Shelor on the money as Trojans topple McClellan, 27-22

Hot Springs wide receiver Malik Brewer (6) pulls in a reception as he is hit by Little Rock McClellan safety Kendrick McCardell (25) during the second quarter on Thursday at McClellan High School in Little Rock. Photo by Thomas Metthe of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Hot Springs wide receiver Malik Brewer (6) pulls in a reception as he is hit by Little Rock McClellan safety Kendrick McCardell (25) during the second quarter on Thursday at McClellan High School in Little Rock. Photo by Thomas Metthe of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

LITTLE ROCK -- Hot Springs couldn't have scripted a better start to the conference season than what it cooked up Thursday night against Class 5A power Little Rock McClellan.

A big night from quarterback Isaac Shelor and an energized defensive effort allowed Hot Springs to put a stop to its two-game slide and beat McClellan 27-22 in the teams' 5A South opener at Lions Stadium.

"Two things the kids can control is their energy and effort," Hot Springs coach Darrell Burnett said. "They came out with great energy during pregame, and the effort was always high throughout. Any kid that tries to please their coach, they're going to always try to do the right thing.

"That's what we had, and our kids did great."

Shelor was at the forefront of that for Hot Springs (2-2, 1-0), which came in having dropped back-to-back nonconference games to Mena and Lake Hamilton. The sophomore completed 22 of 36 passes for 294 yards and four touchdowns, including a 76-yarder to senior wide receiver Trent Gordon in the third quarter that gave the Trojans the separation it needed.

Gordon finished with five catches for 105 yards, while senior receiver Malik Brewer hauled in eight catches for 91 yards and two touchdowns. Junior tight end Malik Cooper added a scoring catch for the Trojans.

Hot Springs also benefited from an impressive showing from its defense. The Lions piled up 156 yards over their first three possessions but totaled only 47 their next six drives. McClellan was able to engineer some offense late in the game, but it wasn't enough in the end.

Sophomore quarterback Joshua Brown finished with 134 yards of offense and two touchdowns for McClellan (2-2, 0-1), which beat Hot Springs 36-7 last season and held a double-digit lead in the first quarter Thursday night. After forcing Hot Springs to punt on its first series, Lions senior running back Kenneth McCardell raced 79 yards for a touchdown on their first offensive play. Brown's 1-yard score with 3.2 seconds remaining in the opening quarter pushed McClellan's lead to 14-0 before the Hot Springs' defense stiffened.

Shelor threw two second-quarter touchdowns -- 11 yards to Brewer and 19 yards to Cooper -- to pull the Trojans within 14-13 by halftime, but a 38-yard scoring strike to Brewer in the third quarter made it tougher on the Lions.

"That guy has bled black and gold since he was about 2," Burnett said of Shelor. "He's going to give you everything he can. He's going to take a chewing, and he tries to be a leader. He did a great job."

Gordon's long touchdown reception with 1:34 left in the third gave Hot Springs a 27-14 cushion, but McClellan was able to inch closer. Brown's four-yard touchdown run with 3:25 to go capped a six-play, 56-yard drive to pull the Lions within 27-22.

"It's just a testament to our kids and coaches," Burnett said. "Everyone in the district has really been supporting us, and this win is just huge for our program."

Sports on 09/27/2019

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