MAYFLOWER Mayflower's defense could show the Arkansas Razorbacks how important forcing turnovers are.
For the second week in a row, the Eagles won the turnover statistic, this time 9-1, which in turnresulted in a 25-13 win over the defending Class 3A state champions, Glen Rose, at Patrick Stadium on Friday.
"That was huge," Mayflower coach Jed Davis said. "We talked all week about playing four quarters. We sputtered on offense at times, but our defense was there to pick us up. That's what it means when you're a team; sometimes one side has to pick the other side up, this week was the defense."
The Eagles' Dominique Simpson recovered a fumble at the 1 and the next play Gavin Pace took it in for the touchdown with 8:21 left in the third quarter. After Pace added the PAT kick, the Eagles then enjoyed the biggest lead of the game at 19-6.
The Beavers (1-2) struck back at the end of the third, after Steven Kehner, who ended with a game-high 64 yards on 20 carries, caught a 12-yard touchdown pass on fourth and long. Glen Rose made it 19-13 after the PAT kick.
Just a couple of minutes into the fourth quarter, Mayflower's John Dale Willis intercepted his second pass of the night, jumping in front of a screen pass. Willis returned it untouched for a 62-yard touchdown, which appeared to take the air out Beavers.
"We talked all about them being the defending state champs until someone else proves them wrong," Davis said. "Our guys responded and I was really pleased to see that."
There were five turnovers in the first half and the Eagles were responsible for nabbing four of them. Mayflower's Devin Foster intercepted the first pass, two minutes before Gavin Pace, who had a team-high 62 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, ran 8 yards for the first score of the game, with 8:25 left in the first quarter. Willis made a diving 24-yard catch on fourth and 15 that set up the score.
Willis intercepted a pass and Foster recovered a fumble on consecutive drives from Glen Rose in the second quarter. Then, at the Glen Rose 31, the Beavers received their only turnover of the game after defenders stripped the ball away from Bagby on the next play. Mayflower's Andrew Harrison recovered a fumble and Robert Dycus made an interception to curtail drives at the end of the first quarter and early in the second.
"You're not going to win the game with that many turnovers, but Mayflower had a lot to do with that," Glen Rose coach Mark Kehner said. "We give coach Davis and his bunch all the credit in the world. They were able to make the plays and I just take my hat off to them.
The Eagles (2-1) grabbed a 12-0 lead with 2:32 left before the half, after a trick play and a PAT by Gavin Pace. On the touchdown, quarterback Jordan Dycus handed the ball off to Bagby and he pitched it to Kerry Ussery, who threw a perfect spiral to a wide-open Tyler Cagle. Cagle strolled in for the 58-yard touchdown. Cagle also made a big interception midway through the second half, and he made an acrobatic catch in the end zone late in the fourth quarter for his second pick of the night.
"I just look the ball into my hands, and then tuck it in," Cagle said, who also returned an interception back for a touchdown last week in the Eagles' 20-3 win over Greenbrier. "When the ball is in the air, I just try to go get it."
PACKED HOUSE
Glen Rose fans were packed to capacity on the visiting side 15 minutes before the opening kickoff.
The defending state champions' fans traveled in buses and their student section came out in full force. The visiting stands were overflowing before the kickoff.
The home side had just as many people in the stands. There were a line of lawn chairs from the 30-yard line to the end of the end zone on both ends of the field, and a slew of spectators lined up along the fence.
