Harding Academy’s Seth Keese looks for an open receiver on Friday night. By JEREMY MUCK
Special to The Leader
FOUNTAIN LAKE —Fountain Lake’s football team is headed back to the state championship game – but with a change of venue.
Mark Makin ran for 186 yards Friday night to lead Fountain Lake in a 42-10 rout of Harding Academy in the Class 3A semifinals.
The Cobras (12-1) play Prescott, a 42-28 semifinal winner at Rivercrest, this Friday at Estes Stadium in Conway.
It’s a rematch of a quarterfinal game last year in which Fountain Lake beat Prescott 22-21 on the road.
A year after losing to Charleston at Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium, Fountain Lake coach Tommy Gilleran sees a difference with this edition of the Cobras.
“They’re just more focused this year,” Gilleran said. “This year’s seniors have kept everybody on track and made everybody not get astray. “
Although he was disappointed with his team’s finish, second-year Harding Academy coach Roddy Mote praised his Wildcats for winning 12 games and the 3A-2 conference.
“We had a great year and ended up being one of the final four teams in the state,” Mote said. “It just hurts. You get in the playoffs, you make a run for it, and if you don’t win it all, that’s the way you feel.”
The Wildcats suffered a failed fake punt in the first half and were held to 74 rushing yards. A week after running for 216 yards against Harrisburg, Seth Keese totaled 11 rushing yards and completed 14 of 30 passes for 226 yards and an interception.
