Conway – After postponing the last seven games due to health issues, UCA is ready to resume their season after dropping two highly competitive matches in Nacogdoches to start the season back in early September.
UCA’s season was halted back on Sept. 10 after 12 volleyball players and a few staff members of their staff tested positive for COVID-19.
The Sugar Bears will travel to Springfield to take on Missouri State (1-0) at 3 p.m. Saturday with an opportunity to get back in the zone as they face a relatively new opponent in Missouri State.
The two teams met only once in 2012 with Missouri State securing a thrilling five set win.
In their last outing against Texas State – the two-time defending Sun Belt champion – redshirt senior Amanda Beaton set a career-high with 24 kills while fellow senior Bailey Waddington tied her career-high with 51 assists.
Senior Emily Doss is a key defensive specialist for this squad as she leads the team with 3.22 digs per set.
The front line duo of junior Ravin Rhodes and senior Amari Mitchell has been spectacular in the early going for UCA.
Rhodes currently sits at five blocks on the season, while Mitchell has contributed three.
Missouri State – coached by former UCA head coach Steven McRoberts – are led by sophomores Brooklyn Chink and Kennedee Anderson along with freshman Caly Otec.
In the Bears’ lone game on the season against Little Rock on Sept. 19, Chink pounded 20 kills with Anderson compiling 37 assists and Otec contributing 14 digs.
“We are very excited to finally get back to competition after being away because of COVID protocols,” UCA head coach John Newberry said. “We will be traveling a smaller crew for this game and will look completely different. It will be a whole new team dynamic on the road that we will have to adjust to quickly.”
UCA is scheduled to return home on Friday, Oct. 9 at 4pm against Stephen F. Austin in their first action in Conway of the 2020 season.
Conway – Late in the third quarter, the Central Arkansas found themselves in familiar territory.
But they finally got things in gear when it mattered most.
Tyler Hudson’s 57-yard punt return coupled with Dre Matthew’s 30-yard fumble return on defense helped propel the No. 11-ranked Central Arkansas Bears over Missouri State 27-20 in their home opener at Estes Stadium.
The Bears win came on a night when they only could muster 177 yards of total offense and once again trailed for much of the contest.
Mired in a 20-7 hole midway through the third quarter in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 2,500 onlookers starved for football, the Bears managed to score three touchdowns in a span of two minutes late in the third quarter and early fourth period to record their eighth comeback victory over the past 16 games.
Hudson had two of the scores – one a 7-yard touchdown grab from junior quarterback Breylin Smith with 1:24 mark in the third quarter – along with the spectacular punt return in which he weaved his way through traffic down the middle and broke free for the final 30 yards with 14:11 to play.
Sandwiched in between Hudson’s two touchdowns, junior linebacker Dre Matthews turned in the play of the game, with a 30-yard scoop-and-score fumble return that knotted the game at 20-20 with 14:48 remaining.
While the Bears defense, stellar all night, forced three consecutive incomplete passes by Missouri State and then Hudson did the rest.
It was UCA’s first punt return for a touchdown since Tremon Smith returned one 47 against Arkansas State in 2016.
With the top FBS team in the nation looming on Saturday on the road in North Dakota, Central Arkansas head coach Nathan Brown kept the win over a one win team in 2019 in persceptive.
“We have to wipe the slate clean.” said Brown. “We did not play a good three quarters. In fact, that was probably one of our poorer performances for three quarters that I’ve been a part of. But again, it just shows the resiliency of our football team, different guys stepping up, different guys making plays when it mattered. And just believing. At the end of the day, it’s about belief.
“Football never goes to script, it never goes to plan. We talk about that every day. That’s why we do different stuff in practice, to practice for games like this. But our guys believed and they found a way to win the game. I can’t tell you how exciting it is to see the belief these guys have in our team. We look bad at times. We were down 20-7, on offense we didn’t play our best game. Special teams had blunders, but the defense kept us in the game throughout. We know any win is a good win, especially at this point in a season like this, so we’re excited about it.”
Hudson had four returns for 83 yards and caught four passes for 62 more yards while UCA’s No. 1 receiver Lujuan Winningham was shut out as Smith completed just nine passes for 79 yards, with a touchdown and an interception.
The Bears also had a punt blocked that Missouri State returned for a touchdown to give them an early 10-0 lead.
But from there it was the Central Arkansas defense that kept the Bears within striking distance by limiting a Missouri State coached by former University of Louisville head coach Bobby Petrino to 293b yards of total offense.
MSU quarterback Jaden Johnson – a transfer from Southern Mississippi – completed 25 of 44 passes for 249 yards but no touchdowns.
UCA’s defensive unit recorded 16 tackles for losses, had nine sacks and forced four fumbles and one interception.
“The defense, oh my gosh, what a great game plan,’ said Brown. “I thought we had their quarterback off balance all night. They gave him a tough time in the pocket all night. They just did a great job. Coach (Chad) Williams dialed up the right blitzes at the right time and guys made big tackles, big stops when it mattered. And offensively, we made enough plays when we needed to.”
The visiting Bears (0-2), who lost to Top 5 Oklahoma in their opener two weeks ago, got on the board first after a 47-yard field goal by Jose Pizano with 12:04 left in the first quarter.
Arkansas took six possessions to finally answer MSU’s score as senior tailback Kierre Crossley cashed in a fumble recovery by linebacker Malik Wilson, with a 4-yard touchdown midway through the first half that drew the Bears within 10-7.
But a late MSU touchdown on a 3-yard run by Keshun Parker with 4:02 left extended the lead to 17-7 at the break.
“They did a great job mirroring Lujuan all night, they took him away,’ said Brown. “They did a good job of that. But that’s why you have a Tyler Hudson on the other side. Breylin showed some poise, I thought Kierre had some big runs, Cameron Myers had some big runs. And we did enough to win the game.”
The UCA defense turned in another big stop when MSU sophomore tailback Cameron Myers fumbled at the UCA 26 with 6:21 to play.
The Bears held on a fourth-and-4 at the UCA 7, and then again on a fourth-and-2 down at the UCA 28 with 1:28 remaining. UCA took over and ran the clock out the rest of the way.
“The scoop and score was the biggest play of the game,’ Brown said. “Dre did a great job. We coach that on defense, we coach to strip the ball, try to produce turnovers. But also, I don’t want the offense back on the field. People don’t realize how fast Dre is. And he did a great job, being athletic and getting his weight down and scooping the ball as opposed to falling on it. And then getting in the end zone. That was huge.”
UCA faces another Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) team next Saturday in three-time defending FCS champion North Dakota State at the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota.
Conway – After a three week hiatus, the University of Central Arkansas Bears return to action tonight at First Security Field at Estes Stadium.
The 11th-ranked Bears will host the Missouri State Bears at 7 p.m.
The game will end an unintended 23-day break for UCA since its last game against UAB on Sept. 3.
The Bears had a regularly scheduled open date on Sept. 12, while the matchup with Arkansas State on Sept. 19 was postponed until October due to coronavirus concerns at ASU.
Thus giving the Bears an extended vacation just two games into the ever-changing 2020 season.
UCA’s last action on “The Stripes” was last December in the second round of the FCS Playoffs.
“We are excited to be back home, excited to be playing a game,’ said UCA head coach Nathan Brown. “I know it’s going to look different, as far as the participation and fan involvement, the overall gameday atmosphere. But we’re excited to play at home and get in front of our fans and have an opportunity to protect our home stadium.
“Starting the season out with two games in five days, then you have a 23-day break. But that’s the nature of the 2020 football season. You may play a couple of games in a row, then you have what happened to us with Arkansas last week where they were unable to play.
“So we’ve got to be able to respond and react in a positive way, and we talk to our players about that every single day. How are we responding and reacting to the situation with the hand that this football season has dealt us. And our guys have been very mature, they’ve had a great work ethic through all this. I couldn’t be more pleased with what they have done to this point.’
The Bears are 1-1 after beating No. 13 Austin Peay 24-17 in the season opener, the Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff in Montgomery, Ala., on Aug. 29. UCA lost 45-35 to Top 25 UAB just five days later at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala. They have not played since.
“You can go all the way back to the summer, with the commitment level of our athletic department and our programs to committing to this 2020 season during this volatile time,’ said Brown. “It’s been amazing to watch. And not as much of what we’ve done as coaches and administrators, but the commitment level that our players have had to sacrifice. You’re talking about 18 to 22 year old student athletes who a big part of their student experience is socializing, and they’ve had to cut a lot of that off.
“They’ve had to make a conscience commitment to social distancing and not putting themselves in a situation or scenario to be contact traced or whatever it is. Just continuing to do the things it takes to be a negative test every week. So I’ve been really, really pleased with their commitment level to playing a football season.’
The Bears, who have a 10-game fall schedule, will be playing their first of three home games on Saturday, which will be broadcast on ESPN3. UCA and Missouri State will meeting for the ninth time, with the overall series tied at 4-4. The Maroon Bears won the last meeting, kicking a game-winning 53-yard field goal as time expired at Estes Stadium.
MSU is coached by former Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino, in his first season at the Springfield, Mo., school. The visiting Bears have struggled as a program for the past decade, winning just one game a year ago and just 13 combined over the past five seasons. MSU’s last winning season was a 6-5 mark in 2009.
Enter Petrino, who has a 119-57 overall career record and 11 bowl appearances as a head coach at Arkansas, Louisville (two stints) and Western Kentucky over a 32-year coaching career.
“This is a team that is only playing three games this semester,’ said Brown. “They opened with Top 5 Oklahoma, then they are playing us twice. So we know we’re going to be their total focus for really the rest of this semester. We know we’re going to get their best shot.
“Their’s a renewed energy in Springfield with Coach Petrino. We know his track record. I think he’s one of the top offensive coaches in college football right now. No matter where he’s been, he’s always had high-profile offenses. He’s a very good coach, he wins wherever he goes.
“I would think they are still probably trying to develop some culture, probably still trying to develop his scheme and some other things, but again, knowing the type of coach he is and the type of coaching staff he put together, we know it’s going to be a tall task.’
MSU competes in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, arguably the top football conference at the FCS level. That league features North Dakota State, the three-time defending national champion that UCA will face next Saturday in Fargo, N.D.
“They play in the Missouri Valley, so we know they are going to play a physical brand of football,’ said Brown. “They are big kids. You look up and down their two-deep… two of their starting receivers, one of them is 6-5, 200 and one is 6-4, 233. That’s like tight end bodies at receiver. They’re just big.
“One of their corners is 6-4, 205. They are just big physically and that’s something we have to prepare for. That’s not something we have seen much of in the first two teams we’ve played on the outside. We’ve played big interior defensive and offensive linemen between Austin Peay and UAB, but Missouri State is very big on the edges.
“So we’re going to have to be prepared for that. And I think our guys are poised and ready. I think we look as fresh as we’ve looked. We’re still having to work ourselves into shape. You had a limited summer, you had a limited training camp, and we’re having to work ourselves into shape. Especially now with such a long break between games.”
OOLTEWAH, Tenn. – Nate Jolly led the Central Arkansas men’s golf team in the final round of the 2020 Scenic City Collegiate at The Honors Course on Tuesday, where he posted a three-round total of 228 (+12). The Bears finished the tournament in eighth place with a combined effort of 919 (+55).
Jolly started his day with a birdie on the par-4 10th and finished his round with a birdie on the par-4 ninth. Jolly jumped up three spots into 17th and wrapped up the tournament with a 228 (+12). He produced a total of seven birdies over the course of three rounds.
Miles Smith rocketed up seven spots on the leaderboard on the final day of competition into a tie for 26th. He shot a 76 (+4) for the last round and finished with a combined mark of 233 (+17). He tallied two birdies on the final day and finished the tournament with seven.
Josh Turnock posted a final-round score of 84 (+12) and finished the tournament tied for 30th with a combined tally of 235 (+19). He collected three birdies for the tournament.
Blaine Calhoon and Palmer McSpadden tied for 33rd with a 236 (+20).
Calhoon moved up six spots after he scored a 78 (+6) on the final day with two birdies. He finished with five birdies over the three rounds.
With the addition of two birdies in the final round, McSpadden finished the tournament tied with the second-most birdies with 13. He notched a final round score of 82 (+10).
Davis Irving closed out his three rounds with a 78 (+6) and two birdies. He climbed six spots into a tie for 41st with a three-round total of 240 (+24). He had six birdies over the three rounds.
Conway – The University of Central Arkansas will be on “The Stripes” one more time this fall, it was announced Monday.
The Bears will host the Missouri Western Griffons on Saturday, Oct. 31 at First Security Field at Estes Stadium.
The UCA-MWSU matchup gives the Bears 10 scheduled football games, with three home contests.
“We are excited to be able to host another team in Estes Stadium on First Security Field,’ said Dr. Brad Teague, UCA’s director of athletics. “The more we can play on this beautiful Central Arkansas campus is important for our student-athletes and fans.
“I am happy about this opportunity especially since the Eastern Kentucky game moved to November 14. It’s nice to still have a game on October 31 to maintain our Homecoming date.’
Missouri Western is an NCAA Division II team that competes in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. The Bears and Griffons have never met in football.
The Bears, who will host Missouri State in their home opener at 7 p.m. Saturday, will now play three home games.
UCA is currently scheduled to face Eastern Kentucky on Nov. 14.
Little Rock – UALR combined for ten blocks and limited Missouri State to just a .200 hitting mark but still dropped a 3-0 decision in the competitive season opener for both teams at the Jack Stephens Center on Sunday afternoon.
It would be the defensive adjustments from Saturday’s exhibition that were most notable for the host Trojans (0-1), forcing 20 hitting errors by the visiting Bears (1-0).
But Missouri State was able to finish late, withstanding a Little Rock run in a tense second set that ended 27-25.
Freshmen Nicole Medlin and Zanobia Willis each registered five blocks for the Trojans while Laura Jansen slammed home a team-high 12 kills.
Vilonia — Although a late Russellville rally nearly spoiled senior night, the Vilonia Eagles defense turned away the Cyclones twice over the final eight minutes to help secure a 28-23 victory at Phillip Weaver Stadium behind a two touchdown night from junior tailback Seth Kirk.
The Eagles dominated play early, scoring on all four of their first half possessions – including an opening drive that chewed more than eight minutes off the clock – with senior quarterback Austin Meyers capping the 18-play, 85-yard drive with a short 4-yard scamper for a touchdown.
Noah Newman’s extra point made it 7-0.
After Jamison Hinsley picked off a pass by Cyclone quarterback Brayden Whitford on Russellville’s third play from scrimmage, Kirk would cash in the turnover with a 3-yard TD run and a 14-0 advantage.
Russellville would answer on their next drive with Damon Donoho scoring from a yard out to pull the Cyclones within 14-7 – catching two passes for 40 yards and carrying the ball for another 30 on the scoring drive – early in the second quarter.
It took the Eagles just under four minutes to respond.
On fourth-and-14 from the Cyclones’ 35, Vilonia elected to roll the dice and Myers would find Jamison Hinsley for a 35-yard scoring strike. Newman’s extra point helped Vilonia extend their lead to 21-7 with eight minutes remaining in the first half.
Trenton Stokes brought Russellville closer on a 5-yard TD slant from Brayden Whitford with 2:35 left in the second quarter but the extra point was blocked, leaving the score at 21-13.
But Vilonia wasn’t done yet as they managed to add another touchdown just before halftime after executing a fake punt 32-yard run on a fake punt on fourth down just before Kirk scored a 2-yard touchdown run with two seconds left to make it 28-13.
Russellville would score on their first possession of the second half with Whitford connecting with Gavin Graham on a 43-yard pass down to the Vilonia 15.
From there, a false start forced the Cyclones back five yards and Tristan Wheelus connected on a 30-yard field goal that cut the Vilonia lead to 28-16.
Then – after the Russellville defense forced the Eagles into their first of the game – Whitford broke free for a 22-yard run down to the Eagles 22-yard line.
After an additional 15 yards were added on to the end of the Whiford’s run for an unsportsmanlike conduct against Vilonia, the Golden Eagles were inside the 10-yard line.
A few plays later, Whitford tossed an 11-yard touchdown strike to Brady Burnett to cut the lead to 28-23 with just under three minutes left in the contest.
The Eagles got a couple of first downs on its next drive before attempting a punt which was blocked by the Cyclones near the end of the quarter.
Vilonia’s defense would eventually turn in a couple of big plays over the final ten minutes of the contest – a pass breakup on 4th-and-5 as Whitford overshot Burnett in the back of the end zone with 10:50 left and then Carter Archer would sack Whitford on another crucial fourth down play with 48 seconds remaining – to help the Eagles finally salt away the victory.
Vilonia (2-1) will travel to Clarksville on Friday.
PERRYVILLE THUMPS CONWAY CHRISTIAN 45-18
by Jason Ybarra
Conway – Senior Colten Wright’s 78-yard kick return for a TD highlighted a night of big plays for Perryville in their 45-18 pasting of Conway Christian at Eagle Field.
Easton Walker recovered a forced fumble and returned it five yards for another score as the Mustangs improved to 2-1 in non-conference play.
Conway Christian’s Tyler Cossey passed for 290 yards and three touchdowns in the loss.
Jeramya Brock caught a pair of touchdowns and Jace Kramer also had a touchdown catch for Conway Christian (0-3).
Sophomore quarterback Tyler Givens went 16-for-22 for 256 yards for Perryville while tailback Ethan Weaver scored three touchdowns and rushed for 48 yards on nine carries.
Mason Roland caught six passes for 198 yards for the Mustangs who will host Danville on Friday.
Conway Christian who will travel to Quitman on Friday.
WEEK 3 SCORES Bentonville 35, Shawnee (Kan.) Mill Valley 28 Bryant 44, Trinity Christian, Texas 40 FS Northside 28, Moore, Okla.21 LR Catholic 35, Benton 28 North LR 35, West Memphis 0 Rogers 43, Springfield (Mo.) Central 14
CLASS 6A Greenwood 23, Choctaw, Okla. 12 Lake Hamilton 38, Hot Springs 28 LR Parkview 28, Pine Bluff 6 Magnolia 27, El Dorado 23 Mountain Home 49, Batesville 45 Sheridan 36, Jacksonville 18 Vilonia 28, Russellville 23
CLASS 5A Centerpoint 42, De Queen 7 Clarksville 37, Pottsville 14 Forrest City 24, Helena 20 HS Lakeside 21, Malvern 14 Pulaski Academy 31, Virginia Life Christian 20 Rivercrest 40, Brookland 23 Texarkana 35, Warren 21 Trumann 35, Paragould 0 Watson Chapel 22, Camden Fairview 17 Valley View 56, Bald Knob 24 Hope at Prescott canceled
CLASS 4A Booneville 43, Mena 12 Dardanelle 34, Clinton 14 Fordyce 23, Monticello 22 Glen Rose 42, H.G. Haskell 20 Greenland 50, Berryville 28 Hamburg 41, Drew Central 6 Heber Springs 42, Dover 6 Lamar 54, Carlisle 18 McGehee 28, Blytheville 0 Newport 47, Lonoke 19 Ozark 54, Charleston 21
San Marcos, Texas – The University of Central Arkansas Bears rolled to a 2-0 non-conference victory over the Texas State Bobcats on Friday night at the Bobcat Soccer Complex.
UCA (2-1) scored both of its goals in the second half after outshooting Texas State (0-4-1) 8-3 in the first half.
The Bears made the most of their chances in the second half as sophomore Abby Gibson (Magnolia, Texas) scored in the 46th minute off assists from Gracie Hair and Hadley Dickinson.
UCA then made it 2-0 in the 71st minute when junior Taylor Webb (Lindale, Texas) found the net, assisted by Kirsten Rumbold and Zoe Van de Cloot.
Gibson and Webb each scored their first goals of the season as UCA outshot Texas State 15-9 with seven shots on goal.
UCA junior Reagan McCombs (Aurora, Colo.) finished with three saves for the Bears.
UCA returns to the pitch at 1 p.m. Sunday in non-conference action against fellow Southland Conference foe Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches, Texas.
The Bears are back at home next Thursday when they host ULM at 7 p.m. at the Bill Stephens Complex.
Thursday’s Scores St. Joseph’s defeated Riverview 3-0 (25-22, 25-13, 25-22) Kills: Presli Webb 9 Assists: Maggie Mooney 8 Blocks: Olivia Williams, Webb both with 1 Aces: Williams, Webb both with 4 Digs: Amy Lambe, Mooney both with 1 Records: St. Joseph’s (6-1, 2-0)
Conway defeated Central 3-0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-12) Kills: Kennedi Wyrick, Naomi Young each with 10 Assists: Abby Masters 22 Blocks: Kaylon Neal 3 Aces: Wyrick 4 Digs: Karis Scott 10 Records: Conway (5-4, 4-1)
Conway – The University of Central Arkansas’ two home football games on Sept. 26 against Missouri State and a Nov. 14 match-up versus Eastern Kentucky will both be carried nationally on ESPN3.
The Bears will host the MSU Bears next Saturday in their home opener at 7 p.m. on “The Stripes” at First Security Field at Estes Stadium.
After some schedule shifts, the Bears will then host the EKU Colonels in Conway in November.
“We are happy to have our home games broadcast nationally on the ESPN platform,’ said Dr. Brad Teague, UCA’s Director of Athletics. “It is great recognition of this football program and our fan base. We knew there was a great opportunity for all of our games to be carried nationally this year. It’s nice to see that come to fruition.
“And since we are forced to have attendance restrictions this season at Estes Stadium due to Arkansas Health Department regulations, it’s even better to be able to offer our outstanding fans another avenue to watch the Bears.’
UCA’s game with Arkansas State scheduled for this Saturday in Jonesboro was postponed until Oct. 10, making the MSU game next Saturday on “The Stripes” as the Bears’ next competition.
The Southland Conference production will feature John Liddle with play-by-play, Shea Walker providing color commentary and Taylor Verrico as the sideline reporter.
Conway – Because of player unavailability among the Arkansas State University football program, the game between the University of Central Arkansas Bears and the ASU Red Wolves scheduled for Saturday in Jonesboro has been postponed.
The Bears and Red Wolves will now meet on Saturday, Oct. 10 at Centennial Bank Stadium.
UCA was scheduled to play Eastern Kentucky on that date but has moved that game to Saturday, Oct. 24 in Richmond, Ky.
“During these unique times, these situations are bound to occur,’ said Dr. Brad Teague, UCA’s Director of Athletics. “We have seen it across the nation. We were definitely ready and looking forward to competing against the Red Wolves, but we absolutely understand that the health and wellness of our student-athletes has to guide all our decisions. We certainly wish the best for ASU’s football team and look forward to traveling to Jonesboro on Oct. 10 for an outstanding in-state matchup.’
In a statement issued by ASU Athletics, the game was postponed “due to Arkansas State being unable to assemble a full two-deep depth chart at a specific position group due to player unavailability.’
Central Arkansas (1-1) is coming off an open date and will now host Missouri State on Saturday, Sept. 26 on “The Stripes” at First Security Field at Estes Stadium.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m for the Bears’ home opener.
Faulkner County Focus Sports 
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