WEST MEMPHIS -- Senior running back Guren Holmes rushed for 206 yards and scored 3 of his 4 touchdowns in a decisive second half to lead West Memphis to a 39-21 victory over Benton in a Class 6A quarterfinal game.
Holmes rushed for 139 second-half yards as the Blue Devils (10-1) broke open a tight game in the fourth quarter.
"[Holmes] showed up big tonight, and that's what we've come to expect out of him," West Memphis Coach Billy Elmore said.
Holmes' 39-yard touchdown with 7:52 left in the third quarter snapped a 21-21 tie. From there, it was all West Memphis.
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On the first Panthers play after the ensuing kickoff, West Memphis defensive end Verndarious Hodges recovered an errant pitch from Benton quarterback Gavin Wells to Zak Wallace at the Benton 17.
Holmes turned that into six more points for West Memphis, diving into the end zone from 3 yards out with 6:40 to play.
Benton's offense was crippled severely by a strong wind that was in its face in the final quarter.
West Memphis won the opening toss and decided to take the ball, which gave the Blue Devils the wind in the final 12 minutes. The gamble paid off.
"We just wanted to hold serve in the third quarter, and that's what we did," Elmore said. "The wind was howling in the fourth quarter."
D'Quarious Rogers of West Memphis picked off a pass with under five minutes to play, and the Blue Devils cinched the outcome when Holmes scored his fourth touchdown, this one from 4 yards out to make it 39-21 with 2:47 to play.
The Panthers (7-5) enjoyed leads of 7-0 and 14-6. Wallace scored a 3-yard touchdown and then a 7-yard touchdown.
West Memphis' Michael Troxler fired two touchdown passes, one a 32-yarder to Mason Kearney in the first quarter and then an 11-yarder to Steven Stone in the second quarter. Holmes had a 32-yard touchdown just before halftime to tie the game 21-21.
Sports on 11/18/2017