Errors doom Rams at Malvern, 34-17

MALVERN -- Malvern took advantage of Lakeside mistakes and beat the Rams 34-17 Friday night at Claude Mann Stadium.

Despite a 229-97 yardage lead, Lakeside committed three turnovers and trailed 21-10 at halftime.

Lakeside's first giveaway had the Rams playing from behind the rest of the half. On third-and-long, Devin Shaw broke up Clint Smedley's first pass attempt, which Teshaun Hart intercepted near midfield and returned to the Rams' 20-yard line.

On the next play, Amari Reed took a sweep off the left tackle for 20 yards and what became a 7-0 lead less than two minutes into the game.

Lakeside responded with an 11-play drive, collecting a 30-yard field goal by Grant Gaston.

Malvern then mounted its lone sustained drive, going 67 yards in six plays. Reed's 36-yard sweep set up the scoring play, Shaw going wide from 13 yards out. It was 14-3 with 4:03 left in the first quarter.

The Rams answered with a 10-play drive that consumed almost the rest of the quarter. Smedley rolled to the left on second-and-goal from the five for the touchdown with six seconds left, Lakeside pulling within 14-10.

Lakeside's Cody Cockrell caught a would-be first-down pass but fumbled, Shaw recovering and returning to the Rams' seven. On third down from the 17, Derek Womack hauled in Trace Collie's lone first-half completion for a touchdown.

Lakeside forced a three-and-out series after Malvern's Bryce Freer intercepted a screen pass near midfield. Time ran out on the Rams after driving to the Malvern 20 in 11 plays, Cockrell taking a pass over the middle with 8.5 seconds left on the clock.

Still struggling through the air, Collie broke a 31-yard touchdown run on Malvern's opening series of the second half, pushing the lead to 28-10.

Lakeside appeared to have a defensive score on Malvern's next possession when Jack Henry Hill sacked Collie and forced a fumble, which Maurice Bradford scooped and took 70 yards. But a block-in-the-back penalty well behind the play negated the score, and Lakeside got nothing out of the ensuing possession.

Lakeside went 48 yards in 11 plays on its final third-quarter series. Bradford ran four plays as a "wildcat" quarterback, and Smedley found Cockrell over the middle for 11 yards and a touchdown with 35 seconds on the clock, making it 28-17.

After the Rams went nowhere with their first two fourth-quarter drives, Reed got wide again and went 61 yards for a clinching score with 4:32 left in the game. Reed finished with 120 yards on only four carries.

Both teams play conference openers next week, Lakeside (5A-South) at home against White Hall and Malvern (4A-7) at home against Ashdown.

Sports on 09/20/2014

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