FAYETTEVILLE -- The showdown between two of the top teams in Arkansas lived up to its billing Friday night.
No. 3 Fayetteville took advantage of an effective running game in the second half to wear down No. 2 North Little Rock 43-33 at Harmon Stadium.
Fayetteville built a two-touchdown lead late in the first half, then watched as fumbles and miscues allowed North Little Rock to grab the lead twice in the second half.
"North Little Rock is so talented and so well-coached, but really, you take away two turnovers and we have a two-touchdown lead," Fayetteville Coach Daryl Patton said. "We told our kids it is what it is. Now it's how you handle that adversity and just take every play one at a time. Even when we got down, we blocked an extra point that was huge and we got the momentum back.
"To get this win was huge."
Fayetteville started the game using its two-quarterback rotation of sophomore Taylor Powell and Jack Lindsey but quickly went with Powell -- who completed 9 of 22 passes for 121 yards with 2 touchdowns and no interceptions -- after the second series of the game.
Still, it was the running of Luke Rapert and Terrance Rock that made the biggest difference. Rapert rushed for 185 yards -- including the game-clinching 25-yard touchdown with 1:42 left -- on 32 carries, and Rock added 72 yards and 1 touchdown on 16 carries as Fayetteville finished with 255 rushing yards.
Patton said his coaching staff believed leading up to the game that the Bulldogs could run on the Charging Wildcats, and that proved to be true.
"We had some negative plays, but we never got down," Patton said. "To run the ball against that football team is saying something."
North Little Rock receiver K.J. Hill, who is orally committed to the University of Arkansas, rushed 71 yards on 5 carries and had 4 catches for 55 yards.
Hill's 53-yard touchdown run out of the Wildcat formation gave North Little Rock a 33-28 lead with 8:25 left to play, but the Charging Wildcats couldn't stop Fayetteville late when it mattered most.
"Fayetteville has a very good football team, but we beat ourselves and the kids have to own up to that," said North Little Rock Coach Brad Bolding, who team fumbled three times. "You can't play like that, really in all three phases, and expect to beat a team as good as they are."
NO. 6 PINE BLUFF 45, WATSON CHAPEL 12
PINE BLUFF — Quarterback Ladarius Skelton accounted for two touchdowns as Pine Bluff (1-1) blew out Watson Chapel (0-2) in a nonconference game. For Watson Chapel, Roger Totten threw two touchdown passes to Drew Wade, including a 45-yarder.
NO. 10 WYNNE 48, TUNICA (MISS.) ROSA FORT 20
TUNICA, Miss. — Senior quarterback Ross Trail threw three touchdowns to help the Yellowjackets defeat Tunica Rosa Fort. Senior receiver Zach Morris caught two of Trail’s scoring passes, and Devonte Pounds caught the third. Jamar Dixon scored two of the four touchdowns on the ground for Wynne (2-0). Antonio Davis and Melvin Ison also rushed for touchdowns.
Sports on 09/13/2014