White Hall quickly jumped out of the gate in a game that turned into a marathon.
After freshman James Earl Jones, making his varsity debut, returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, the Bulldogs struggled to keep up with a streaking Maumelle team that built a 41-14 halftime lead on its way to a 55-20 win Friday night at Bulldog Stadium. The homecoming game for White Hall took 2 hours, 46 minutes to complete — 1 hour, 36 minutes of which was spent in the first half.
Jones went 85 yards on the opening kickoff. After Maumelle (6-2, 5-0 in 5A-Central) scored on its opening drive, he struck again on a 7-yard sweep to put the Bulldogs ahead 14-7.
That would be the extent of the Bulldogs’ scoring until Xavier Wallace scored on a 1-yard run on the final play of the game against a running clock. Wallace had 11 carries for 73 yards, while White Hall (1-7, 1-4) was limited to 74 rushing yards and 188 total.
Maumelle amassed 477 yards on the night.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Levi Warrior threw for three touchdowns, all in the lengthy half, and finished 18 for 28 for 224 yards. His longest play of the night was a hook-and-ladder to Issac Warrior, who pitched to Jacob Henry for him to take it 60 yards. That gave Maumelle a 35-14 lead with 2:39 left before halftime.
A 43-minute first quarter was tied at 14-all. Warrior’s first touchdown pass went to Christian Jackson for 27 yards on the Hornets’ first drive. Jacob Henry, who finished with 86 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries, scored on a 4-yard carry to tie the game.
Maumelle scored on all three second-quarter drives, starting with an eight-play, 63-yard drive with a 6-yard Marshaun Wiley carry. That was one of two totes for Wiley, who ran for 20 yards.
Things snowballed for White Hall when Maumelle defensive back Jayden Baker recovered a fumble and took it 40 yards to extend the lead to 28-14. White Hall punted on its next two drives, while Warrior tacked on two more touchdown passes, including an 18-yard screen play to Jackson Hampton with 49 seconds left before halftime.
White Hall junior Edward Hohoabu stopped Maumelle’s opening series of the second half with an interception of Warrior, but the Bulldogs saw an 11-play drive fizzle on downs. Maumelle went 10 plays in 65 yards to force the running clock, as Henry scored on a 3-yard run to force a running clock.
Wyatt Golden completed 11 of 22 for 111 yards. He threw an interception to Henry at the Hornets’ 46 to end the third quarter, and the Hornets scored six plays later on a 13-yard Mohammed Qtouf carry. Hampton also picked off a pass for the Hornets.
Both teams struggled with penalties on the night. White Hall was flagged 10 times for 90 yards, and Maumelle drew 13 penalties for 90 yards.
White Hall will visit Jacksonville next Friday and close out the season in two weeks at home against Pine Bluff.
