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Cougars Drill Panthers
Last updated Friday, November 21, 2008 11:00 PM CST in Prep Sports
By Brandon Harris
SPECIAL TO THE MORNING NEWS
HELENA-WEST HELENA -- Helena-West Helena Central's speed is difficult to imagine. It's even more difficult to prepare for, and it's seemingly impossible to stop.
Central quarterback Deandre Johnson and running back Turrell Williams -- an Arkansas commit -- danced, darted and dashed their way past Siloam Springs in a 38-14 victory in Cad Polk Stadium on Friday night.
Johnson wasn't particularly deadly with his arm, but he was as elusive as they come in the pocket. He showed uncanny patience -- even after protection breakdowns -- and lured defender after defender, only to race past each one and turn broken plays into big runs. When he did elect to pass, he connected with playmakers who ate up huge chunks of yardage and made the Panthers pay.
Williams was deadly in open space. Whether it be on a run past the first level of the Panthers defense or downfield when he was matched up with a slower defensive back, Williams' speed was too much to stop.
"We don't have anybody like them on our team," Siloam coach Clint Ashcraft said. "There's no simulating something like that in practice. They have incredible athletes. They really do."
Johnson finished 7-of-14 for 137 yards and three touchdowns, and rushed for 141 yards and two scores. Williams had 14 carries for 125 yards and a touchdown and three catches for 91 yards and a score.
"It's scary to have two guys like that," Central coach Russell Smith said. "Johnson is very elusive. When the pressure breaks down, that's when he's dangerous."
Central (11-0-1) advances to the semifinals where it will play at Monticello.
The Panthers (9-3) couldn't keep up offensively. Quarterback Bryan Adair was 6-of-16 for 70 yards and two interceptions. Anthony Autry and Jake Cifuentes combined for 34 carries, but managed just 111 yards between them.
Siloam carried a 7-6 lead into the second, but then Central's speed took over. Johnson had a huge 20-yard keeper, a 30-yard completion to Williams and then 30-yard touchdown pass to Kyrin Burrell for a 12-7 lead.
Siloam's Pablo Castillo missed a 44-yard field goal with 41.8 seconds left in the half and the Cougars took over on their own 20, but Johnson reeled off another 20-yard draw and completed a 40-yard touchdown pass to a streaking Williams for a 20-7 halftime lead.
Siloam's Matt Reed made a huge stop on the opening possession, snuffing out Central's fake punt and tackling Antonio Hughes at the Cougar 37. Four plays and one personal foul penalty later, Cifuentes ran up the middle and scored from 9 yards out.
After Jonathan Johnson's 47-yard return on the ensuing kickoff, Nick Brill intercepted Johnson's pass and returned it to the Cougar 20. But just as Siloam was threatening, Adair was picked off by Edwin Goldsberry at the 2.
HELENA-WEST HELENA CENTRAL 38, SILOAM SPRINGS 14
Siloam 7 0 0 7 -- 14
Central 6 14 6 12 -- 38
First Quarter
Siloam -- Cifuentes 9 run (Castillo kick), 6:27
Cent -- Johnson 4 run (pass failed), 0:02
Second Quarter
Cent -- Burrell 30 pass from Johnson (run failed), 3:46
Cent -- Jones 40 pass from Johnson (North pass), 0:25
Third Quarter
Cent -- Williams 18 run (pass failed), 6:31
Fourth Quarter
Cent -- Goldberry 21 pass from Johnson (pass failed), 11:21
Cent -- Johnson 21 run (pass failed), 8:37
Siloam -- Autry 9 run (Castillo kick), 0:28
Siloam Cent
First downs 14 20
Rushes-yards 41-140 34-302
Passing yards 70 137
Comp-att-int 6-16-2 7-14-1
Punts 2-34 2-36.5
Fumbles-lost 0 0
Penalties-yards 3-20 5-45
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--Siloam, Autry 21-85, J. Cifuentes 13-26, Adair 7-29. Central, Johnson 12-141, Williams 14-125, Hughes 4-17, Hayes 3-7, North 1-12.
PASSING--Siloam, Adair 6-14-2-70. Central, Johnson 7-14-1-137.
RECEIVING--Siloam, Evans 2-18, Howe 1-17, J. Cifuentes 1-14, Jenison 1-11, Littlejohn 1-10. Central, Williams 3-91, Burrell 2-39, North 1-7, Johnson 1-0.
MISSED FIELD GOALS--Siloam, Castillo 44.
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