MAYFLOWER — Mayflower spotted Dumas a 7-0 lead, then roared back with four consecutive touchdowns on drives led by Eagle sophomore quarterback Adam Dycus to open the season with a 41-13 victory over the Bobcats in a game called with 6:55 remaining after a short delay caused by lightning.
Dumas took a 6-0 lead on a 63-yard pass from quarterback Ryan Miller that ricocheted off Derreon Jenkins and was caught on the run by Willie Harris. Jairo Ramirez kicked the Bobcats to a 7-0 lead with 2:23 left in the opening period.
Dumas had punted and fumbled on its first two possessions and Mayflower had given up the ball on downs and fumbled to set up the Bobcats’ first score.
It was all Mayflower the rest of the way as Dycus threw 15 yards to Josh Woodham for a touchdown with 11:52 remaining in the half and then tossed a 13 yard scoring pass to Josh Chambliss with 7:14 left after an interception. Two extra-point kicks by Matthew Post put the Eagles up 14-7 before Daniel Geiber ran it in from the nine with 1:52 left in the half and Post kicked it to 21-7.
Heavy rains hit at halftime before Mayflower built a 28-7 lead, then Reginald Bailey ran 35 yards for a Dumas touchdown to cut the Eagles’ lead to 28-13 midway through the third quarter. Two more scoring drives led by Dycus put Mayflower up 41-13 early in the final period as the rain continued. When lightning emptied the stands and drove the players off the field with 6:55 left, officials called a delay before ending the game with Mayflower on top, 41-13.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Dycus ended up 14-of-18 in the air for 326 yards and no interceptions, with two of the misses dropped passes.
Dumas had 78 yards passing and 111 yards on the ground, but only had one completion aside from the early touchdown and almost a third of the Bobcats’ rushing yards came on Bailey’s scoring run.
In the meantime, Mayflower had little trouble with Dumas’ new 3-4 defensive scheme, with Dycus keeping tacklers off balance with his scrambling and pinpoint passing.
Penalties also hurt the Bobcats, who were flagged seven times for 80 yards.
Dumas hosts McGehee next Friday while Mayflower plays at Dardanelle.