RISON - Five times Damariyon Billingly fielded a kick by Rison last Friday night at George Walker Field of Champions. But the one time Billingly failed to field a kick, to start the second half, proved very costly for Camden Harmony Grove, as Rison capitalized on the big mistake to turn a 1-point deficit into a quick lead and sending the Wildcats on their way to a 36-15 victory over the Hornets in a crucial 6-3A Conference contest.
The win kept Rison’s slate clean at 2-0 in the conference and 5-0 overall, with the ‘Cats headed for a showdown Friday night at Fordyce, where the Redbugs are also undefeated in 6-3A play. The loss dropped Harmony Grove to 2-1 in the conference and 4-3 overall.
In downing the Hornets, Rison rolled up 420 yards on offense, with all but 6 yards coming on the ground, while holding the explosive Harmony Grove attack to 193 yards. After falling behind, 15-14, with 10 minutes to go in the first half, the ‘Cat defense kept the Hornets out of the end zone the final 34 minutes of the game. Rison scored on its first three possessions of the second half to turn the 1-point deficit into a 21-point lead.
Commenting about the key victory, Rison head coach Clay Totty said, “We played hard all the way, and I believe the extra week we had to prepare really helped us with situational stuff on defense, and gave the kids time to pick things up we knew we would have to do. It paid off.”
Totty had praise for the Wildcat offensive line, which paved the way for Rison backs to pile up big yardage. Bradyn Dupuy carried 25 times for 149 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while DJ Kines followed with 137 yards on 16 trips and a TD. Za‐ Kyler Walker added 71 yards, which included a 58-yard TD dash in the third quarter when the ‘Cats began to take control.
“Our offensive line was good in short yardage situation, and we didn't have a negative play,” Totty remarked. “They (the line) rose to the occasi...
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