Learning from mistakes

!"After a bad second quarter, the Rogers defense stepped up in Friday's win.

— ROGERS - Rogers coaches were frustrated at halftime Friday after Van Buren rallied to tie the game with a big second quarter.

The Mountie defense was told to pick up its game - and it did.

The defense held Van Buren to 10 points in the second half - just a field goal after the Pointers scored early in the second half - as Rogers ran away with a 62-38 win.

"The first half didn't go the way we wanted it to," senior defensive back Jason Oller said. "At halftime, thecoaches talked to us about stepping up and keep fighting.

I think the defense really responded in a good way."

Rogers had a 21-7 lead after senior linebacker D.J. Smart returned an interception - one of four by Rogers - 33 yards for a touchdown. But the Pointers scored on their nextfour possessions, mixing their Double Wing running game and Spread passing game for success. They took a brief lead and then tied the game at 28 ona field goal as time expired.

"I was disappointed because it looked like we were going to handle them really well and then defensively - I don't know what it is," head coach Ronnie Peacock said.

"At one point it looked like we couldn't stop them on the run and at one point it looked like we couldn't stop them on the pass.

"I was really frustrated right before half."

The defense gave up just one big passing play in the second half and forced three punts and two interceptions.

"The defense gave up a lot of points but those are bigturnovers," Peacock said. "The defense did some really good things."

The Rogers offense scored touchdowns after each of the other interceptions and senior Ethan Melton added a kickoff return and punt return for touchdowns.

Oller thinks the Mountie defense has learned a lot from the three nonconference games, which have included a shutout, a second-half meltdown and Friday's second-half stand.

"Anything can happen at any time," Oller said. "Big plays canhappen. And it's about responding. (Friday) we responded in the second half.

"These nonconference games are for getting ready for those tougher 7A-West opponents because they're gong to be tough. We're just going to keep getting better every week. That's our goal. I think we're doing that."◊◊ ◊

Oller, who had the first interception Friday, also had a big impact on offense.

He led the Mounties with five catches for 99 yards. Oller, who usually lines up as a running back, had just two catches coming into the game.

"(Graham) Parker and Melton have been the main targets," he said. "I think(Van Buren) were focusing on them and I just slipped into that little niche and got the ball and got to do something with it. That was a lot of fun."

Senior quarterback Andy Couture tallied 450 yards of total offense - 224 rushing and 226 passing. He scored four times on the ground and threw a late touchdown pass to Casey Caton.

Couture has completed 43 passes to seven different teammates in three games and has 749 passing yards and nine touchdowns this season.

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Rogers-Van Buren games have been filled with offense in the past five meetings - all Rogers wins.

The teams have combined for 349 points and more than 3,600 yards off offense in those five games.

Rogers has averaged 49.8 points in those wins, including back-to-back 62-point performancesagainst the Pointers.

Friday was also the second straight game the two teams combined for more than 1,000 yards of total offense.

They has 1,077 in last year's 62-21 game at Van Buren. They tallied 1,065 on Friday.

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The Mounties host Fort Smith Southside - their fourth straight home game - to open 7A-West Conference play Friday.

The Rebels, who advanced to the state championship game last year, improved to 2-1 with a 35-0 win against Little Rock Central.

Running backs David Adair and Lee Hollis combined for three scores and Kameron Beeler returned a fumble for a touchdown. The Rebels also forced two interceptions.

Like Rogers, Southside lost its opener (21-10) to Little Rock Catholic before winning back-to-back games.

Sports, Pages 7, 8 on 09/20/2009

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