rest of the game, setting up scores by Shipman, Hunter Gentry, Tucker Lloyd and Trey Davis and David Brooker.

The Wildcats went into halftime up 33-6, then invoked the mercy rule in the third quarter and ran down the clock, securing the win.

Rivercrest 34, Bald Knob 19

Bald Knob fell to 3-5 overall and 3-2 in 3A play Friday night with a 34-19 loss to defending state champion Rivercrest at home.

The first half was a back and forth battle, the score 27-19 at the half, but the Bulldogs failed to cross the goal line in the second half.

Offensive miscues were the downfall for Bald Knob, with both a fumble and an interception in the red zone.

The Bulldogs take on Hoxie at 7 p.m. Friday.

Green County Tech 54, Beebe 49

Beebe’s offense remained strong Friday, but the defense and special teams struggled as the Badgers fell on the road to Green County Tech, 54-49.

Beebe falls to 5-3 overall and 3-2 in conference play.

After trailing most of the game, Beebe took the lead in the fourth quarter. However, Green County Tech responded with scores of their own and recovered two of their own onside kicks to seal the victory.

The Badgers recorded 447 yards of total offense in the contest.

Beebe will stay on the road next week as the team visits Nettleton at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Arkansas Baptist 46, Rose Bud 14

Rose Bud had another rough outing Friday night, falling on the road to Arkansas Baptist 46-14.

The Ramblers fall to 1-6 overall and 0-4 in conference play.

Despite the loss, Rose Bud Head Coach Steve Rose said he was pleased with the his team’s effort.

“The kids played hard all night long,” he said. “Baptist is a good football team.”

In the first quarter, Nick Cartwright threw a touchdown pass to Tyler Weatherly to cut the Ramblers’ deficit to 21-6. Running back Ethan Kurck scored on a 5-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter and Cole Robertson added the 2-point conversion.

Rose Bud will host Little Rock Episcopal for homecoming on Friday.

— The Daily Citizen

Five White County teams won on one team fell short in the seventh week of the high school football season Friday evening.

Searcy 41, Jacksonville 19

Led by Dezmond Stegall’s accurate arm and Antwan Arnold’s powerful legs, Searcy defeated Jacksonville 41-19 at home Friday.

Stegall opened the contest with a 1-yard touchdown run, then with two minutes left in the first quarter, connected a 20-yard touchdown strike to Cam Woodruff for a 14-0 lead.

Up 29-13 at the start of the second half, Antwan Arnold broke a 14-yard run and pushed four Jacksonville defenders from the 5-yard line into the end zone for a 27-13 lead.

In the fourth quarter, Deion Byrd intercepted a pass and ran it back for a touchdown to put the game out of Jacksonville’s reach.

Harding Academy 31, Mayflower 3

Harding Academy defeated Mayflower 31-3 Friday, with David Brooker leading the Wildcats with all 4 touchdowns.

Brooker opened his stellar night with a touchdown run in the first minute of game. The Wildcats recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and Brooker struck again with a 2-yard touchdown run to make the score 14-0 less than two minutes in.

The rest of the scores would come in the fourth quarter when Brooker caught a 20-yard touchdown reception, then punched in a 3-yard touchdown run near the game’s end.

Quarterback Will Francis threw for 251 yards and one touchdown.

Riverview 44, Episcopal Collegiate 15

Riverview continued its winning streak by dominating Little Rock Episcopal 44-15 on homecoming Friday night.

The Raiders started their dominance early in the game when Isaac Howard put the Raiders up 6-0 with a 24-yard touchdown run. The Raider offense continued to rack up points throughout the first half with a 7-yard run and 28-yard run, both by McKenzie Jones and a 37-yard field goal by Tony Rowley.

The Raiders’ defense put Jones in position to score a 4-yard touchdown after a Wildcat punt was blocked and back to the 4- yard line by Zach Grimes.

Bald Knob 49, Piggott 6

Bald Knob’s offense heated up early and never backed down, forcing a mercy rule with 4 minutes left in the first quarter en route to a 49-6 homecoming victory over visiting Piggott.

The Bulldogs improve to 3-4 overall and 3-1 in conference play.

Quarterback Cordell Crisp was 9-for-11 for 299 yards and 4 touchdowns, Chris Joyce had 2 catches for 127 yards and 2 touchdowns and Tyler Gilmore had two carries for 75 yards and 2 touchdowns, adding one 58-yard touchdown catch.

On defense, Bald Knob linebacker Joe Stelly had 20 tackles, 14 unassisted.

The Bulldogs next host Rivercrest at 7 p.m. Friday.

Beebe 38, Blytheville 32

Friday night’s homecoming game was worth the cost of admission for Beebe fans, students and alumni as the Badgers came back from 11 points down in the third quarter to win 38-32 as time expired.

The Badgers were down 32-29 with less than 10 seconds left when Matt Pursell kicked a field goal to, apparently, force overtime.

On the kickoff, a Blytheville player fumbled in the end zone and Rory Moore recovered to give the Badgers the win.

“We were figuring out what to do in overtime,” Beebe Head Coach John Shannon said. “We were lucky enough to come away with a wild, wild win.”

The Badgers improve to 5-2 overall and 3-1 in conference play. They will next visit Green County Tech on Friday.

Barton 48, Rose Bud 16

The gridiron woes continue for Rose Bud, as the Ramblers fell 48-16 on the road to Barton.

Rose Bud falls to 1-6 overall and 0-4 in conference play.

The Ramblers were down 33-8 with seconds left in the first half and the ball on the 1-yard line, but turned the ball over on downs to give Rose Bud a large hole to try to dig out of in the second half.

“We’re struggling to put the ball in the end zone from the red zone,” Ramblers Head Coach Steve Rose said. “We tell the kids on defense to get the other team off the field, and the offense has to put the ball in the end zone. We’re not doing either right now.”

— The Daily Citizen