On the final play of the first half Thursday night, Pine Bluff senior linebacker Mario Jones made a game-changing play to help keep the Zebras on top in Jefferson County.
Jones’ defensive touchdown helped Pine Bluff defeat White Hall 32-7 at Bulldog Stadium in both teams’ season finale.
Pine Bluff (3-7, 3-4 5A-Central) led 6-0 late in the first half, but the Bulldogs threatened to tie the game or take the lead in the closing minutes.
White Hall (1-9, 1-6) got the ball at the Pine Bluff 44 after senior defensive back Kyelin Craig intercepted a pass in Bulldog territory and returned it past midfield. Three plays later, a pass interference penalty against the Zebras gave the Bulldogs a first down at the 8.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Another three plays later, the Bulldogs were at the 6 with three seconds left in the half. White Hall threw a pass to the goal line which Jones undercut. He intercepted the pass at his own 1 and took it 99 yards down the Zebra sideline to score as time expired, turning what was nearly a tie game into a 12-0 halftime lead for Pine Bluff.
“I seen my safety, Braylon Stigger, had help over the top with No. 11, their No. 1 receiver, so I just picked up on No. 23,” Jones said. “Seen them throw the ball, and it was on to the crib from there.”
The Pine Bluff defensive highlights weren’t limited to Jones’ touchdown return. The senior intercepted a second pass in the red zone in the fourth quarter to end another dangerous White Hall possession.
The Zebras tallied three sacks, two of them on fourth-down plays. Senior defensive lineman Emmanuel Hudson had 1.5 sacks. Pine Bluff stopped the Bulldogs on fourth down three times, all in Pine Bluff territory.
White Hall didn’t score until senior quarterback Wyatt Golden threw a 35-yard touchdown to junior Kel McEntire with 36 seconds remaining in the game. Golden completed 20 of 29 passes for 141 yards, and McEntire caught six passes 68 yards.
Acting Pine Bluff coach Tyrone Jones said the Zebra defense did well against the Bulldogs’ wing-T offense.
“It’s an old-school offense that most coaches don’t teach anymore, so my kids have never seen it,” Jones said. “You’ve got to take your particular person. You got to be there every snap, and I thought they did a pretty good job of that.”
Pine Bluff sophomore quarterback Jamar Morrow completed 13 of 22 passes for 235 yards and 3 touchdowns. He found sophomore Rashawn Reed for the game’s first score in the second quarter, then connected with sophomore Dedrick Dunn on consecutive drives to start the second half. Dunn led the receivers with five catches for 87 yards.
With this win, the Zebras clinched the unofficial Jefferson County championship. Both Pine Bluff and White Hall previously beat Watson Chapel this season.
Coach Jones said with the playoffs out of reach, he challenged the Zebras to be the best in the county.
“I put that challenge on them when we played Chapel,” Jones said. “Shoot for city champs, county champs. Be the best in the city, and I demanded it. … They took a hold to it, and that’s where our focus was.”