Nashville Scrappers vs. Joe T. Robinson Senators
Kickoff set for 7 p.m.
Two of the state’s most highly ranked Class 4A teams will clash Friday, Oct. 5, when the Senators from Joe T. Robinson in Little Rock come to Nashville for what football pundits are calling the top 4A game of the week.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. The game will be Homecoming for the Scrappers.
Queen Erika Bretado and her court will be introduced at 6:30 p.m.
Earlier in the day, Homecoming ceremonies will be held at 2 p.m. in Scrapper Arena.
“This is an important week for us,” Coach Mike Volarvich said Monday morning. “Our guys are enjoying Homecoming, but we have to put the distractions aside. Homecoming week is always a battle for football teams. We have to concentrate on doing our job and get better every day.”
The Scrappers (5-0 overall, 2-0 in district) will face a “talented football team” from Pulaski County, according to Volarvich.
The Senators (4-1, 2-0) “are
very sound on defense. They’re fast and physical. On offensive, they’re able to run. Theyre able to throw. They’re big on the offensive line,” Volarvich said.
Robinson has speed at running back and receiver, Volarvich said.
There also have a host of college prospects.
“Just like every other year, they have some guys with D-1 scholarship offers,” Volarvich said. “They have a bunch with D-2 offers. They’re talented.”
Offensively, the Senators count on quarterback Grayson Tackett to “manage the game. They don’t throw a lot, but he’s efficient at what he does,” according to Volarvich. Tackett has thrown seven touchdown passes and one interception so far in the season.
Robinson has “some big guys on the offensive line. Both tackles are over 6-4, 300 pounds. One has been offered by Alabama; the other has D-1 offers as well.”
Wide receiver and running back Mekel Kentle is “very explosive. He’s had 22 carries for 392 yards, 18 yards per carry, and five touchdowns,” Volarvich said.
The leading rusher is Tyler Jones with 59 carries for 405 yards, an average of seven yards per carry, and seven touchdowns.
Kentle is the team’s leading receiver with 18 catches for 306 yards, an average of 17 yards par catch, along with four touchdowns.
On the defensive side, both ends have made college commitments, including Zack Williams to Arkansas and Davis Wofford to Army.
Matthew Howard, a 290-pounder who plays on the offensive and defensive lines, is a returning all-conference and all-state heavyweight wrestler, Volarvich said.
Robinson overall is “very talented. We have to make sure we’re doing our job, executing our assignments and playing Scrapper football.”
The Senators enter the game ranked second in Class 4A by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and third in Rex Nelson’s Road to the Rock rankings.
Nashville is second in Nelson’s ratings and third in the Democrat-Gazette’s.
Warren is number one in both polls to date.
The Scrappers are coming off a 58-14 victory last week at Fountain Lake.
Robinson enters the game after a 42-12 win at Arkadelphia.
Nashville leads the series 5-2 but lost to the Senators 34-10 last season.
The Scrappers have compiled an average of 405 yards total offense so far in the season. Robinson’s defense has given up 245 yards per game.
The Senators average 374 yards per game total offense. The Scrapper defense has allowed 155 yards per game.
Devonte Witherspoon is Nashville’s leading tackler with 42; he’s also the sack leader with three.
Levester Gillard and Witherspoon each have two interceptions for the Scrappers.
Nashville quarterback Jake Moorer has completed 41 of 7a passes for 514 yards, with six touchdowns and five interceptions for the season.
Keyshawn Stewart is the leading rusher for Nashville with 68 carries for 425 yards and eight touchdowns. Carmillias Morrisson has rushed 60 times for 332 yards and three touchdowns. Jacoby Jefferson has 47 carries for 385 yards and five touchdowns.
Tyl Basiliere is Nashville’s leading receiver with nine catches for 213 yards. He’s followed by Gillard with 14 catches for 156 yards and a TD.
MS Hornets vs. Dierks Outlaws (Homecoming)
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
Rattlers @ Gurdon Go-Devils
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
It was a rough week for all three of the local Class 2A football teams – the Mineral Springs Hornets, Murfreesboro Rattlers and Dierks Outlaws.
All three teams dropped their conference games on their home turf Friday. The Hornets battled with the Gurdon Go-Devils but came up short 33-24 while the Rattlers and the Outlaws were knocked out by the one-two punch of the Mount Ida Lions and Foreman Gators. The Rattlers were whipped by the Lions 59-6 and the Outlaws fell to the Gators 46-0 on homecoming night.
After racking up a 37-0 first-quarter lead, the MI Lions (5-0, 2-0) would cruise to the conference win over the Rattlers (2-3, 1-1).
Murfreesboro gained two first downs in the game, compared to the Lions’ 19, and had 70 overall yards to Mount Ida’s 401.
The Lions were lead in rushing by John Hoeksema (96 yards, 2 TDs), Gage Dyer (87 yards, 1 TD) and Cade Jackson (71 yards, 2 TDs). Mount Ida QB Jackson completed his only pass attempt of the game for 30 yards to Dyer.
Rattler QB Payten Diffee was 6/12 for 88 yards, with one TD and interception, before leaving in the second half with a hand injury.
Murfreesboro, who had -18 rushing yards on the evening, had only one rusher, Braden Cross, in the positive yardage column.
The Rattlers will travel to Gurdon this Friday night to face the (4-1, 2-0) Go-Devils. Gurdon, who lost their opener 33-0 to Haskell Harmony-Grove, has since defeated Bearden (10-8), Dierks (22-0) and Mineral Springs to enter the contest on a three-game winning streak.
The Outlaws’ record dropped to 0-5 with the homecoming loss to Foreman.
The team had -21 yards of offense for the night and three lost fumbles while allowing the Gators to picked up 243 yards.
The Hornets were the only local 2A team to put up a fight on Friday night.
MS had 264 yards of offense with quarterback Peyton Haddan hitting 14/29 passes for 143 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Back-up QB Terrell Fricks also completed a pass for 24 yards. The Hornet running game earned 97 yards on 16 carries, led by Cameron Lee with seven runs for 38 yards and Fricks with one carry for 40 yards and a TD.
The Hornets opened the game with a seven-play, 70-yard drive that was capped by Jadyn Williams’ 12-yard run.
The next score of the game came at the hands of the Hornet defense when the Go-Devils fumbled at the 1 and Fricks scooped up the loose ball and dashed 99 yards for the score.
Gurdon’s defense paid back the Hornets on the next Hornet possession when Haddan had a punt blocked and covered in the end zone for a 12-7 score with 9:33 left in the second quarter.
Gurdon’s offense put more points on the board at 8:43 mark when they capped a 13-play drive from two yards out for a 13-12 lead. The Gurdon offense was not done in the first half and a Go-Devil runner broke a 77-yard TD run with 4:03 left in the half.
Gurdon’s defense accounted for seven more points with just under 30 seconds left in the half when a Haddan interception was returned for a score.
Turns out, the Hornets were not done with the half either. Gurdon attempted an onside kick which the Hornets covered and took over at the 47-yard line. The Hornets employed a “hook and ladder” throw to Braden Williams who lateraled to Fricks who scooted 40 yards for the TD to set the halftime score at 26-18 Gurdon.
Hornet Dontre Walton halted a Gurdon drive with an interception to open the half.
After a short back-and-forth, MS was down at their 1-yard line when Haddan had another punt blocked and covered in the end zone for a 33-18 score as the third quarter closed out.
The last score of the game came with 6:42 left in the game. Haddan hit B. Williams for 16-yard TD reception but the effort was too late and Gurdon rolled out of MS with the 33-24 win.
The Hornets and Outlaws will meet this Friday night for Mineral Springs’ homecoming to do battle for the Howard County Cup.
