WOODLAWN — Every yard Ethan Saeler ran for pushed Woodlawn to its first sanctioned eight-man state championship game.
The junior quarterback ran 27 times for 353 yards and 6 touchdowns, and the Bears earned their ticket to Little Rock with a 68-44 victory over Rector on Friday at the Carl Jones Sports Complex. Woodlawn (10-0) will face Cedar Ridge, which defeated Strong 38-20 in the other semifinal, at 7 p.m. Dec. 4 at War Memorial Stadium.
The eight-man South champion Bears outgained Rector 785-291 in total yards and took advantage of onside kicks from the very beginning. The Bears recovered one on the opening kickoff and, two plays later, Griffin Manes ran 47 yards for a touchdown. That was the sophomore running back’s first of three touchdown carries, as he finished with 120 yards on 17 carries.
Rector (5-4), the North second seed two years removed from winning it all, was not easily shaken by the early trickery and actually led twice in the quarter. The Cougars recovered a muffed punt and took an 8-6 lead on an 8-yard carry and 2-point conversion. After Saeler broke a 55-yard run and Manes ran for the extra 2, the Cougars returned the favor with a 16-yard touchdown run and 2-point carry at the 3:44 mark to lead 16-14.
The game was still going back and forth after Woodlawn went ahead on Manes’ 41-yard carry more than two minutes later, and Rector tied it on a 9-yard carry to knot the score at 22.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The Bears executed another onside kick after Saeler’s 4-yard run and conversion pass to senior Beau Watson put them ahead, but they lost the ball on downs and Rector punted before halftime.
A fast start to the second half gave the Bears enough momentum to keep the Cougars away.
A third onside kick followed Saeler’s 44-yard touchdown run and set up a 32-yard drive capped by a 16-yard Manes carry to give Woodlawn a 46-22 lead.
Rector never drew closer than within 46-30 and 60-44, but Woodlawn managed to get ahead 60-36 after two more touchdown runs for Saeler (45 and 23 yards). Manes’ 19-yard sweep and 2-point run by Ace Culliford with 3:07 left capped the scoring.
Woodlawn won an eight-man club state title in 2018, three years before the Arkansas Activities Association began sanctioning a playoff for that level.