SPRINGDALE -- Shiloh Christian didn't pick up a first down until a defensive pass interference call with 50 seconds left in the first quarter Friday night.
Warren was already up 27-0 by that point.
The Lumberjacks overwhelmed Shiloh with their speed, leading 40-0 at halftime en route to a 47-21 sportsmanship-rule victory in the quarterfinals of the Class 4A state playoffs at Champions Stadium.
Warren established its dominance early, taking control from the opening drive as it advanced to the semifinals where it will meet Dardanelle next Friday in Dardanelle. Dardanelle defeated Nashville 35-19 Friday night.
The Lumberjacks (10-3) outgained Shiloh 429-36 in the first half and finished with 537 yards of offense.
"When you play a team that's athletic and fast, you've got to neutralize that speed," Shiloh Christian Coach Jeff Conaway said. "We weren't able to do that. We prepared the best we could, but we just weren't able to slow them down."
Warren faced third and 16 on its opening drive, but quarterback Justin Gorman hit Terrez Hampton deep for a 41-yard gain. The Lumberjacks scored three plays later when Gorman found Darveon Brown for a 19-yard touchdown to kick off a string of six Warren touchdowns on eight first-half drives.
Gorman completed 9 of 13 passes for 242 yards and 2 touchdowns, including 194 yards in the first half. He repeatedly found holes down the seams against the Saints' defense.
Lumberjacks senior running back Trent Broughton ran for 127 yards and 2 touchdowns on 12 carries, while fellow senior Kilay Cox ran for 119 yards and 3 touchdowns on 13 carries.
"We got a bunch of penalties early on, but we played really well overall," Warren Coach Bo Hembree said. "We had the wind in the first quarter and took advantage by scoring 21 points. We had another chance but fumbled it, and we've got to correct those kind of mistakes before next week's game."
Shiloh (9-4) managed just three first downs, two thanks to Warren penalties, in the first half. All three came on the Saints' best drive in the opening half, which ended with a fourth-down incompletion at the Warren 17 late in the second quarter.
The Saints got on the scoreboard in the third quarter when senior Ben Olsen intercepted Gorman and returned it 64 yards for a score. Olsen scored on a 6-yard run in the fourth quarter, then Shiloh Christian senior Chandler Smith scored on a 7-yard run to round out the scoring.
Warren was balanced offensively, running for 295 yards and passing for 242.
Shiloh Christian finished with 186 yards of offense. Senior running back Kyle Freeman ran for a team-high 75 yards on 10 carries, and sophomore quarterback Connor Reece completed 9 of 23 passes for 44 yards.
Sports on 11/29/2014