RISON - The Rison Junior Wildcats won back-to-back games for the first time this season with a 20-12 victory over Lake Village Lakeside Junior Beavers in 8-3A conference action last Thursday night at George Walker Field of Champions.
Scoring began early as the Junior Beavers recovered an onside kick to open the game before Kyler Warren scored on a 40-yard quarterback keeper on a 4th-and-8 play with 5:05 remaining in the opening quarter. Warren attempted to run in the two-point conversion, but was stopped short of the goal line by Rison’s M.J. Chambers and Cam Johnson.
The Junior ‘Cats answered on the next drive with a 51-yard pass from Logan McGarity to Isaiah Hamilton with 3:16 remaining in the opening quarter. Rison’s two-point try failed, tying the game up at 6-all.
The Junior Wildcats held Lakeside to a four-and-out on the next drive, leading to a 43-yard touchdown pass from McGarity to Trent Southerland just two plays later. Another failed two-point try gave Rison the 12-6 lead with 6:52 remaining until halftime.
The Junior Beavers were able to drive the field on the next possession. However, Southerland was able to pick off a Lakeside pass at the 2-yard line with 4:26 remaining in the half. The Junior ‘Cats were not able to capitalize on the next possession, and took a 12-6 lead into the halftime locker room.
The second half started off with a bang for the Junior Wildcats as Dalton Matheson’s onside kick was recovered by Cam Johnson. Three plays later Payne Prescott broke loose for a 42-yard touchdown. Deion Jones added the two-point conversion to give Rison a 20-6 lead with 6:22 remaining in the third quarter.
Lake Village scored its final touchdown on a 45-yard run by Demarion Lucas with 5:50 remaining in the third quarter. Bryant Branch and Payne Prescott combined to stop the two-point conversion.
Lakeside had an opportunity to score once more with 4:09 remaining in the game when Warren threw an incomplete pass in the end zone on a 4th-and-6 play from the 11-yard …