Magnolia head coach Mark King talks with his Panthers following a game. The Panthers, after beating Greenbrier 76-55, will head to Little Rock Friday to battle top-ranked and defending state champion Pulaski Academy. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
“Unbelievable,” was the word used most often when the horn finally sounded Friday night following a Class 5A state football game between Magnolia and Greenbrier at Panther Stadium.
“Wow! I didn’t see our defense giving up 55 points, but they (Greenbrier) had a great game plan and that’s the best offensive line we’ve seen all year,” an exhausted Magnolia head coach Mark King said following a high-scoring 76-55 victory. “Neither team quit, but when it came down to needing a defensive stop, we got a couple in the fourth quarter.”
Ironically, both teams had 457 yards rushing, but Greenbrier added 208 more yards through the air while Magnolia had 53. The 131 points, 1,1564 yards of total offense and 19 touchdowns between the two teams are probably to most ever during a single game at Panther Field. It was also the first time that four Magnolia athletes had 100 yards or more rushing in a single game.
Harding-running sophomore quarterback Dalen Blanchard had 19 carries for 100 yards and threw a TD pass; classmate Garrion Curry also hit the century mark on nine carries and had two touchdowns; junior Kendrick Carey finished with nine carries for 109 yards and four TDs; and junior Derayln Williams also had nine carries for 143 yards and three touchdowns.
For Greenbrier, Nick Heutt was the work-horse with 22 carries for 244 yards and two scores. Quarterback Cooper Wilcox finished with 16 carries for 133 yards and four TDs. He was also 12-of-23 passing for 208 yards and two TDs.
“Tonight was one of those nights where the offense had to carry the team and keep us in front on the scoreboard. We told our players that they can’t stop us on offense, but if we get some stops we will win the ballgame,” added King, adding it was that included offense, defense and special team.
His Panthers will move on to the quarterfinals this week against topranked and defending state champion Pulaski Academy. The Bruins, who cruised past Farmington 51-21, eliminated the Panthers in the first round a year ago. They have won state titles in 2003, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019.
“Hats off to Greenbrier. They played a heck of a game. The same for us, but when the chips were down our defense stepped up for us,” added King. “Also, it was a pretty clean game with not many penalty. Both teams had a couple that they overcame.”
King said it was a fun game for many to watch and those who didn’t see it will think Magnolia basketball season has started once they see the final score in the paper.
Magnolia started the scoring on a 55-yard touchdown run by Curry to make it 7-0, but a 73-yard run by Huett and his 2-yard burst into the end zone made it 7-7 with under two minutes played.
Both teams engineered seven-play drives on their next possessions, with Curry scoring from the 6 to make it 14-7. A 15-yard pass from Wilcox to Engle Kess tied the game at 14-14 with four minutes to play in the first period.
On the first play of the second quarter and following a 10-play drive, Carey scored from the 17 to make it 21-14. Two plays later, Heutt hooked with Trey Cox to tie the battle at 21-21.
The teams exchanged fumbles on their next possessions, but Magnolia’s Jakeim Warren came up with an interception at the 5:35 mark. A play later, Blanchard threw a 48-yard TD pass to senior Robert Mack, making it 35-21. Greenbrier answered with an 11-play drive to close the gap to 35-28.
On the ensuing kickoff, Marcus Harper return the ball 65 yards to make the halftime score 41-28.
Greenbrier struck first in the second half a 6-yard TD pass from Wilcox to Kess, closing the gap to 42-35. Magnolia answered on a 35-yard run by Williams, making it 48-35 after a blocked PAT. The visitors used an 80-yard drive and scored on Wilcox’s 6-yard run. A missed PAT had the score at 48-41 with 4:41 left in the third.
Two minutes later, Carey scored from the 22 to make 55-41 but Greenbrier bounced right back with 20-yard score to make it 55-48. Greenbrier then managed to tie the game at 55-55 on a 5-yard run by Wilcox early in the fourth period.
Following a 64-yard kickoff return by Marcus Harper, Carey later crossed the goal line from 11 yards out to put Magnolia back up 62-55. After forcing a punt, the local Panthers took a two-score lead on a 74-yard touchdown run by Williams.
Leading 69-55, Magnolia’s final score came when the Panther defense force Greenbrier to give the ball over on downs near its own goal line. Three plays later, Williams scored from the 2 to make the final score 76-55.
“The beauty of this offense is that we have the quarterback that can hurt you, the fullback can hurt and even the two slots. We can throw it if you bring everybody. The reason I love the option game is you can’t key on one person,” said King.
According to the coach, every team in the playoffs is a good football team.
Magnolia was without the services of senior cornerback Jordan Davis and classmate running back James’Darius Smith.
“Hopefully, we will get them both back this week and go see if we can give Pulaski Academy a little payback from last year,” mentioned King.