By Mark Rico and Jason Ybarra
No. 2 North Little Rock outlasts Conway 39-37
Conway – After two weeks off, the Conway Wampus Cats played some of their best football of the season but unfortunately weren’t quite able to make enough plays to upset the North Little Rock Charging Wildcats at home.
The game featured several lead changes as NLR senior quarterback Kareame Cotton ran for three scores – which included the game-winner from a yard out midway through the fourth quarter – as the Charging Wildcats edged Conway 39-37 in a 7A-Central see-saw battle at John McConnell Stadium.
The Wampus Cats fought until the very last play of the game against the heavily favored North Little Rock squad that is predicted to capture the conference crown.
After blocking a punt, Conway was at the North Little Rock 42 with seven seconds remaining in the game, but a third-down pass from senior quarterback Ben Weese was batted down in the end zone as time expired.
North Little Rock lost star tailback Fredrick O’Donald on their first play from scrimmage after he suffered an apparent ankle injury.
In his absence, Cotton and senior tailback Aaron Sims picked up the slack by rushing for a combined 297 rushing yards and scoring five touchdowns.
Cotton, a three-year starter, ran 22 times for 100 yards, scoring on runs of 1, 1 and 3 yards. Sims ran 37 times for 197 yards and 2 first-half touchdowns (37 and 23 yards). Cotton also completed 9 of 15 passes for 141 yards.
North Little Rock, which led 25-14 at halftime, totaled 445 yards.
Weese finished 27 of 43 for 436 yards and four touchdowns for Conway (2-2, 0-1).
Senior wide receiver Bryce Bohanon with a pair of touchdown receptions of 75 and 15 yards.
Conway took their first lead of the game 37-32 early in the fourth quarter after junior tailback Manny Smith hauled in a 77-yard reception with 9:54 remaining.
But soon after, North Little Rock regained the lead with a seven-play, 65-yard drive on its ensuing possession with Cotton completed a 52-yard pass to junior wide receiver Felix Wade that set up the eventual game winning touchdown a few plays later.
Conway’s next possession ended with a lost fumble at the North Little Rock 9 with 4:46 remaining.
The Charging Wildcats burned more than four minutes off the clock, but a blocked punt gave the Wampus Cats a final chance from their 43 with 28 seconds remaining.
Vilonia – 20 Farmington – 14
Vilonia – Junior Seth Kirk scored on a 4-yard TD run with 14 seconds left as Vilonia cashed in a late fumble by Farmington quarterback Tate Sutton and went on to escape with a thrilling win and improve to 4-1 on the season.
With under thirty seconds to play, Vilonia quarterback Austin Meyers scrambled on a 4th-and long in Farmington territory and tossed a pass that was picked off at the Cardinals 1-yard line by Landyn Faught.
But on the very next play, Sutton fumbled while he was trying to advance the ball out of the end zone and it was recovered by Jessiah Nelson.
Kirk would punch it in from four yards out a play later and then Jack Vines intercepted a desperation pass with six seconds left to seal the game for Vilonia, who improves to 2-0 in 5-A West.
Vilonia hosts Pea Ridge on Friday night.
Greenbrier – 49 Clarksville – 21
Greenbrier – Senior tailback Trey Havens ran for two touchdowns, caught a 26-yard pass for another score and also returned a fumble on defense for his fourth touchdown as the Panthers (2-3, 1-1) thumped Clarksville on homecoming night.
Sophomore Carter McElhany also caught two touchdown passes in the win as the Panthers rebounded from last week’s conference opening loss to Morrilton.
They will host Harrison on Friday.
Faulkner County Focus Sports 