FOUNTAIN LAKE -- Des Arc proved too much for Mountain Pine to overcome Friday as the Red Devils fell, 49-25, in the second round of the Class 2A state playoffs at Fountain Lake's Allen Tillery Field.
At the midway point in the opening period, Des Arc's Jackson Morton set the tone for the Eagles (9-3) as the junior back rushed for one yard into the end zone with 5:09 left to put Des Arc on the board for a 7-0 lead.
Three minutes later, Mountain Pine (8-4) answered as junior Kason Porter scored on a 40-yard run with 2:17 left on the clock in the first. Bryce Sales kicked the pointer after to tie the score, 7-7.
With seven minutes left in the second quarter, Des Arc's Garrett Goodman ran for one yard for the score, putting the Eagles ahead, 14-7. Morton again found the end zone on a four-yard rushing touchdown with 3:33 left before the half.
Mountain Pine quarterback Collin Smith connected with Josh Walpole for a 26-yard passing touchdown at the 2:53 mark going into halftime to up the Red Devils, 21-13.
With 1:30 remaining, the Eagles responded quickly as Goodman found Zeke Tacker on a 50-yard pass play for the final score before the break to bring the score to 28-13.
Early into the third period, Mountain Pine senior Elijah Browning found the end zone on a 43-yard run with eight minutes on the clock to scale back the deficit, 28-19.
Less than two minutes later, Morton responded once again with a rushing touchdown for the Eagles to stretch the lead to 36-19.
Browning secured the final score for Mountain Pine on a two-yard run and marked the score, 36-25, to close the third quarter.
With 10:43 remaining in the final period, Goodman found Tacker on a 21-yard pass for a touchdown. Donald McCoy then found the end zone for a final score in Des Arc's favor on a six-yard run with 7:46 left in the second-round playoff game.
Sports on 11/17/2018