Sports

ZEBRAS FIGHT THROUGH WEATHER TO PUT AWAY FAIR

By Josh Tinker/COMMERCIAL SPORTS EDITOR
Thursday, October 29, 2009 11:53 PM CDT

LITTLE ROCK — Pine Bluff coach Bobby Bolding knows his team has the ability to score quickly. Thursday, however, Bolding wanted to see if his team could sustain long drives. Bolding got both, as the Zebras scored twice in the game’s first six minutes, then milked the clock with their running game for the three remaining quarters to take a 30-6 victory over Little Rock J.A. Fair at War Eagle Stadium.

Pine Bluff running back Martavious Alford dives for extra yards in the rain Thursday at War Eagle Stadium in Little Rock. PINE BLUFF COMMERCIAL/RALPH FITZGERALD.

On a night when monsoon-like conditions encompassed much of the Natural State, and Mother Nature dropped several inches of rain on the game, nearly washing away the painted numbers on the field at War Eagle Stadium, Bolding said it was important to try to close the game out early.

“Get a win and get out without getting anybody hurt,” Bolding said. “We did that.”

The Zebras (5-4, 4-2 6A-South Conference) did that by jumping on the War Eagles (1-8, 0-6) early. After forcing Fair to a three-and-out on its first possession, the War Eagles shanked a punt, and the Zebras took over at the Fair 49-yard line and scored five plays later when quarterback Claude Johnson darted 39 yards untouched up the middle for the go-ahead score. Johnson then ran in the two-point conversion, and the Zebras held an 8-0 lead with 8 minutes, 4 seconds left on the clock.

Pine Bluff added another score two minutes later on a fumble that was returned for a touchdown. On the third play of Fair’s ensuing possession, War Eagle quarterback Charles Rice connected with Seon Lyons for a minimal gain before Pine Bluff’s Daryl Brody ripped the ball from Lyons and raced about 40 yards for the score.

“We got a couple of scores, then the rain really started coming down,” Bolding said. “That’s when we decided to run the clock and get out of here.”

Johnson, who entered the contest averaging more than 200 yards per game passing, attempted only two throws against the War Eagles, with one coming on the Zebras’ first drive and it was called back for holding.

Instead, Pine Bluff took to the ground. Six different players had carries for the Zebras with Johnson leading them with 65 yards on four carries. Hakeem Steward added another 59 yards on seven carries.

As a result, the Zebras were able to establish long drives that led to touchdowns to pad their lead. Martavious Alford scored from 4 yards out with 5:05 remaining in the half to increase the Zebras lead to 24-0. That drive resulted from a 2 yard run by Fair’s Otis Singleton on fourth-and-three and started at the Fair 47-yard line.

The Zebras then added their final score in the fourth quarter after their starters had been pulled from the offense when Jonathan Frazier returned a punt 50 yards for the TD. After taking a handoff from teammate Keontis Walker on the reverse, Frazier started down the left sideline then cutback right for the score that made the score 30-0 with 7:40 remaining in the game.

The ensuing kickoff set up the War Eagles only score of the contest. Charles Williamson returned the kickoff to the Zebras 5, and Victor Norman finished the drive on the next play with the 5-yard TD run.

Fair coach Donald Harris said he was pleased with the way his team fought in the second half, but said having homecoming and senior night festivities both scheduled before kickoff didn’t help his team.

“We had 20 guys that didn’t get dressed until five minutes before the game,” Harris said. “They weren’t ready to play. It was chaotic, that’s what it was. We couldn’t prepare with a pregame or anything like that to get the guys ready to play. Once we settled down we played a little bit better.”

Pine Bluff returns to 6A-South Conference play Thursday when it hosts El Dorado for the final regular-season game for both teams.

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