NASHVILLE – Friday night the
Luke Reeder-Sports Reporter
Nashville Scrappers faced off
against the only other undefeated
team in their conference and
longtime rivals the Ashdown
Panthers. The Scrappers were
able to prevail and improve to
7-0 on the season after beating
Ashdown 37-18.
Nashville this season has not
been the most prolific scoring
team in the first quarter of the
games they have played. Usually
scoring only one touchdown
in the first quarter the
Scrappers were able to fire
on all cylinders earlier against
Ashdown. Not only was Nashville
able to score 20 points in
the opening quarter, they were
also able to hold Ashdown to
zero points. Darius Hopkins
came through big for Nashville
in the first quarter scoring all
three touchdowns on a goal line
run, a seven yard touchdown
and a long 61 yard scamper for
a score.
Like in the first, the second
quarter featured Nashville’s strong defensive presence.
The Scrapper offense did
slowdown in the second
only managing one touchdown
from a 19 yard pass to
De’Ajeon Armstrong.
But even though the
Nashville offense was able
to score once, the Nashville
defense was able to keep the
Panthers caged and only allowed
them one touchdown
in the entire first half of the
game.
At the half the Scrappers
were able to go into the
locker room with all of the
momentum being up 27-6
against the only other undefeated
conference team
in 7-4A.
The second half of play
greatly resembled the second
quarter of the game with
low scoring and a strong
Scrapper defense.
In the third quarter neither
team scored an offensive
touchdown.
For Nashville the only
points that were scored were
on a 32 yard Jose Hernandez
field goal. But Ashdown was
able to return the ensuing
kickoff for a 95 yard touchdown
but the Panthers failed
the two point conversion. In
the final quarter of play the
Scrappers held a comfortable
30-12 lead. Ashdown
began driving the ball down
the field and with six and a
half minutes left in the game
the Panthers were able to
capitalize on their efforts on
a one yard touchdown run
but again they were unable
to be successful on the two
point conversion. This score
made it a two score game at
30-18. That was as close as
the Panthers would come
to coming back and the
Scrappers put them away
with the final score of the
game coming on a four yard
touchdown run from the first
quarter star Hopkins.
Nashville led Ashdown
in all offensive categories. In
the passing game, Nashville
quarter back Leonard Snell
was able to only complete
9/21 passes but that equaled
154 yards, one touchdown
and zero interceptions while
Ashdown’s quarterback had
zero touchdowns and one
interception. Hopkins led
Nashville in rushing and in
touchdowns. On 20 runs,
Hopkins was able to muster
141 yards, four touchdowns,
and no fumbles.
Behind Hopkins were Andrew
Hawthorne and Trent
Harris who on five and 11
rushes were able to come
up with 69 and 68 yards
respectively. Ashdown’s
leading rusher was only able
to gain 28 yards. Armstrong
led the team in the receiving
category with only two
catches for 90 yards.
For the defense, linebacker
Ashton Nelson helped
hold the Panthers with a
team high seven tackles and
five assists and Billy Stewart
kept the pressure on the
quarterback and was able
to come up with two sacks.
This was a strong showing
for the Scrappers and
for first year coach Mike
Volarvich.
His offense has progressed
since the beginning
of the season and become
a force to be reckoned with
while the defense has stayed
strong consistently.
The first quarter of set
the tone against Ashdown
and is a performance Volarvich
would like to replicate,
“We talked about starting
fast, we talked about starting
fast every week and for
one reason or another it
hasn’t happened that way
but they got fired up tonight
and jumped on them early.”
Volarvich is having a strong
first season but he looks at
the season one game at a
time, “Anytime we can get a
win is good and we just got
to get healthy, have a good
practice next week and get
ready for another game.”
Volarvich and the Scrappers
will look to keep their
record perfect next week at
home against Mena in the
homecoming game.
