HOPE – The Hope High School Bobcats fell out of the Class 5A football playoff picture after a long night Nov. 13 against Morrilton.
The high-powered Devil Dog rushing attack scored in all four quarters to best Hope, 58-14.
Hope compiled respectable numbers on the night, but without the points on the scoreboard to show for it. The Cats had a total of 156 yards of offense, a lower than typical 49 yards in the air and 107 yards on the ground; while Morrilton ground out real estate in large chunks.
The Devil Dogs piled up 397 yards of total offense with 308 yards on the ground and 89 yards passing.
Morrilton was 8 of 10 on third down, while the Bobcats were ineffective on third down all night. Hope also had miscues, losing two fumbles and throwing for one interception; although the Cats forced an interception at their one-yard line to stop a Morrilton drive in the third quarter.
The Bobcats scored in the second and fourth quarters as the night began on a positive note for Hope with Junior Quarterback Ammorrion Dempsey tagging with Senior Chelerome McFadden on a 23-yard romp off the right side of the line in the first quarter.
Starting on second and three from the Hope 40-yard line, McFadden was finally forced out of bounds on the Morrilton 35. On the next play from scrimmage, Dempsey faked the hand-off and kept the ball to charge 16 yards to the Morrilton 19; but, the Cats were unable to put points on the board.
The first Bobcat score came in the second quarter on fourth down and eight from the Morrilton 40, as Demspey dropped deep and let one fly to the Devil Dog 30. Then, on first down, Dempsey scrambled right to work his way to the 15-yard line before being forced out of bounds.
With second and goal from the Morrilton two-yard line, Dempsey gave the ball to Junior Keyuan Booker, who bulled it up the middle for the score and the PAT added one more point.
Hope’s final score of the night came in the fourth quarter as the Cats set up the score on first down at the Morrilton 47-yard line. Then, Dempsey lofted a long pass to McFadden on the left sideline at the Morrilton 16.
On the next play, a bad snap forced Dempsey to snatch up the ball and dart into the middle of the line where he found a hole on the right side, evading two Morrilton defenders and scoring, with the PAT coming afterward.