Home Breaking News Friday Night Football: Scrappers, MS Hornets, Outlaws, Rattlers

Friday Night Football: Scrappers, MS Hornets, Outlaws, Rattlers

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News-Leader photos/JOHN BALCH EARLY CELEBRATION. Murfreesboro Rattler Anthony Hill (#61) celebrates teammate Braden Cross’ fumble recovery Friday night against the Lafayette County Cougars.

Nashville Scrappers @ Fountain Lake Cobras

Kickoff at 7 p.m.

After defeating Arkadelphia 28-23 in the District 7-4A opener Sept. 21, the Nashville Scrappers will travel to Fountain Lake this Friday, Sept. 28, for the second conference game of the season.

Kickoff against the Cobras will be at 7 p.m.

Scrapper Coach Mike Volarvich said Fountain Lake is “much improved over last year. They’re 3-1 now. They lost to Robinson in the rain game” Sept. 21 by a final score of 28-6.

The Cobras were 4-6 last season. So far in 2018, they’ve defeated Lakeside, Hot Springs and Dover.

“They have some pretty decent size and good speed,” Volarvich said.

“Fountain Lake is a tough place to play. We have to make sure we buckle down to play a good Fountain Lake team,” according to Volarvich.

Among the players to watch from Fountain Lake is Ahman Johnson, wide receiver and defensive back. “He’s a very good athlete,” Volarvich said, noting his accomplishments in track that include running the 100-m in 11.4. “He’s an athlete who’s as good as anybody we have.”

Johnson has 15 catches for 269 yards and three touchdowns on the season. “He’s the one they want to throw to,” Volarvich said.

Fountain Lake has three linebackers who are all over 200 pounds, Volarvich said.

Offensively, the Cobras’ top back is Andrew Roberson, who’s rushed for 361 yards, an average of 5.5 yards per carry.

Colson Simpson has gained 135 yards on the ground for 4.7 yards per carry.

Simpson also has 19 tackles for the season, with 20 for Joe Murphy.

“We have to make sure we’re ready to play,” Volarvich said. “We have to continue playing fast and execute our assignments. It’s another conference game to get us where we want to be.”

Volarvich said this is the first week for the team to be on “a regular schedule. We had the Zero Week game, then we were off for 11 days. We played Hope and had the Labor Day weekend. Then there was a bye week” after De Queen.

“This is the first week back on a normal schedule. It’s kind of comforting for me to be on schedule,” Volarvich said.

The Scrappers (4-0 overall, 1-0 in district) enter the game ranked second in Class 4A by Rex Nelson is his Road to the Rock rankings. They’re third in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette poll for Class 4A.

For the season, the Scrappers are averaging almost 414 yards per game total offense, including 148 passing and 266 rushing.

Fountain Lake’s defense has allowed about 198 yards per game.

The Cobra offense averages 285 yards per game. Nashville’s defense has given up 152 yards per game.

The Scrappers have scored an average of 45.5 points per game while allowing 14.5.

Fountain Lake scores an average of 25 points per game and give up 14 points per game.

Nashville leads the series with the Cobras 15-1. The Scrappers won at home last season, 65-28.

Mineral Springs Hornets vs. Gurdon Go-Devils

Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

The Mount Ida Lions showed their salt in a soggy 34-6 win over the Mineral Springs Hornets in Mount Ida Friday night.

The win keeps the MI Lions undefeated and moved the Hornets to a 3-1 record. The Lions will head to 2-2 Murfreesboro this Friday while the Hornets will be at home to play the 3-1 Gurdon Go-Devils, who are fresh off a 22-0 beating of the 0-4 Dierks Outlaws.

Kick off for both games is at 7 p.m.

The Lions ran all over the Hornets Friday and collected a total of 370 yards on 64 rushes and had three runners break the century yard mark. MI was led by Jonathan LaGrange with 25 carries for 133 yards and one touchdown, Cade Jackson with 13 carries for 117 yards and one TD and Tyler Hamilton with 18 carries for 100 yards and two TDs.

The normally-productive Hornet offense was held to only 95 yards, which included 110 passing yards but also included -15 yards from the Hornet running game.

Three Hornet runners – Tahji Beal, QB Peyton Haddan and Devon Swopes – were all held to negative yardage by the stingy Lion defense. Hornet rushers Cameron Lee and Terrell Fricks were the only Hornets to put a positive mark in the rushing column.

Hornet senior starting quarterback Haddan did not play the second half of the game after suffering a high-ankle sprain and was replaced by sophomore Fricks, who hit two of six passes and posted the Hornets only points when he connected with Braiden Williams for TD pass in the fourth quarter.

The Hornets were penalized 91 yards for 10 violations and the Lions were flagged eight times for 62 yards.

The Hornets will take the field against the Go-Devils minus Beal and Zalen Hill, who were both ejected during Friday’s game. The pair will be able to enter this Friday’s game in the fourth quarter.

The Go-Devils’ 3-1 record includes a 35-0 win over Genoa Central to open the season followed by a 33-0 loss to Harmony Grove and then wins over Bearden (10-8) and Dierks (22-0).

Dierks Outlaws vs. Foreman Gators (Homecoming)

Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

The Dierks Outlaws’ struggles continued Friday night with a 22-0 conference loss to the Gurdon Go-Devils. Things will likely not get any better this Friday when the Outlaws host the defending Class 2A state champion Foreman Gators as their homecoming opponent.

Gurdon rolled up 207 yards against 0-4 Dierks, all on the ground while the Dierks’ offense was limited to just 62 total yards – 14 via the pass and 45 on the ground.

After being kept off the scoreboard in the opening quarter, the Go-Devils responded with seven points in the second, eight in the third and seven more in the fourth.

The Gators’  has blanked three of its four opponents and their undefeated record includes wins over Smackover (45-24), Parkers Chapel (21-0), Horatio (34-0) and Spring Hill (39-0).

The Outlaws were flagged one time for five yards but had two players – Bryce Fox and Austin Alexander – ejected from the game.

Gurdon also had two players, whose names were not available but they wore #6 and #77, ejected from the game.

Homecoming activities at Dierks will be held at 2:20 in the gym and at 6:30 on Red Ayers Field.

Murfreesboro Rattlers vs. Mount Ida Lions

Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

The Murfreesboro Rattlers moved to 2-2 on the season (1-0 conference) with a 20-0 rainy homecoming win over the visiting Lafayette County Cougars last Friday.

Murfreesboro would hit a big pass play in the opening drive, a 27 yard pass from Peyton Diffee to Jakob Allmon. However, the drive stalled inside Lafayette County territory and the ball was turned over on a failed fourth down attempt.

After a stopping the Cougars on their own fourth down attempt on a bad snap and tackled by Nathan Plyler and Anthony Hill, MHS would open the scoring in the first quarter on a 3 yard TD toss from Ketrick Dennis to Plyler. Zayne Flaherty would score the two point conversion to make the game 8-0.

After swapping possessions, the Rattlers found themselves in good position when a Lafayette County punt from deep in their own end was shanked, giving the Rattlers the ball on the 24. Four plays later Jared Taylor found Plyler with a 4 yard TD pass to make the score 14-0.

Gavins Rawls, Braden Cross and Plyler would each rover a fumble on the Cougars next three possessions, but Murfreesboro was unable to capitalize on any of the turnovers before half.

In the third quarter the Rattler moved the football but again were unable to cash in on the scoreboard after drives of 45 and 34 yards ended in turnovers on the Lafayette County side of the field. The opening Cougar possession seemingly netted the visitors a score on a 56 yard fourth-and-one romp by Tyrekes Davis, but a holding penalty brought the ball back and forced a punt.

Cross and Allmon would recover fumbles to end consecutive Cougar possessions to begin the fourth. Later, following a Lafayette County punt in the latter fourth quarter, Payten Difee would find Taylor on a short TD pass to set the final margin at 20-0.

Hill would recover a fumble to end the final Cougar threat of the evening.

The Rattlers out gained the Cougars 371 to 29 in their sterling defensive effort, recovering six fumbles while losing only two. MHS would keep the door shut on Lafayette County by not allowing a single third or fourth down conversion in eight attempts.

Diffee would lead the Rattler passing attack by going 13/27 for 161 yards and a TD. Dennis added 66 yards on a 6/10 effort with a TD, while Taylor completed his lone pass for a 4 yard TD.

Flaherty, Cross and Dennis would lead the rushing attack with yardage totals of 86, 53 and 32 respectively.

Plyler would nab 10 pass receptions for 113 yards and 2 TDs to lead the receiving corps. Allmon added 50 yards on two catches and Dennis had 47 yards on three receptions.

Flaherty would lead the defensive effort with six tackles, followed by Allmon with five, Gavin Rawls and Jase Kuykendall with three each.

The Rattlers (2-2, 1-0) will move into the second week of conference play by hosting the Mount Ida Lions (4-0, 1-0).  The Lions opened conference play last week by defeating the highly ranked Mineral Springs Hornets 34-6 at home.

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