Running game leads Conway over Rogers

CONWAY -- Junior running back Michael George rushed for 266 yards and two touchdowns to lead a potent Conway running game and help the Wampus Cats claim a 35-20 victory over Rogers in the opening round of the Class 7A football playoffs Friday night at John McConnell Stadium. The Wampus Cats (4-7) will now travel to Fayetteville to face the Bulldogs next week. Conway took control with back-to-back scores in the third quarter to grab a 21-6 lead. The Wampus Cats held Rogers on fourth-and-2 from midfield, then scored two plays later on a 31-yard run by George. After a three-and-out by Rogers, Conway overcame a pair of penalties to go up by two scores. Sophomore quarterback Jovoni Johnson found Will McKenna for a 16-yard touchdown pass on third-and-goal. Rogers (6-5), responded with a 45-yard touchdown pass from Max Horton to Jake Benninghoff. The two-point conversion attempt failed and the Mounties were within 21-12. But senior Marquise Pleasant had a quick response. The senior, who sat out most of the first half with an injury, took an end-around 80 yards on the first play to push the Conway lead back to 28-12. He finished with 128 yards rushing on five carries and caught a pass for 11 yards. Horton connected with Jeb Brain for a 39-yard score and the Mounties added the two-point conversion to get within 28-20 with less than a minute left in the third quarter. But the Conway defense pitched a shutout in the fourth quarter and added another score by George to set the final margin. Conway Coach Clint Ashcraft praised the work of his offensive line, particularly in the second half. "I was really proud of how we were able to run the ball in the second half of a tight game," Ashcraft said. "We had some big runs break there. I thought our O-line did a good job. I thought our backs and receivers did a great job of running." Rogers Coach Mike Loyd was disappointed with how his team tackled in particular. "Tackling's an attitude and effort deal," Loyd said. "We didn't tackle well. We didn't take advantage of opportunities. Too many missed tackles. Too many turnovers. That's not the same team I saw last week. It's disappointing. "They made plays and we didn't. They were the more physical team. Their offense against our defense, way more physical than we were." The first half didn't feature much scoring. Rogers took advantage of a Conway fumble on just the second play from scrimmage for its lone first-half score. The Mounties covered 33 yards in five plays with Brain scoring from 3 yards out. However, the extra point was blocked by Zach Heard and the score was just 6-0. Conway took the lead after a short punt. Kip Vanhoose scored from 3 yards out and Cameron Tilley added the PAT for the 7-6 lead.

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Conway High School Athletics

RUNNING GAME LEADS CONWAY OVER ROGERS

PAUL BOYD

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | 11/12/2016