By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
Fresh off a dominating defensive performance last week in shutting out a high-flying Parkview offense, the Jacksonville Red Devils were themselves utterly dominated Friday night on the banks of the Mississippi River, losing 53-7 to conference foe West Memphis. West Memphis trailed 7-6 with 6:21 left in the first quarter. From there it was all Blue Devils. West Memphis scored 40 points from the end of the first quarter through the third to invoke the sportsmanship, continuous clock rule.
The Red Devils stopped West Memphis on the opening drive of the game, but were on the lower end of a tilted field. West Memphis punted from midfield and pinned Jacksonville inside the 10-yard line.
Jacksonville punted after three plays. West Memphis fielded the punt at the 40 and returned it to the Jacksonville 19. Two plays later, Taz Watson scored from four yards out. The extra point was no good, making it 6-0.
Jacksonville junior Kevin Richardson took the ensuing kickoff at the 5-yard line, and went 95 yards for the score. The extra point gave the Red Devils a very short-lived and soon-forgotten lead.
It took West Memphis less than three minutes to go 76 yards in three plays for a 12-7 lead with 3:38 left in the first quarter.
Richardson threw an interception on the ensuing drive at the Jacksonville 22. Three plays later it’s 18-7 with 1:52 left in the opening period.
After another Jacksonville punt, West Memphis went to the air to close out the next drive. After six runs got the Blue Devils to the 15, the only pass play of the night for the home team was good for a touchdown. A two-point conversion made it 26-7 with 9:15 left in the half.
After another three-and-out by Jacksonville, West Memphis went 49 yards in six plays to make it 33-7 with 4:41 left in the first half.
Jacksonville got its first, first down of the game on the next drive.
A pass from Richardson to Dvone McClure for eight yards moved the chains. After another first down, a West Memphis defender picked off another Richardson pass and returned it 11 yards to the Jacksonville 44.
Watson split that amount into even intervals, scampering two times for 22 yards a piece and another touchdown that made it 40-7 with 2:20 left until intermission.
Jacksonville got it to start the second half and got another first down. The Red Devils then lost 11 yards on the next set of downs and were again forced to punt.
The Blue Devils returned the kick 55 yards for another score, setting the continuous clock rolling with 9:57 left in the third quarter.
The final touchdown came with 51 seconds left in the third at the end of a 49-yard drive.
The Red Devils finished with 113 total yards, including just 20 on the ground. Kevin Richardson and Tirrell Brown combined to go 10 of 23 through the air for 93 yards and three interceptions.
West Memphis finished with 442 total yards, 427 of those coming on the ground. The Blue Devils rushed 32 times for 311 yards in the first half.
Jacksonville closes the regular-season at home next week against Marion. Despite the loss on Friday, the Red Devils secured at least a four-seed in the playoffs and a first-round home game, thanks to Van Buren’s loss to Cabot on Friday.
