Gravette starts fast, rolls past Mayflower

GRAVETTE -- Jordan Burnett rushed for 119 yards and a pair of touchdowns as Gravette rebounded from a season-opening loss with a 45-18 win over Mayflower on Friday night.

The Lions (1-1), who lost their opener, 34-27, at Pottsville last week, led 33-0 at halftime on their way to the win, holding off a furious charge by the Eagles (0-2) in the second half.

Burnett had 18 of his 27 carries in the first half, and he scored on runs of one and three yards to help put Gravette up 16-0 late in the first quarter. The senior had plenty of help in the form of quarterback Bryce Moorman, who threw for a pair of touchdown passes and rushed for another.

Gravette held Mayflower to just 36 yards of total offense in the first half, recovering a pair of fumbles and also earning a safety following a high snap on a punt attempt deep in the Eagles' territory. Mayflower didn't earn a first down until the next-to-last play of the first half when quarterback Trey Ashmore connected with Logan Medlin for a 13-yard gain on fourth and 10.

"The defense was really unbelievable the first half," Gravette coach Bill Harrelson said. "They played lights out, and I'm just really proud of how they played."

After the difficult first half, Mayflower -- which lost its season opener 46-0 to Dumas -- finally found its offensive groove in the second half.

The Eagles gained 227 of their 263 yards for the game in the second half, with running back Marcus Harper finishing with 92 yards rushing on 17 carries. The senior also had a 7-yard touchdown run for Mayflower's first score of the game, closing the Gravette lead to 33-6 in the third quarter.

Ashmore followed with a 59-yard touchdown run and 61-yard touchdown pass to JW Estes as the Eagles outscored the Lions 18-12 in the second half. Ashmore finished 6-of-14, passing for 87 yards and the touchdown, and he had 66 yards rushing on four carries.

"It was great coming out and having an identity and doing something we said we were going to do at halftime," Mayflower coach Todd Langrell said. "A loss is still a loss, but we have some ability. We've just got to find out who we are, focus on us and get better."

For Gravette, Moorman was 11-of-21 passing for 81 yards and the two touchdowns -- including a 15-yard strike to Layne Martinez in the first half to put the Lions up 23-0. Moorman added a 37-yard touchdown run on a draw play before halftime, and his second touchdown pass, this one a 4-yarder to Kevin Deady, put Gravette up 39-12.

Nonconference

Gravette 45, Mayflower 18

Mayflower^0^0^12^6^18

Gravette^16^17^0^12^45

First Quarter

Grav - Burnett 1 run (Childress kick), 5:16.

Grav - Safety, 2:51.

Grav - Burnett 3 run (Childress kick), :51.

Second Quarter

Grav - Martinez 15 pass from Moorman (Childress kick), 5:04.

Grav - Moorman 37 run (Childress kick), 2:36.

Grav - Childress 29 FG, :59.

Third Quarter

May - Harper 7 run (run failed), 6:39.

May - Ashmore 59 run (kick failed), 3:49.

Fourth Quarter

Grav - Deady 4 pass from Moorman (kick failed), 8:57.

May - Estes 61 pass from Ashmore (pass failed), 8:40.

Grav - Pierce 5 run (kick failed), 4:30.

Sports on 09/16/2015