Wildcats fall short at Magnolia

El Dorado’s last-ditch pass into the end zone fell incomplete Friday as the Wildcats lost a heartbreaking 27-23 decision at Magnolia. The Panthers improved to 3-1 while El Dorado slipped to 0-3 heading into conference play.

Helped by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, Magnolia drove 80 yards for the game-winning touchdown with DeRaylen Williams scoring on a 3-yard run with 37 seconds remaining.

“A really tough loss,” said El Dorado coach Steven Jones. “I’m really proud of our team. We really played four quarters as hard as we can. Unfortunately, on the road, Magnolia made a few more plays than we did in the end.”

Trailing 27-23, the Wildcats took the ball at the 35 after the Panthers booted the kickoff out of bounds. On second down, Eli Shepherd lofted a 32-yard pass to Jarmel Love, who ran for 32 yards before being knocked out of bounds at the 33.

The next play netted just four yards on a quarterback scramble. After an incompletion, Shepherd’s pass into the end zone was knocked away to end the game.

Magnolia’s Garrion Curry rushed for 115 yards and two touchdowns for the Panthers, who had 248 yards in total offense.

From the outset it was clear, the team that could avoid the biggest mistake would have a huge advantage.

“Mistakes set us back offensively. We’d get behind the sticks and get in second-and-10 plus. That’s not a good scenario for putting a drive together,” said Jones. “Those pre-snap and post-play penalties that we’ve harped on hurt us tonight. We had a couple unsportsmanlike conducts that hurt. It’s an emotional game. Our kids were playing as hard as they could. I mean, it’s one of those things where it’s probably both sides but it is what it is.”

Magnolia seized control early when the Wildcats’ opening drive ended up in an interception by the Panthers’ lineman Lamarcus Jerry, who returned it for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

The Wildcats scored on their third possession, driving 59 yards in six plays. Sharmon Rester had a 34-yard reception before Shepherd, on fourth-and-15, found Deandra Burns on a 30-yard touchdown pass. The PAT failed and El Dorado trailed 7-6 with 3:51 remaining in the first.

El Dorado’s defense grabbed the momentum as Marquees Waller picked up a fumbled option pitch and dragged several defenders and a few teammates into the end zone for the score. Dave Carruth’s kick gave the Wildcats a 13-7 lead with 3:06 left in the first.

Magnolia mounted its first substantial drive of the game, using 15 plays to cover 55 yards. The Panthers converted three fourth-and-1 situations, including at the goal line when Curry scored on a 1-yard run as Magnolia grabbed a 14-13 lead with 8:57 left in the second.

The Wildcats answered on the ensuing possession. Rester had a 16-yard reception and a 16-yard run on a reverse. Shepherd hit Rester for 22 yards to the 8. Shepherd scored on a QB keeper on the next play. Carruth’s kick put El Dorado up 20-14 with 5:21 left in the second.

The Panthers kept the string of scoring drives intact, marching 77 yards in seven plays with Curry scoring on a 20-yard gallop as Magnolia led 21-20 with 2:47 left in the half.

The Wildcats tried to answer, pushing the ball to the Magnolia 29 before Carruth’s ambitious attempt at a 51-yard field goal went wide as the half ended.

The scoring parade ended at halftime for both teams as the defenses stepped up.

“Defense had a great plan,” said Jones. “You look at Magnolia’s last two games, they’ve put up a ton of points. Coach (Trey) Outlaw to prepare for the triple-option like that in one week, that was impressive. The adjustments were good at halftime by the defense. We just couldn’t sustain a drive in the second half. They ate some clock. I don’t know how many offensive plays we ran in the second half, but it wasn’t very many.”

The Wildcats created an opportunity, popping the second half kickoff to the Panthers’ up man, who fumbled. El Dorado recovered at the 43. Burns had a 23-yard reception before the drive stalled. Carruth stepped up big and drilled a 41-yard field goal. Sophomore Kolin Parker did a nice job handling the high snap as the Wildcats seized a 23-21 lead with 10:07 left in the third.

That would conclude the scoring in the third. Magnolia drove to the El Dorado 33 before Javin Steward smashed the Panthers’ quarterback for an 8-yard loss on fourth-and-5.

The Panthers would drive to the El Dorado 19 before the Wildcats held, forcing a missed attempt at a field goal with 6:58 left in the fourth.

El Dorado went into clock-killing mode on offense. The Wildcats picked up two first downs on four consecutive running plays by Branden Moore and Shepherd. The ball inched close to midfield before Magnolia forced a fourth down punt by Shepherd.

Magnolia took over at the 20 with 2:57 remaining. The Panthers completed their first pass of the game, a 17 yarder to the 43. After an 8-yard run by Curry, El Dorado was flagged for a critical unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, which gave Magnolia a first down at the 32.

The Panthers had a 14-yard run to the 18. The Wildcats forced a third-and-8 but Williams powered up the middle on a fullback dive for a first down at the 3. Williams bulled into the end zone on the next play.

The pass for two failed.

“I’m confident in our guys bouncing back,” said Jones. “The 6A East is wide open. I don’t look at anybody out there as a front runner. I’m optimistic heading into week four with the conference season ahead of us. The reason I’m optimistic is because of our locker room and because of our kids. Even though it hasn’t gone our way, they continue to show up and work as hard as they can every day and give us so much effort. I was so proud of how hard they played tonight. They’re starting to come together as a team and lean on each other and trust each other. We’re going to get this thing turned around going into conference play.”

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