By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Not only was it a shootout at Sam Smith Stadium between Forrest City and Searcy, in the final seconds, it became a matter of survival at Sam Smith Stadium for the Mustangs.
In what became a key AAAAA-East Conference game for both teams, it was the Forrest City Mustangs holding off the Lions 34-31.
The Mustangs improve to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in the conference. Searcy falls to 0-5 and 0-2.
Forrest City out-ran Searcy 221 to 201 on the ground but the Lions held the upper hand through the air, throwing for 184 yards and two touchdowns. Forrest City gained 122 yards passing.
Adam Robertson finished with 79 yards on 17 carries and one touchdown to lead Searcy while quarterback Chris Bryant ran nine times for 24 yards and one touchdown.
Bryant did throw two touchdown passes and completed 12-of-20 attempts. Justin Rowden finished the game at quarterback after Bryant went out after taking a blow to the head while making a defensive play late in the fourth quarter.
Rowden completed 3-of-7 passes and ran for six yards.
Forrest City was flagged 14 times for 125 yards in total penalties while the Lions were whistled nine times for 92 yards. Searcy had 23 first downs to Forrest City's 10.
Forrest City fumbled on their first possession and Searcy recovered.
Five plays later, Bryant hit Will Moore for a six-yard scoring pass with 9:54 to play in the first quarter. Moore's PAT made it 7-0 Lions.
The Mustangs needed only 1:30 to knot the game at 7-7 when Cedric Johnson broke free for a 62-yard touchdown run and John Scott Carroll added the kick.
Robertson put Searcy back in front with 4:31 to play in the first using a 10-yard touchdown run. The PAT made it 14-7.
Terrance Ware (141 rushing yards on 26 carries) scored the first of his two touchdowns with 9:29 left in the second quarter and Carroll's kick tied the game at 14-14.
Jeffrey Sims recovered a Searcy fumble with 8:42 to play in the first half which set up the Mustangs go-ahead touchdown, a 20-yard run by Ware. Carroll's kick put Forrest City in front 21-14.
After Forrest City recovered a second Searcy fumble but failed to mount a drive, the Lions pulled within one point at 21-20 when Bryant ran three yards for the score but Moore missed the PAT. That score held through the half.
After the 41-point first half, the scoring slowed a little in the third.
Searcy took the kickoff and drove to the Mustang 28 yard line where Tanner Gibbs missed a 45-yard field goal which had the distance but was wide left. Forrest City went three and out on their possession and Searcy started at the Mustang 47. Aided by a facemask penalty against the Mustangs, Searcy drove to the Forrest City 4 where Gibbs punched a 17-yard field goal through for a 23-21 lead with 3:02 to play in the third quarter.
The Mustangs regained the lead with 58 seconds to play in the quarter using the halfback pass from Ware to John Scott Carroll for a 45-yard touchdown pass. Searcy blocked the extra point but the Mustangs led 27-23.
Forrest City quarterback Marcus Fair threw an interception with 6:18 to play in the fourth quarter as Bryant picked off the pass. However, the Lions fumbled two plays later and Forrest City recovered at the Lions 29. After two holding calls and an offsides, Fair scrambled out of the pocket and ran 19 yards for the final Forrest City points with 4:22 to play in the game. Carroll's kick put the Mustangs in front 34-23.
Searcy started from their own 20 on the next possession and used a pass interference call against Forrest City, a personal foul against the Mustangs and a holding call to move to the Forrest City four where Rowden found Matt Cramblett for the short touchdown pass. Rowden ran for the two-point conversion as the Lions pulled within 34-31 with 2:10 to play.
Searcy recovered its own onside kick at midfield and used a pass from Rowden to Kevin Lewis to get to the Mustang 42. Moving the ball to the Mustang 34, Rowden was sacked for the loss back to the Mustang 41 with 53 seconds to play.
Two incomplete passes and another personal foul call against the Mustangs put the ball at the Mustang 28.
A second personal foul call against the Mustangs took the ball to the 18 with 23 seconds left where Searcy fumbled and Sims made his second recovery.
The Mustangs ran out the clock for the win.
Forrest City will face Cabot Friday night at Panther Stadium.
Cabot lost to West Memphis on Friday while Jacksonville downed Jonesboro in overtime.
The Palestine-Wheatley Patriots had their way against Elaine Friday night, rolling up another 576 yards of total offense in a 48-0 shut out win.
The Patriots lead the state in total offense and in points scored.
Friday's win over Elaine puts the Patriots at 4-1 overall and 4-0 in the 6AA Conference with undefeated Barton next up Friday at Patriot Field.
Rashun Barnes ran for 205 yards on 13 carries and scored three of P-W's touchdowns against Elaine.
Brad Barton added 132 rushing yards on nine carries while Fred Leak scored twice and his brother, Antonio scored twice.
Through the air, Fred Leak completed 4 of 6 passes for 107 yards.
On the ground, the Patriots put up 459 rushing yards.
The Patriots scored once in the first quarter, three times in the second quarter, twice in the third and once in the fourth.
Friday's game will be homecoming and it will be Hooten's Game of the Week.
*The Hughes Blue Devils struggled in the first half but were able to mount just enough offense in the second half to put away a feisty Augusta team 14-8 Friday night.
Hughes led 6-0 in the first quarter but Augusta scored and converted the two-point play to lead 8-6 at the half.
The Blue Devils were able to score in the second half and get the two-point conversion to seal the win.
Clifton Smith and Johnny Payton scored for Hughes.
Hughes improves to 3-2 overall and 2-1 in the 6AA Conference.
Hughes will host Elaine Friday night.