HOT SPRINGS – For the first time since 1977, Strong has won an outright conference championship.
LaQuincy Shelton threw four touchdown passes and ran for another, as the Bulldogs capped a perfect regular season by knocking off Cutter Morning Star 38-18 Friday in the 8-Man South finale for both schools.
The Bulldogs (8-0, 6-0) clinched a share of the league title, as well as the conference’s No. 1 seed and home-field advantage for the playoffs with their win at Spring Hill last week before winning it outright on Friday.
The conference title is the third in school history for Strong, who hosts Cedar Ridge in the first round of the playoffs next week.
The Bulldogs led 14-6 at the end of the first quarter with Shelton leading the charge.
The junior scored on a 4-yard run with Byron Maze adding a successful run on the two-point conversion to account for Strong’s first points in the contest.
Shelton then threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Jackson for the first of his four scores through the air.
In the second quarter, Shelton threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Maze and a 55-yard strike to Treveon Daniels to give Strong a 26-12 lead at intermission.
The score remained unchanged until the fourth quarter when Shelton hooked up with Maze on a 39-yard strike for their second scoring collaboration of the game.
Cedrick Brown scored on an 8-yard run in the fourth quarter for the Bulldogs’ final points.
The Eagles (2-7, 1-6) finish the season on a four-game losing streak.