Sophomores lead the way for McGehee

Sophomores DeWayne Railey and James Bell enjoyed their first varsity game with the McGehee Owls on Monday night.


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Railey rushed for 162 yards and 2 touchdowns on 6 carries to lead the Owls past Baptist Prep 34-7 at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

Bell had 75 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns on 8 carries as McGehee (1-0) won its season opener for the first time since 2012, when it defeated Monticello.

Railey scored on runs of 15 and 76 yards in the first half to help the Owls take a 22-0 lead at halftime. Bell added touchdown runs of 42 and 10 yards.

"They had open holes. That helps," McGehee Coach Marcus Haddock said.

McGehee drove 67 yards in 3:57 to take a 7-0 lead. Sophomore quarterback Cory Smart's 17-yard run set up Railey's first touchdown, a 15-yard run, with 2:33 left in the first quarter.

Baptist Prep punted on its next possession, then McGehee scored quickly.

Railey ran down the left sideline, eluding three Baptist Prep defenders, and scored on a 76-yard run. Senior wide receiver Taiwan Collins' two-point conversion run made it 15-0 with 10:07 left in the first half.

"You can't give him too much space," Haddock said of Railey. "If he gets a step, he'll make it more than one step. He runs tough, though. He'll hit up the hole. He doesn't bounce. He's not scared to put a shoulder down."

McGehee extended its lead to 22-0 with 4:55 left in the first half.

Railey ran 43 yards to the Baptist Prep 42, then Bell ran the distance for his first touchdown.

Smart threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Collins for a 28-0 lead with 8:48 left in the third quarter. Bell's second touchdown run of the game, a 10-yarder, gave the Owls a 34-0 lead with 9:43 left in the game.

Baptist Prep senior running back Luke Vaden scored from 23 yards out to cut the lead to 34-7 with 8:33 remaining.

Vaden led the Eagles offensively, rushing for 161 yards and 1 touchdown on 27 carries. Senior quarterback Dylan Hogan had 57 yards on 10 carries. Hogan threw only one pass, which was intercepted by McGehee junior defensive back Donta Haynes in the fourth quarter.

Baptist Prep was outgained 401-255, but first-year Coach Morgan Cruce said he is trying to keep his team positive as it heads into its next two nonconference games against Rison, last year's Class 2A runner-up, and Joe T. Robinson, a Class 4A contender.

"The score, 34-7, is not where we want to be," Cruce said. "The season is a long season. We'll see what it holds for us."

Smart completed 4 of 6 passes for 77 yards and 1 touchdown.

McGehee, which plays in the 6-3A Conference, has 32 players, including 12 sophomores. After Monday's game, Haddock said he was glad to see his team leave Little Rock without any injuries.

"We're healthy right now, which is something we haven't been in a long time," Haddock said. "The Lord has blessed us."

Sports on 08/30/2016

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