VIDEO: Football: Springdale High too much for Rogers Heritage

Springdale High’s Sebastian Barranco (14) celebrates Friday after recovering a fumble late in the fourth against Rogers Heritage in Rogers.
Springdale High’s Sebastian Barranco (14) celebrates Friday after recovering a fumble late in the fourth against Rogers Heritage in Rogers.

ROGERS -- Springdale High rode a stout defense and solid running game to an impressive win to open 7A-West Conference play Friday night.

The Red Bulldogs allowed just four first downs in the second half, including two in the final three minutes, to improve to 4-0 with a 44-7 win over Rogers Heritage at David Gates Stadium.

Springdale High 44, Rogers Heritage 7

Springdale^14^7^16^7^—^44

Rogers Heritage^7^0^0^0^—^7

First Quarter

Spring-Lopez 9 run (Barroso kick), 10:30.

Hert-De La Rosa 11 pass from Kitterman (Arrue kick), 7:40.

Spring-Robinson 20 pass from Hutchins (Barroso kick), 4:42.

Second Quarter

Spring-Lopez 2 run ( Barroso kick), 2:41.

Third Quarter

Spring-Safety, 7:46.

Spring-Robinson 16 pass from Hutchins (Barroso kick), 4:42.

Spring-Lopez 17 run (Barroso kick), 0:13.

Fourth Quarter

Spring-Parchman 5 run (Barroso kick), 3:42.

Junior running back Jonathan Lopez rushed for 172 yards on 23 carries and scored three touchdowns to anchor the running game, while senior quarterback Layne Hutchins threw a pair of touchdowns to Kamond Robinson.

Springdale (4-0, 1-0) broke the game open with 28 unanswered points, but the Red'Dogs scored twice in the third quarter -- once aided by a Heritage fumble -- to pull away from a 21-7 halftime advantage.

Red Bulldogs coach Zak Clark couldn't be more pleased with his team's 4-0 start.

"If anybody deserves to be four and oh, after the way they've battled and fought and what they've been through, I can't be more proud of them than I am tonight," Clark said.

The War Eagles (0-4, 0-1) bowed up to stop Springdale four times from the Heritage 1 to get the ball back. But Springdale tackled running back Dylan Qualls in the end zone for the safety on the next play for a 23-7 lead.

The teams traded three fumbles, but Springdale was the ultimate beneficiary -- getting the ball at the Heritage 13. Despite a penalty -- one of 12 assessed to Springdale -- the Red Bulldogs scored as Hutchins found Robinson on a screen and weaved his way into the end zone for 30-7.

Lopez carried the load on a 56-yard scoring drive. He finished it with a 17-yard touchdown run with less than a minute left in the third quarter for a 37-7 lead.

Clark felt like the defense turned the momentum in Red'Dogs' favor with the third-quarter safety.

"We drove it down there and couldn't get it in inside the one, our defense came up with a big safety and I felt like the tide kinda turned," Clark said. "Our defense has been outstanding all year, they set the tone. The kids love playing defense. They play really hard and I'm proud of them.

"One thing our defense hadn't been doing, is getting turnovers and tonight it was just a culmination of everything. I think we had four or five. We've got to execute better on offense and I think tonight we did and I think that's why we were able to put up a few points."

Heritage coach Tony Travis said his team turned the ball over too much against a good team.

"The story of the night is we got 17 offensive snaps in the second half, Travis said. "When we did have the ball, we didn't have the ball protection that we've seen. Through three games, that hadn't been much of a problem, but we were careless with it and that cost you when you play a good team."

Sports on 09/23/2017

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