OZARK — Teams that are going to the playoffs need dominating stretches like Ozark had Friday night.
Leading Farmington by a single point midway through the third quarter of a critical 1-4A Conference matchup, the Hillbillies exploded for four touchdowns in less than nine minutes, running away with a 48-26 victory.
With the victory, Ozark (5-3, 4-1 1-4A) ended a twoyear playoff drought, and also surpassed its combined victory total from 2008 and 2009 of four. The 48 points were a season high for Ozark, as well as the most allowed this season by Farmington (3-5, 2-3).
“As far as a complete half - offense, defense and special teams - that’s probably about as well as we’ve played all season,” Ozark Coach Brooks Coatney said. “It’s huge for our community [to get back to the playoffs]. This was a big tradition, and we’ve been absent the last few years.”
Farmington pulled within 21-20 on a 7-yard touchdown run by Jared Martin with 4:13 to go in the third quarter. A missed extra point kept the Hillbillies up a point, and from then on, it was all Ozark.
Toby Richard took the ensuing kickoff and ran it back 80 yards for a touchdown and a 28-20 lead. The Cardinals fumbled the next kickoff, giving Ozark the ball at the Farmington 31. Five plays later, Asher Ree scored on a 10-yard run and the Hillbillies led 35-20.
Haden Neumeier had an interception to snuff out the Cardinals’ next drive, and then Neumeier caught a 41-yard touchdown pass from Jonathon McKenzie, making it 42-20 early in the fourth quarter. Richard sealed it when he picked off Farmington quarterback Trey Spencer and ran it back 60 yards for a touchdown.
The kickoff and interception returns were both season firsts for the Hillbillies that resulted in touchdowns.
“[The kickoff return] was huge,” Coatney said. “We’ve been stressing it all season. I told the kids keep plugging and get our assignments done and we could get one. We took out two whammies in one shot.”
Farmington never led in the game, although it did tie it twice, going into the half knotted at 14-14. Spencer threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Garrison Rice that tied it at 7-7, and he threw another touchdown pass to Gray, this one a 15-yarder with 25 seconds left in the first half.
Brody Martinez ran for a first-quarter touchdown for Ozark, and McKenzie scored twice on quarterback keepers.
“We put ourselves in bad situations,” Farmington Coach Mike Adams said. “We rallied three times, but they’re too good a football team to help them.” 1-4A CONFERENCE
GENTRY 28, BERRYVILLE 7
BERRYVILLE - Tanner Coy scored on two long runs as Gentry (5-3, 3-2 1-4A) defeated Berryville (1-7, 0-5).
Coy scored on runs of 60 and 40 yards.
Ethan Ramsey added a 2-yard touchdown run for Gentry, Austin Millsap hit Justin Stewart with a 25-yard touchdown pass.
Peter Acuna scored on a 10-yard run for Berryville.
PRAIRIE GROVE 20, PEA RIDGE 6
PEA RIDGE - Weston Bartholomew had 23 carries for 118 yards and 1 touchdown to lead Prairie Grove (4-4, 2-3 1-4A) past Pea Ridge (1-7, 0-5).
Bartholomew scored on a 1-yard run.
Stephen Thomas added a 4-yard run for the Tigers, while Austin Easterling scored on a 2-yard run and Daniel Schrock had a 1-yard scoring run.
Sports, Pages 24 on 10/23/2010