PEARCY -- Playing a Class 7A team again proved much too big a task for Lake Hamilton, especially in the first half.
D'erek Fernandez ran for three touchdowns, and quarterbacks Tyler Clay and Cooper Johnson each threw for a score as Fort Smith Southside overpowered Lake Hamilton early en route to a 42-14 win Friday night at Bank of the Ozarks Field.
The clock ran continuously in the second half after Southside (2-1) led 35-0 at halftime.
Lake Hamilton (2-1) scored on Eli Jackson's one-yard run in the third quarter and Donell West's 36-yard interception return early in the fourth. West's 91-yard kickoff return set up Jackson's score.
Southside closed the scoring on Tanner Grandstaff's 26-yard run in the final six minutes.
The halftime statistics told the story of Southside's dominance, the Rebel outgaining the Wolves 344-25 (190 passing on eight completions) and with 15 first downs to Lake Hamilton's two.
Lake Hamilton played backup quarterback Nash Teague with starter Jess Ledbetter sidelined by a sore back.
Before giving up five first-half touchdowns, Lake Hamilton held Southside to a 22-yard field goal on the opening possession, but Quentavious Haywood roughed kicker Miguel Chavez for first-and-goal at the two. Fernandez scored from there two plays later.
The Wolves' first possession resulted in one of their six first-quarter penalties, linebacker Si Kilinc's sack of Ledbetter, a three-yard rushing loss and an incomplete screen pass.
Kicker Ethan Johnson flipped the field with arguably Lake Hamilton's biggest first-half play, his booming punt glancing off a retreating Fernandez's hand and rolling to the Rebels' four, the returner recovering.
It didn't adjust the overall picture, starting quarterback Tyler Clay firing a nine-yard completion to Deyon Jordan on third-and-one (after a Wolf offside penalty) for the first of five Southside first downs leading to Fernandez's 12-yard touchdown run. The drive's biggest conversion came on J.D. Rivaldo's two-yard run on fourth-and-one at Lake Hamilton's 28 (after another offside penalty).
Chavez's kick made it 14-0 at 1:07 of the opening period, the 18-play march consuming 6:52.
The Wolves again went three-and-out, finishing the quarter with minus-four yards, and a 27-yard Johnson punt set Southside up at its 49. On third-and-two, Fernandez picked his way through would-be tacklers near the line before cruising 43 yards for his second score. Chavez made it 21-0 with 9:43 left in the half.
The Rebels had an even shorter field after Lake Hamilton botched a reverse handoff on the kickoff, Southside's Mark Spradlin recovering at the 21. Riley Goad's sack of No. 2 quarterback Cooper Johnson on first down preceeded three incompletions, and the Wolves followed with their two first-half first downs -- the second on a face-mask penalty -- before stalling on fourth down at Southside's 33.
On third-and-13, Johnson found Randy Rainwater open on the left side, the receiver slipping Nazario's tackle attempt and raced 70 yards for a touchdown.
After another Wolf three-and-out, Clay ran three times for 17 yards and went 3-for-3 passing for 44 on a 73-yard drive capped by his 14-yard throw over the middle to Mason Edgmon. Chavez's kick made came 1:04 before halftime.
Sports on 09/20/2014