CROSSETT — The next three weeks might feel a little different in Watson Chapel’s practices.
The proverbial monkey that had been on the Wildcats’ backs since the second game of the 2022 season finally fell off Friday night. They ended a 20-game skid behind three touchdowns for quarterback Malachi Rayford in a 19-7 victory over Crossett.
“We did what we had to do to win,” said Steven Heard, earning his first win as the Wildcats’ coach. “That’s what we did. It didn’t look pretty all the time, but our team stuck together and believed in each other. They didn’t turn on each other. They did things the right way, and they came out with the victory.”
Watson Chapel (1-1) had not won since shutting out Texarkana in the season opener two years ago. Once senior Taariq Conner hauled in a 25-yard touchdown reception from Rayford with 27 seconds left before halftime, the Wildcats did not look back.
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Conner had 5 catches for 86 yards, with all but one of them going for 10 or more yards. His biggest play was a 32-yard pickup on a third-and-5 in the second quarter, but that drive stalled at the Crossett 28.
Rayford, a junior, completed 16 of 30 passes for 177 yards. He also scored on runs of 1 and 2 yards, the shorter run capping a 75-yard drive over 12 plays with 7:21 left in the game.
“It means a lot,” Rayford said. “These past few years haven’t been really fun, but this is what we’ve been working for.”
Watson Chapel can bask in the glow of victory at least until Sept. 27, when the Wildcats begin 5A-Central Conference play at Robinson in Little Rock. The Wildcats pulled out of a game against Mills University Studies originally scheduled for next week.
“We’re going back to the basics,” Heard said, his team starting a new season without spring drills or a preseason scrimmage. “The things we didn’t get done during spring ball, we’re going to get done during these next three weeks.”
Seniors Javeon Williams, Jabaree Smith and Kameron Hobbs each intercepted passes for the Wildcats.
“The defense showed up, stop after stop after stop,” Rayford said. “We had to do our job to go down there and score.”
Williams returned his pick 11 yards to the Watson Chapel 46 in the second quarter to set up the go-ahead drive. Rayford hit Smith for 14 yards, then the Eagles (0-2) were flagged for pass interference, moving the ball to the 25 and setting up Rayford’s strike to Conner to regain the lead.
Rayford stiff-armed a would-be tackler on fourth-and-goal from the Crossett 2 to open the scoring with 6:47 left in the first quarter. The extra-point attempt was blocked.
The Eagles moved in front on the first play of the second quarter when sophomore Cash Forrest ran in from 2 yards out. Forrest completed 6 of 13 passes for 74 yards in the first half. Forrest completed 10 of 25 passes for 111 yards.
For Crossett sophomore Braylon Howell rushed 14 times for 78 yards, and junior Xzavian Brown had 10 carries for 56 yards. Sophomore Kentrell Mason had 87 yards on 17 carries to pace Watson Chapel’s ground game.
Watson Chapel outgained Crossett 313-241 in total yards.
NEXT UP …
Watson Chapel will be idle for the next two weeks before starting 5A-Central Conference play at Robinson. Crossett will close its nonconference slate at Oak Grove (La.) next Friday, then take a week off before jumping into Conference 8-4A play.