One yard made the difference Friday night. A shorthanded Pine Bluff team defeated White Hall 20-14 on the road thanks to a goal-line stand.
Pine Bluff (6-2, 5-1 in 5A Central) was missing 23 players due to suspension, though some of their stars were available. Pine Bluff coach Micheal Williams said he loved how the available players stepped up. "They put they team on they back, the ones that can play," Williams said. "They put them on they back, and we got out of here with a win."
The Zebras took the lead early in the fourth quarter when Marquez Brentley scored on a 9-yard run. Austyn Dendy ran in the 2-point conversion.
White Hall (3-4, 2-3) got the ball and chewed up 8:08 on a 67-yard drive. The Bulldogs had a chance to take the lead with 1:32 remaining, but the Zebras stuffed the fourth-down run at the 1-yard line to preserve the lead and the win.
Bulldog coach Jason Mitchell said it was close, and the call just didn't go White Hall's way. "I thought he got in, but I'm not a referee," Maitchell said. "That's all in his hands, and he's got a better view than I do. I know it was a bad snap, and Noah [Smith] had to go up and catch it, and he did a heck of a job getting it down to Jayden [Smith], and he just didn't get in."
Dendy had a big night for Pine Bluff. The Missouri commit ran for 89 yards and two touchdowns. He also intercepted a pass at the goal line in the first half. Williams said Dendy played like a man.
"He needs to be a four- or five-star [recruit]," Williams said. "They got him as a three-star. Disrespect. He's a four-star, five-star."
Pine Bluff struck first when Dendy scored on a 1-yard keeper midway through the first quarter, taking advantage of a White Hall fumble. Pine Bluff missed the extra point and led 6-0.
The Zebras started the second quarter with the ball after forcing a quick punt, but a bad snap on fourth down went over the punter's head, forcing the Zebras to fall on it at their own 17-yard-line, setting up White Hall in great position. Three plays later, Dendy intercepted a pass at the goal line. He said he read the quarterback's eyes to make the play.
"I had kind of played it off, went to the left a little bit," Dendy said. "Then I seen him cut back, and I was already going, come down on the ball. I had seen it, and I went to go get it."
The Zebras fumbled two plays later. Jayden Smith took advantage, breaking free on a 13-yard touchdown run. The extra point gave the Bulldogs a 7-6 lead.
They increased their lead on their next drive when quarterback Noah Smith fooled the entire Pine Bluff defense with a fake handoff before sprinting 42-yards down the left sideline for a touchdown.
Dendy returned the kickoff to the White Hall 45, then capped off a 10-play drive with a 3-yard touchdown run. The 2-point conversion failed, and White Hall led 14-12 at halftime after missing a 36-yard field goal at the buzzer.
Neither team scored in the third quarter. Brentley's go-ahead touchdown was the only score of the fourth.
Pine Bluffs Jonathan Goins reaches out to grab White Hall's Jayden Smith during Friday night's game at White Hall. (Special to The Commercial/William Harvey)