NEWS
WYNNE GRABS #2 SEED
Wynne grabs No. 2 seed
By Austin Emerson, Special to The Sun
JONESBORO — Only one team could host a first-round playoff game next week and that team is the Wynne Yellowjackets after Wynne defeated Nettleton 50-29 on Friday night at Raider Field to earn second place in the 5A-East conference.
Wynne tallied 492 yards of total offense, 318 coming through the air from senior quarterback Ross Trail. Trail finished the game completing 20-of-27 passes for four touchdowns, three to sophomore receiver Deontae Pounds who hauled in six receptions for 133 yards. Trail also ran for 36 yards and two more scores.
Nettleton gained just 286 yards of offense, 117 coming on the ground led by 96 yards on two carries by Montel Moore. Quarterback Jaylin Small added 66 yards on 25 carries for Nettleton while also completing only 7-of-17 passes and turning the ball over four times, three on fumbles. Receiver Stanley Wilson led Nettleton through the air with five receptions for 95 yards and two scores.
"Jaylin did some really good things, he just turned the ball over also," Nettleton coach Steve Hampton said. He made some throws and I thought there were some plays left out there we wish we could've made, but we will just have to come back next week and make them."
Nettleton (7-3, 5-2) will travel next week to Beebe.
"We still have a lot to play for," Hampton said. "This is an improvement from how we did last year, and now we have the opportunity to go into the playoffs, and I believe for our guys it's a little different. Last year we were satisfied with being there, but this year they want to make a run and win some games in the playoffs."
Wynne (9-1, 6-1) found itself down 29-21 just 1:52 into the second half when Montel Moore scored on a 43-yard touchdown down the left sideline for Nettleton, but it would be the only points of the second half Wynne would allow as the Yellowjackets scored 29 unanswered points to end the game.
"I was really proud of the way our kids responded in the second half," Wynne coach Chris Hill said. "We challenged them at halftime, and they came out and played hard and got some stops on defense along with some turnovers. The offense also played well, and I'm really proud of the way we played in the second half."
Trail tied the game 29-29 for Wynne with 7:35 to play in the third quarter when he ran in from 1 yard out, followed by a conversion run of his own. Trail then found Pounds twice for scores before the third quarter ended, the first for 24 yards and the second for 17 to give Wynne a 43-29 lead with 2:38 left in the third.
Trail found Pounds one more time early in the fourth quarter with 11:01 on the clock, this time for a 50-yard scoring reception to make the score 50-29 after Beau Sherland's extra point.
"Devontae is outstanding," Hill said. "He's just a sophomore but has made some big catches for us. When the ball gets in his hands big things happen, and he had some big plays for us tonight from some good throws from Ross."
Both teams punted on their first offensive possessions of the game, but it was Wynne striking first on its second drive when Trail ran in for the score on first and goal from the 5 to make the score 7-0 in favor of the Yellowjackets after a three-play, 59-yard scoring drive with 8:42 left in the opening quarter.
A fumble by Small for Nettleton on the Raiders ensuing possession would give the Yellowjackets the ball back at the Raider 36-yard line where Wynne needed only four plays before Trail found Morris open in the end zone from 8 yards out for the 14-0 lead with 5:35 left in the first quarter.
"We made too many mistakes to win," Hampton said. "We played well the first half and came out and started the second half fast but turned the ball over and when you give a team like that opportunities it's going to come back and hurt you. We played our butt off and played hard, we just made too many mistakes.
Nettleton got its first score of the game with 4:01 left in the opening quarter to make the score 14-7 in favor of Wynne after the Raiders covered 83 yards in only five plays, highlighted by Smalls 1-yard rushing touchdown on first and goal followed by Garrett Miller's conversion.
Wynne only scored once more in the first half when Jamar Dixon capped a 12-play drive that covered 76 yards when he ran in from 5 yards out on second down to make the score 21-7 with 11:13 left in the second. Nettleton would score the final 15 points of the first half though as Small would find Wilson for a 16-yard touchdown reception, a safety by Jaylon Allison and a 30-yard pass by Small to Wilson to give the Raiders a 22-21 lead at the half.
"We scored the first three possessions, and the defense looked good but then we just kind of fell apart and the defense looked relaxed," Hill said of the second quarter. "Nettleton is a very good football team though with a really good coach. We just kind of lost our focus and intensity, but we regained it before we got behind too much."
Austin Emerson
Jonesboro Sun | 11/8/2014
Jonesboro Sun | 11/8/2014