RISON - Coach Chris Vereen had a goal for his team all last week - “get three (defensive) stops and we win the game.”And one second quarter stop, with Walnut Ridge knocking on the door, followed by a 97-yard scoring drive that ended moments before the end of the half, allowed Rison to gain the separation it needed, and the Wildcats went on to down the Bobcats, 49-21, in the opening round of the Class 3A state playoffs last Friday night at George Walker Field of Champions.The victory sends Rison, 10-1, to a second round clash at Rivercrest this Friday, while Walnut Ridge finished its season at 7-4. The Bobcats’ four defeats came at the hands of opponents with a combined record of 38-5 after last Friday’s opening round action.“Our kids played physical, and they played hard,” Vereen said. “I was concerned all week about the matchup, but we responded. They (Walnut Ridge) have a good team. But we set a goal of getting three stops on defense, which I felt like would put us in position to win the game. We got that first one and scored right at the end of the half, then got two more quick scores at the start of the third quarter, and it was pretty much over (Rison’s lead going from 21-13 to 42-13 with 8:31 left in the third period).”Asked how much of a concern it was to him after the Bobcats scored TDs on their first two possessions, Vereen remarked, “we told our kids that they are going to score on us. They were averaging 35 points a game and had put up points on everyone during the season, against good competition. We just tried to get across to them to get some stops and we’d be alright. And I know their (Walnut Ridge) four turnovers did not help them at all. We got touchdowns on each of their turnovers. But the one in the second quarter and the two to start the third quarter were huge for us.”On the flip side, Rison, which came into the game with 16 turnovers during the season, did not suffer a miscue, which ...
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