GENTRY -- Notching its first 7-win season since 1998 while building momentum for the playoffs, Gentry (7-3, 5-2) knocked off rival Gravette, 37-7, in the regular-season finale Friday.
Brandon Atwood passed for two touchdowns and ran for a pair of 2-point conversions as Gentry earned the 4A-1 Conference's No. 3 seed. Gravette (4-6, 3-4) claims the No. 5 seed and is also a playoff team.
The battle for field position took an early turn in Gentry's favor with Gravette punting away its first possession and the Pioneers starting near midfield.
The Lions tightened up their defense, hoping to bog the drive down, and had Gentry in third-and-10 but the Pioneers capitalized on a short field, executing coach Paul Ernest's sophisticated blocking scheme well. Brennan Crosby's 13-yard touchdown run to break the ice and establish a lead Gentry would never relinquish was a thing of beauty.
The Pioneers lined up with twin receivers split outright and a single running back, Crosby, in the backfield.
When the ball was snapped right, tackle Kyle Dilbeck ignored the defender in front of him and engaged in a block downfield. That would be important in finishing the play.
Meanwhile, right guard Isaiah Freeman executed a cross block, helping center Kerlose Ruzek double-team a Lion defender at the point of attack, driving him back to the five and effectively taking him out of the play while left guard Lucas Guinn and left tackle Brett Hester both pulled.
Tight end Ross Wilmoth carried out his assignment picking up a block on the right side. Guinn's block sprung Crosby as he eluded a tackle in the backfield.
Gravette's defense finally latched onto Crosby inside the five but Ruzek joined in the fray, pushing Crosby and the pile forward into the end zone.
Atwood passed for a 2-point conversion and the Pioneers enjoyed an early 8-0 lead.
Gravette squandered good field position at Gentry's 49 with a costly interception that was returned to the Lions' 28. The Pioneers scored on Atwood's 8-yard touchdown run and tacked on a 2-point conversion to double their lead to 16-0.
Gravette drove 52 yards on the ensuing possession but turned the ball over on downs at Gentry's 8. Ernest held nothing back and called for a trick play. Jarnagan took a handoff running right behind the block of a pulling Guinn, which allowed him to stop and throw to Mateo Cain, whose only reception of the contest went for 39 yards, getting Gentry out of a hole.
Two plays later Atwood spotted a wide-open Jarnagan for a 44-yard touchdown. Jarnagan lined up left and followed in the footsteps of another receiver until breaking across the middle and losing the coverage. Jarnagan caught the ball at the 20 and raced untouched for the score. The conversion failed but Gentry was up by three scores, leading 22-0.
Gentry flipped the field with a 95-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter. In a gutsy call, Atwood passed for 23 yards on first down to get the Pioneers out of the shadow of their own end zone.
On the next series, the Pioneers picked up blitzes coming off both edges on third-and-17 from their own 21. Solid protection enabled Atwood to step up in the pocket and complete a pass for a first down.
Gentry crossed over into Gravette territory with Freeman and Dilbeck pulling. Crosby took a handoff and followed them for 31 yards all the way to the Lions 17 before he was knocked out-of-bounds.
Atwood capped the drive with a 5-yard touchdown toss to Beau Tomblin, then ran for the 2-point conversion as the Pioneers extended their lead to 30-0, which was the difference at halftime.
Charlie Reams scored on a 3-yard carry for Gentry in the third period. In the fourth, Gentry executed a hook and ladder to overcome third-and-11 with Tomblin catching a short pass then lateraling the ball to Jarnagan with the play gaining 46 yards. Gravette stopped the drive, however, and the Lions erased the goose egg off the scoreboard when Sam Millsap scored on a 12-yard carry in the fourth quarter.
Gravette's defense was led by junior Lane Wilkins, who had 8 assists and 9 total tackles with one for a loss. His classmates, Isaac Dann and Trenton Durham, each accounted for 7 tackles. Dann had a tackle for a loss and Durham recovered a fumble, while Wyatt Coffelt recorded a sack.
Both teams travel for first-round playoff games Friday. Gentry has a mostly interstate trip to North Little Rock to take on Central Arkansas Christian while Gravette goes to Pocahontas.
Sports on 11/13/2019