NORTH LITTLE ROCK — Walter Ashley and Pine Bluff tried to steal the spotlight from Altee Tenpenny and North Little Rock early.
Pine Bluff took a 3-0 lead with 10:13 left in the first on Austin McGehee’s 35-yard field goal and Ashley had a 29-yard run to help set up the score. But North Little Rock got a 97-yard return from Fabian Lewis to take the lead and after McGehee missed a 28-yard field goal, Tenpenny took a sweep left for 80 yards for a score.
Tenpenny added three more scores in the first half, and the Charging Wildcats beat Pine Bluff 47-10 Friday night.
“There was no turning point in the game,” Pine Bluff coach Bobby Bolding said. “They whooped our butts. … Those quick points right there, that really sealed our fate.”
North Little Rock coach Brad Bolding, Bobby’s younger brother, said the kickoff return was a big momentum swing right away.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“That was a sophomore that returned that and I am really proud of him,” he said. “Our wall did a really good job of setting it up and then behind him we celebrated and didn’t do anything stupid.”
Tenpenny gained 153 yards on 16 carries and scored all four of his touchdowns on the ground.
“I think that might have shut up a few of his critics,” Brad Bolding said. “He outran some of their faster players and showed what he is capable of doing.”
Tenpenny is a four-star recruit according to ESPN.com and has verbally committed to Alabama.
Tenpenny said it was a big win for his team.
“Just winning this game like this, just a testament to how hard our coach pushes us and how hard we work,” he said. “Just a blessing to come out and do this in front of the home crowd and have to thank the big guys up front blocking for me.”
Bobby Bolding added that Tenpenny is a “great running back, obviously.”
Tenpenny was not the only running back who had success against the Zebras. Juan Day scored a 20-yard touchdown on the opening drive of the second half for a 41-3 lead to enforce the mercy rule.
Bobby Bolding said Pine Bluff was pushed around by North Little Rock at the line of scrimmage.
“They were huge, much bigger than us and whooped us up front,” he said. “They are a better football team than us.”
Ashley could not get much going in the game after his 29-yard run. He only saw four more carries in the first half and finished the game with 31 yards and had two catches for minus-1 yard.
After North Little Rock (2-1) went up 14-3, the ensuing kickoff went over Ashley’s head and the Charging Wildcats recovered at the Zebras’ 16-yard line. Tenpenny took the sweep left again for another score and a 20-3 lead.
Tenpenny added his third score on an 8-yard run to cap a 13-play, 66-yard drive in the second quarter.
On Pine Bluff’s next possession, Rickey Clements threw his first of two interceptions in the game and NLR took over at Pine Bluff’s 36-yard line. Tenpenny scored four plays later on a 17-yard run and a 35-3 halftime lead.
Clements started the game 7 of 8 for 44 yards, went 1 for 10 after that with two interceptions and finished with 59 yards.
“He got on his back foot and started looking at the rush, just something we have to work on,” Bobby Bolding said. “He has had trouble with that all year.”
After Day’s touchdown to open the second half, the Zebras had a false start and a fumble by Kelvin Sergeant to give the Charging Wildcats the ball at Pine Bluff’s 38-yard line.
Day scored his second touchdown in the game on a 15-yard run to cap a 10-play drive and a 47-3 lead in the third quarter.
Pine Bluff got its only touchdown of the game with 2 minutes left on Trever Hunt’s 3-yard touchdown run.
Pine Bluff starts 7A/6A-South Conference play next week at Texarkana.