By ANN THARP
Special to The Leader
The Lonoke Jackrabbits evened their conference record at 1-1 with a 2-4A home victory at James B. Abraham Stadium over the Baptist Prep Eagles Friday night by a final of 49-14. The Jackrabbits are 2-3 overall, and Baptist Prep remains winless. Lonoke scored first and the most in the first half, leading 21-7 at intermission. The Jackrabbits then scored on each possession of the second half, including a kick off return for a touchdown, while holding the Eagles to one score.
“It was a good win. We needed that,” Lonoke coach Taggart Moore commented. “I thought the first half, we came out, we did some things, we saw some different stuff out of them, so we made good adjustments. All the coaches got in there and used what they saw in the first half and drew it up on the board, and the kids took the coaching. We came out and played great in the second half. It was a great win, and we’re ready for Southside next week.”
After Lonoke forced a three and out on the first possession of the game by Baptist Prep, Lonoke wasted no time putting a touchdown on the scoreboard. Michael Hodges picked up 29 yards. Quarterback Daniel Seigrist then connected with Braidon Bryant for a 53-yard touchdown reception. Nick Tate added the point after for the 7-0 early lead, with 8:45 left in the opening quarter.
The Eagles had a drive going, reaching the Lonoke 23 before a fumble and a sack resulted in an over on downs to the Jackrabbits on their own 35-yard line. Again, the home team scored quickly, going the 65 yards in only two plays.
The first was a 41-yard run by Lexington Mays, followed by a 24-yard scamper by Xavier Hodge. Tate added the extra point, and the lead was 14-0 with 1:06 remaining in the first period.
The Eagles got on the board with 8:09 remaining in quarter number two. Quarterback Jax Coleman had a 29-yard completion to Hunter Teaster, and Nicholas Jones carried three times for 20 yards, the last two for the touchdown. Allie Mead added the point after to cut the advantage to 14-7.
Lonoke covered the ensuing onside kick at midfield. Davonta Adams started the drive with a 23-yard run, and finished it with a 6-yard touchdown carry. Tate was good again for the extra, and the lead was 21-7 with 5:40 remaining in the half.
An interception by De’Angelo Noid gave the ball back to the Jackrabbits, but neither team scored again until the third quarter when Lonoke scored again in two plays from its own 48 with less than a minute off the clock. It was Adams again on the score, this time with a 49-yard touchdown run. Tate’s point after made the lead 28-7.
The Eagles turned the ball over by way of a fumble recovered by Hodges. Hodge ran for 37 yards and a touchdown, again on the second play from scrimmage, and the score grew to 35-7.
Seigrist got in on the scoring on the next Lonoke drive as he first picked up seven yards to move the chains on fourth and two, then scored on a keeper from seven yards out. This made the score 42-7 with 3:10 to go in the third, and the sportsmanship rule came into play.
The Eagles put together a 15-play, 69-yard scoring drive, with Jonathan Gilliam scoring from one yard, and the score was 42-14 after Mead’s point after.
The final score of the game came on the following play as Adams returned the kick off roughly 80 yards for a touchdown. Tate was a perfect 7 for 7 for the night on extra points, and the final score was set at 49-14.
Lonoke had 330 yards of offense, while holding the Eagles to 202. Adams led Lonoke in rushing with 8 carries for 96 yards, two touchdowns and the kick off return for touchdown. Hodge rushed six times for 78 yards and two touchdowns, while Mays carried 8 times for 64 yards.
The Jackrabbits travel to Southside Batesville next Friday night.
