MAUMELLE — Levi Warrior threw for four first-half touchdowns, Andrew Bjork had a hand in 2 more and Maumelle scored on its first 7 possessions in racing to a 50-12 homecoming victory over Watson Chapel on Thursday night at Bobby Tiner Field.
The game was moved up a day for live television, but the Thursday night lights did no favors for Watson Chapel (1-4, 0-3 in 5A-Central), winless in its last 27 conference games dating back to 2020. The Wildcats last won a game Sept. 6 against Crossett of Conference 4A-8.
“Our first three conference games, we went up against the most-overall teams in the conference,” first-year Wildcats Coach Steven Heard said, referring to recent losses to Joe T. Robinson, Searcy and Maumelle. “Any three of them could be picked to win conference. Maumelle was picked to win the conference before the season and Joe T. is always up there. They’re making their case for conference champs.”
Heard said he learned the game was moved up a day Sunday, adding it didn’t hurt preparations much.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Warrior, a sophomore, completed 11 of 16 passes for 155 yards. Josiah Warrior-Benson caught two touchdown passes (13 and 29 yards) from Warrior, Jackson Hampton scored from 32 yards out, and Marshaun Wiley hauled in another from 15 yards out.
Bralon Crosby got into the scoring act with a 38-yard catch on the first possession of the second half from Bjork, a junior who accounted for 8 of 14 completions for 131 yards.
Wiley, a junior running back who made a key run in last Friday’s win over Pine Bluff High School, scored on an 8-yard run. Bjork bulled his way into the end zone on a 12-yard keeper.
Sophomore Ashton Sherman kicked a 25-yard field goal on the Hornets’ first possession but missed another attempt from 38 yards as time expired in the first half, ending the streak of scoring drives.
The Wildcats were outgained 423-182 in total yards and held to 37 rushing yards for the game. They trailed 36-0 with 7:29 left before halftime, when Malachi Rayford threw a dart to Javeon Williams for a 65-yard TD completion. A 2-point conversion run was no good.
Maumelle went ahead 50-6 before Rayford and Williams teamed up for a 57-yard scoring strike with 9:19 left in the game. Williams brought down the catch with one hand and sped up the middle for the score.
“If my quarterback gets some time, our skill guys are hard to cover,” Heard said. “The coaching staff is going to have to figure out some ways to get our guys some time and get some guys open. I’m sure my coaching staff will come up with a few things.”
Rayford, who played the entire game at quarterback, completed 6 of 22 passes for 145 yards. He was intercepted 3 times (twice by Derrick Palmer and the other by Austin Timmons) and Watson Chapel fumbled on a kickoff, each turnover setting up a scoring drive for the Hornets (4-2, 2-1), who have won 2 in a row.
“We did ourselves no favors,” Heard said. “In the trenches, we’ve got to get better in the trenches. We were a little outmatched in the trenches. We’ve got to go back to the drawing board and figure some things out.”
Watson Chapel gave up 50 or more points for the second straight game, following a 55-14 home loss to Searcy last Friday. Maumelle set a season high in points scored.
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Watson Chapel will visit White Hall for homecoming Oct. 18, when Maumelle will visit Jacksonville.
This version clarifies Watson Chapel’s season record in the headline and corrects Maumelle’s record.