Marshaun Wiley put to bed any chance of a second straight fourth-quarter comeback win for Pine Bluff High School.
Wiley’s 47-yard sprint down to the Pine Bluff 5 with less than 2 minutes to go helped preserve Maumelle’s 21-18 win to spoil the Zebras’ homecoming game Friday night at Simmons Bank Field at Golden Lion Stadium. Wiley finished with 12 carries for 92 yards.
The Hornets (3-2, 1-1 in 5A-Central) could have put the game away on the game-saving drive, but a fourth-and goal pass from the Zebras’ 1 was dropped in the end zone with 50 seconds left. Pine Bluff (1-4, 0-2) gained two first downs on its last possession, but a heave from Davonte Wallace on the final play was broken up near midfield.
Wallace completed 14 of 25 passes for 174 yards and 3 touchdown passes, 2 of them to Tristan Helloms in the fourth quarter. Pine Bluff tried to storm back from a 21-6 deficit in the final 12 minutes, one week after breaking a scoreless tie in the final quarter of a 15-0 win at Jacksonville.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Both Pine Bluff and Maumelle used 2 quarterbacks. Pine Bluff backup Antwone Miller did not attempt a pass and had to recover a bad snap in the end zone for a safety with 10:52 left before halftime.
The safety padded Maumelle’s lead to 9-6. The Hornets struck on their first possession of the game when Levi Warrior completed an 8-yard pass to Wiley, who also rushed 46 yards for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage after the safety to make it 15-6. The extra-point attempt hit the right upright.
Maumelle backup Andrew Bjork capped the opening drive of the second half with a 9-yard toss to Bralon Crosby. Bjork completed 3 of 4 passes for 29 yards.
Wallace pulled the Zebras within 7-6 on his 28-yard throw to Jason Jones late in the first quarter, but the Zebras bobbled an extra-point hold.
Wallace tried to engineer a come-from-behind win with a 21-yard pass to Helloms with 9:16 remaining in the game. A 2-point run failed, but the Zebras forced a three-and-out and scored again with 5:31 left on Helloms’ 14-yard catch from Wallace.
Both teams were forced to punt before Maumelle got the ball back at the Pine Bluff 45 with 2:50 left. Wiley’s 47-yard run allowed the Hornets to melt off 2 minutes despite not getting an insurance score.
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Pine Bluff will visit Beebe next Friday, while Maumelle hosts Watson Chapel.
Debra Rauls is crowned homecoming queen of Pine Bluff High School at halftime of Friday’s game against Maumelle at Simmons Bank Field at Golden Lion Stadium. She is escorted by her uncle, Sean Maxwell. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)