The Searcy Lions were geared up to pull away Thursday night but had to hold on for a 35-27 victory over Sylvan Hills at Blackwood Field in Sherwood on Thursday night.
"Sylvan Hills is a tough football team," Searcy Coach Mark Kelley said. "We knew coming down here that this would be an extremely tough football game."
Senior quarterback Peyton Wright's 5-yard touchdown pass to senior receiver Tim Williams gave Searcy (8-2, 5-2 6A-North) the first points of the second half and a 28-13 lead with 6:19 left in the game.
Wright completed 24 of 34 passes for 354 yards and 5 touchdowns, but he also threw 2 interceptions that Searcy used to keep within reach.
"We turned it over a couple of times, but he really did a good job as far as everything else is concerned," Kelley said. "He did a good job of moving us up and down the field."
"He knows what he's doing," Sylvan Hills Coach Jim Withrow said of Wright. "He makes all the reads, and their receivers are very impressive."
Junior running back Chris Adams scored on an 11-yard run that pulled Sylvan Hills (3-7, 2-5) within 28-20 with 3:47 left. Adams led all rushers with 104 yards on 23 carries.
Although Sylvan Hills junior Joey Jones recovered the onside kick, Searcy took over on downs near midfield after four plays and responded with a 57-yard touchdown pass from Wright to junior receiver Dillon Nichols to take a 35-20 lead with 1:34 remaining.
A 28-yard touchdown pass from Sylvan Hills sophomore quarterback Emil McCoy to sophomore Shajuan Esteen completed the scoring with no time left on the clock.
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"I was proud of our guys," Withrow said. "We're getting better each week, but we're in a tough conference."
Searcy started its first possession of the game at the 20 but fumbled on the first play from scrimmage. A scramble for the ball drove it into the end zone, where it was recovered by senior cornerback Amaad Yancy to give Sylvan Hills a 7-0 lead.
Sylvan Hills increased the advantage to 10-0 after senior Tito Mendoza's 47-yard field goal with 6:32 left in the first quarter.
Searcy pulled within 10-7 after Wright's 33-yard touchdown pass to junior Tanner Leonard late in the first quarter, and the Lions took the lead on a 15-yard pass from Wright to junior Griffin Love with 7:40 left in the second quarter.
A 40-yard touchdown pass from Wright to Williams on fourth and 4 put Searcy's lead at 21-10 with 3:35 left before halftime.
Sylvan Hills cut its deficit to 21-13 on its next possession after a 27-yard field goal by Mendoza.
"We have a lot of young guys," Withrow said. "We've played a lot of inexperienced guys all year, and we've been right in every game. We just can't finish. We just can't finish, and I think that's just inexperience."
Sports on 11/02/2018