BARTON – A 6-touchdown, 340-yard offensive explosion in the opening half sent the Rison Wildcats rolling to a 44-12 victory over the Barton Bears in a 6-3A Conference contest Friday night at Frank McClellan Field.
The Wildcats’ victory secured a share of the conference title, and they also locked up a number one seed for the state playoffs that begin Nov. 9. Rison, 9-0 overall and 5-0 in 6-3A, can claim the outright conference title with a win over Dollarway in the regular season finale in Pine Bluff next Friday. Barton’s loss dropped the Bears to 4-4 and 3-2.
“I’m proud of the kids and the way they came out and played,” Rison head coach Clay Totty said after the ‘Cats whipped the Bears. “We played games on the road the last two years with a chance to either win outright or share a conference title and lost both times. So to come on the road and get it done this time means a lot to the kids. This was one of our goals this season.”
Led by their forward wall, all of the Wildcats’ 378-yard offensive output against Barton came on the ground. Blocking up front for Rison were center Darren Holland, guards Michael Foote and Josh Bowen, tackles Harrison Reed and Eli Herrington and end Fred Marsh.
The ‘Cats scored touchdowns on all 6 of their offensive possessions in the first half, as they built a commanding 44-6 advantage at the break. Jamarien Frye, who led Rison in rushing with 141 yards on a dozen carries, had TD runs of 47, 1, 15 and 22 yards and added three 2-point conversions.
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RoShawn Martin had a 40-yard TD scamper on the final play of the first quarter, when Rison expanded the lead to 22-0. Jerrion Marshall, who rushed for 90 yards on 8 carries, scored the Wildcats’ final touchdown with only 19 seconds left in the half when he raced 43 yards to the end zone. Justin Jacobs tacked on the second of his 2 PAT kicks and it was 44-6. The score enabled the “sportsmanship clock” to start with the second half kick, as the Wildcats went to their reserves for the final two quarters.
Rison quarterback Jaylon Henry was Rison’s third leading rusher with 67 yards on 6 carries, including a 44-yard run that helped set up the Wildcats’ second touchdown.
Both of Barton’s touchdowns, one late in the second period and the other on the first snap of the fourth quarter, were each scored on fourth down plays – a 20-yard reverse and a 5-yard pass. Rison’s defense, led by DJ Watson and Landric Lea, limited the Bears to 6 first downs and 179 yards.