By Vernon Tarver
[email protected] • @NWAVernon
That Figures
0 — Receptions for Fayetteville tight end C.J. O’Grady in Friday’s game
1 — Games — counting Friday — O’Grady has not made a catch in over the past two seasons
2 — Undefeated teams — Fayetteville and Fort Smith Northside — remaining in the 7A-West heading into conference play
14 — Passing yards for Muskogee
FAYETTEVILLE -- The Fayetteville offense just had one of those nights, struggling to find rhythm and battling against inconsistency and errors while trying to help the Bulldogs pull off the win Friday at Muskogee. But thanks to a solid effort from the defense throughout the contest, Fayetteville was able to stay in control.
"Our defense played well the whole night," Fayetteville coach Daryl Patton said. "Late in the game we had some different kids in there and we wanted to give them a chance, but overall it was a great defensive night for us. The kids competed hard and our coaches had a great plan, and we executed that plan."
Muskogee finished with 195 total yards, 181 of which came in rushing yards. But 75 those yards came on the Roughers' two scoring drives, as Fayetteville limited to Muskogee to 120 yards on its 10 other possessions.
PLAYS OF THE NIGHT: Dre Greenlaw's 42-yard pass to Bruce Armstrong on a wide receiver, reverse pass was Fayetteville's first big trick play of the night. But not the last. Greenlaw's pass play started off a late scoring drive just before halftime for the Bulldogs, and the drive ended with another bit of trickery when quarterback Taylor Powell and Tyson Morris connected on a 26-yard score on a rarely seen "Freeze Play." While all other Fayetteville players stood still as if the play hadn't started, Morris raced down the sidelines, catching Muskogee off guard on his way to a key TD reception that gave the Bulldogs a 14-3 halftime lead.
PLAYERS OF THE GAME: With Fayetteville's offense never really in sync the entire night, the Purple'Dogs defense deserves the player of the game honors. Aside from a late first-quarter drive, Muskogee had no luck moving the football against Fayetteville all night until its final possession of the game.
INJURY REPORT: Sophomore running back Terrance Rock did not play Friday. Rock had been nursing a shoulder injury from the previous week. In his place behind starting running back Luke Rapert, Jevontae Smith, Martell Lockett and Rashad Brown combined for 71 yards on 11 carries.
"We were rolling a lot of kids in and out tonight, kids that deserved a shot," Patton said. "It was an ugly win, but it's a win and we're happy to have it."
NOTABLE: For the first time Friday in the past two seasons -- a span of 14 games -- Fayetteville senior tight end and Arkansas commit C.J. O'Grady did have a pass reception. In fact, O'Grady had made at least two catches in every game since the start of the 2013 season before the zero-catch game against Muskogee. ... Fayetteville finished with 106 rushing yards Friday, but that was a misleading final total. The Bulldogs had minus-43 yards rushing on two bad snaps over the head of quarterbacks Taylor Powell and Jack Lindsey. ... The Bulldogs came close to playing a turnover-free game, until a fumble by Smith on the final Fayetteville possession.
UP NEXT:Fayetteville has already been involved in one of the biggest games in Class 7A, with a Week 2 win vs. North Little Rock. Now it appears the Bulldogs will take part in another top matchup in Week 4, when undefeated Fort Smith Northside visits Harmon Stadium on Friday. The Grizzlies are off to a 3-0 start for the first time since 2006 and whipped Class 6A power Greenwood, 42-17, this week. Fayetteville beat Greenwood, 35-13, in a three-quarter preseason scrimmage.
Sports on 09/21/2014