While running back James Sax was pounding at Harrison’s gut, defensive back Zach Mitchell broke the Goblins hearts Friday night.
Sax, a sophomore, rushed for 175 yards on 28 carries and two touchdowns and keyed the Eagles’ ball-control offense in a 30-10 victory over Harrison in the teams’ 5A-West Conference opener at Centennial Bank Field at Phillip Weaver Stadium.
“It was all the offensive line; they took care of me,” Sax said.
The Eagles (3-1, 1-0) gobbled up four turnovers (three interceptions), the last a spectacular one.
After stopping Vilonia on fourth and short, Harrison drove to the 10 with the clock ticking down. Mitchell intercepted Ryan Miller and returned it 101 yards for the punctuating touchdown, putting the final would-be tackler down with a stiff arm.
“I caught the ball and thought, ‘I gotta run,’” Mitchell said in a radio interview. “Our whole defense threw some amazing blocks. That stiff arm I’ve had since the ninth grade.”
Drew Knowles halted another Harrison drive with a fumble recovery on the Vilonia 2. Taylor Sweeten turned back Harrison with an interception with 3:09 left in the first half with Vilonia clinging to a 14-10 advantage.
The Eagles began pounding at the Harrison defense on their first drive. Trey Lewis capped it with a 4-yard run with 7:23 left in the first quarter. Miller, who generated most of the Goblins’ 230 yards of offense, led the Goblins back connecting with Jonathan Johnson on a short touchdown pass that tied the game at 7 with 1:07 left in the first quarter.
Harrison then took a 10-7 lead with 9:21 left in the half on a 44-yard field goal by John Tolliver.
Vilonia came right back with a drive of its on and Sax’s 9-yard run gave the Eagles a 14-10 lead with 5:55 left in the half.
Dustin Hawkins helped Vilonia break away when he recovered on onside kick after the second-half kickoff. Sax broke for a 37-yard touchdown that gave Vilonia a 21-10 lead with 10:51 left in the third period.
A field goal by Griffin Nelson upped that advantage to 24-10 going into the fourth quarter.
The Eagles consumed much of that quarter with their ball-control offense.
Vilonia begins a two-game road swing Friday at Siloam Springs.
Following Friday’s round of state playoff games, five of last year’s high school football state champions are still in the hunt to repeat those efforts.
Buzz Bolding, athletic director for Conway Public Schools, is pleased, particularly from a potential revenue standpoint, that a vote by the largest 32 schools in the state placed Bryant, Cabot and North Little Rock back into the 7A/6A Central Conference.
Prior to Friday’s game at Helena-West Helena, Forrest City Coach Rich Trail said one of the keys to a Mustang win would be stopping the big play Cougar offense.
Once Siloam Springs’ quarterback Brian Adair tossed a 39-yard touchdown pass to narrow Greenbrier’s lead to 28-24 late in the third quarter, the Panthers could go only one of two ways.
In the final nonconference game before 5A-West play begins, the Vilonia Eagles put together an evenly balanced attack and a convincing 35-24 win over Beebe on Friday night.
Spencer Harris and Marco Vota batted down Kiehl Frazier's desperation pass to finally end an instant classic as Greenwood outlasted nationally-ranked Shiloh Christian, 54-51.
Northside was able to throw the slant route at will in the second half against Little Rock Catholic but one play kept the Grizzlies from posting a perfect nonconference record.