Cutter Morning Star's defense was the star of the first half of Friday's game against Bigelow, but the Eagles' offense turned things around in the second half as they stuffed the Panthers 47-21.
The Eagles (6-3, 4-2 2A-5) put up just 124 offensive yards while limiting the Panthers (0-9, 0-6) to 15, but the CMS defense also scored three touchdowns in the first half. CMS added three more touchdowns in the second half while putting up 281 yards of offense.
Senior Keyshawn Blevins picked off a pair of passes from Bigelow quarterback Keithlin Brown to lead the defense.
The Panthers got their offense rolling in the second half, scoring back-to-back touchdowns in the third quarter with a 22-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Keithlin Brown to sophomore receiver Hunter Alexander with 6:40 left in the period to pull within 27-8 after Brown found junior Vincent Hurtado on the conversion play.
Bigelow pulled within 12 points after Brown, scrambling after a broken pass play, broke a pair of tackles and sped down the left sideline for a 70-yard touchdown with 3:18 left in the period.
The Eagles responded with a pair of scores of their own with junior quarterback Sam Moore connecting with senior Matthew Cook on a deep route with the ball slipping between a Bigelow defender's hands and into Cook's for a 75-yard score for a 33-15 lead after senior placekicker Tyler Mace's kick bounced off the right post.
With 17 seconds off the clock in the final frame, Moore broke free, evading five tackles before turning upfield and scoring on a 22-yard run, and Mace's kick was good for a 25-point edge.
Brown found receiver Nic Orr on a 10-yard pass with 9:40 remaining to pull within 19 points, and Brown was taken down for a big loss on the 2-point play.
With 6:05 remaining in the game, Moore connected with senior Tyrone Harris on a 12-yard fade route for the final score of the night.
CMS got on the scoreboard first with 6:45 left in the first half as quarterback Sam Moore found Kaden Prather on a 29-yard pass for the end zone, and the kick by Tyler Mace made it 7-0.
Just under two minutes later, Blevins picked off Brown at the 23 and ran it back for a 13-0 lead with 4:52 left in the half after Mace's kick was off-target.
With under three minutes left in the half, the Eagles backed the Panthers back to the 6-yard line on fourth and 29, and after a bad snap, punter Zack Lawson attempted a pass that was picked off in the end zone by Brock Duncan. Mace split the uprights for a 20-0 lead with 2:45 left in the second period.
On second and 10 from the Panthers' 49, Blevins picked off Brown's pass at the Eagles' 47, running the ball back 53 yards for his second touchdown of the night for a 27-0 lead at the break after Mace's kick.
Moore was 11-for-20 passing for 190 yards and three touchdowns while leading the Eagles' ground game with 158 yards on 18 carries. Blevins had 11 rushes for 52 yards and led the defense with nine tackles and two interceptions returned for scores. Landon Watson also had nine tackles while reeling in a pair of catches for 33 yards.
Matthew Cook had a pair of receptions for 72 yards and a TD, and Kaden Prather had three catches for 43 yards and a score.
The Eagles host Magnet Cove (8-1, 6-0) next Friday.
Jessieville 55, Danville 13
JESSIEVILLE -- The Lions (7-2, 4-2 3A-4) scored on the ground, in the air and on special teams in their easy victory over the Little Johns (4-5, 2-4).
Sophomore Carson Hair had two touchdown runs in the first quarter.
Jessieville scored four more times over the second and third quarters, including a 46-yard rushing touchdown by sophomore Matthew Huff and touchdowns by senior Joseph Benson.
In the fourth quarter, Danville's Lawson Wilkins threw touchdown passes to junior Gabe Stanley (30 yards) and senior Alex Hilton (66 yards).
Jessieville junior Landen Daley returned two kickoffs for touchdowns. After the first Danville touchdown, Daley returned the kickoff 68 yards for a score then added a 75-yard kickoff return for a TD after the Little Johns' second score.
Gurdon 41, Mount Ida 8
MOUNT IDA -- All of Gurdon's (6-0, 7-2 2A-7) came in the first quarter as the Go-Devils disposed of Mount Ida (1-8, 1-5).
D.J Anna rushed for Gurdon's first touchdown and quickly followed up with a 33-yard touchdown pass to Thomas Stockdale. The Go-Devils got subsequent rushing touchdowns from Micah McKillion, who scored twice, Armando Harper and Royrick Anderson.
Mount Ida had its lone touchdown in the fourth quarter before tacking on the two-point conversion.
Camden Fairview 28, Hot Springs 14
CAMDEN -- Steady scoring kept the Cardinals (6-3, 5-1 5A South) ahead of the Trojans (4-5, 3-3).
After a Trojans touchdown about a minute into the game, the Cardinals forced an interception that was returned for a touchdown.
In the second quarter, Cardinals junior Erik Hall ran 10 yards for a touchdown. Camden Fairview led 14-7 at halftime.
Camden Fairview scored another touchdown in the third quarter. Hot Springs scored another touchdown in the fourth quarter, which Camden Fairview followed quickly with its fourth and final touchdown.
Sports on 11/02/2019