BTW COMES UP ONE POINT SHORT TO NLR

BENTONVILLE, Ark. – Huge plays and bonehead plays. Both teams made plenty of both. In the end, North Little Rock, Arkansas’ reigning Class 7A football champions, scrambled to a 29-28 win over Booker T. Washington, Oklahoma’s 6A Division II champs, in the Rumble in the Ozarks at Bentonville’s Tiger Stadium. Stymied for a half, B.T. Washington exploded for 28 second-half points behind the passing of senior left-hander Dwight Hamilton, who made his first regular-season varsity start after fighting back from knee surgery last year. The Hornets seemingly had the game in hand, but North Little Rock rallied from a 13-point deficit over the final nine minutes. After three second-half lead changes, Hamilton’s fumble gave the Charging Wildcats a short field and they went ahead to stay on Oscar Adaway’s third touchdown, a 7-yard run with 1:28 left, and Ethan Lee’s extra point. The Hornets tried to block the conversion kick and 6-foot-4 junior JJ Hester appeared to get a hand on it, but still the ball fluttered between the uprights. B.T. Washington managed one first down after the ensuing kickoff, but the game ended with an incompletion and a pair of North Little Rock sacks on Hamilton. “We got beat by a very good football team,” Hornets coach Brad Calip said. North Little Rock went 13-0 last year and gave Central Arkansas its first championship in the state’s largest classification in 13 years. “To lose by one point to that team is pretty impressive,” Calip said. “We had ’em on the ropes, but we just had too many turnovers. We’ve really gotta fix that.” The Hornets lost three fumbles in their own territory and North Little Rock scored after two of them. Trailing 3-0 in the first quarter, B.T. Washington had scarcely stopped one scoring threat at its 4, giving the ball right back with a fumble. From the Hornets’ 22, NLR quarterback Kareame Cotton rolled right and then threw back left to a wide-open Adaway, who scored to make it 9-0. Calip blamed himself for conservative play-calling in the first half. The Hornets couldn’t dent NLR’s run defense and totaled 30 yards. The fumble ended one possession and they went three-and-out on three others. Their only first-half first downs were on Hamilton’s 10-yard screen pass to Thomas Grayson and an NLR pass interference penalty. Calip told his coaches to open up the offense in the second half and get the ball to the Hornets’ spectacular playmakers. Hamilton started the half with a 46-yard scoring toss to five-star recruit Dax Hill, amazingly left unguarded along the sideline. Then Hamilton followed with a 37-yard bomb to Marcus Potter, who totaled five receptions for 140 yards and two TDs, and BTW had its first lead. Adaway’s 30-yard run put North Little Rock back ahead 15-14 late in the third quarter, but a huge break went B.T. Washington’s way when NLR’s interception was negated by a face-mask penalty. Hamilton then threw 23 yards to Potter and Grayson followed with a 22-yard run and the Hornets were up 21-15. Next, Kiero Petross caused a fumble and the Hornets’ Jeremiah McLaurin pounced on the loose ball. On first down from the NLR 43, Potter wheeled past a defender with a short pass from Hamilton and streaked to the end zone. The Hornets led 28-15, but NLR drove 69 yards to score and scored again with the fumble by Hamilton. “I don’t know if anybody could ask more from a ball game,” NLR coach Jamie Mitchell said. “So much credit goes to Booker T. They’re just an incredible football team. I think that’s a national game. Two great football teams went at it. I hate it for Booker T. They didn’t leave anything out there. But we’re tickled to death to get the win.” Mitchell was amazed with the Hornets’ receivers, especially Hill, who also intercepted a pass and seemed to be in on every second-half tackle, streaking from his safety spot to meet the point of attack. “We were scared to death of him. What an incredible athlete,” Mitchell said. “(Potter) had a massive game and (Jones) and (Hester) are really good, too.” In all, Hamilton connected with eight receivers, including Grayson out of the backfield. He completed 12-of-22 passes for 268 yards. But the lost fumble stood out and Calip said he would continue to evaluate other candidates. He likely meant Tai Dobbins and freshman Gentry Williams, who battled with Hamilton during preseason drills. The Hornets host Bishop Kelley on Friday for their home opener.

BTW COMES UP ONE POINT SHORT TO NLR

MIKE BROWN

Tulsa World | 8/25/2018

PHOTO CREDIT: David Beach