(Clay Williams) After falling to Class 5A West Ouachita on the road last week, Jonesboro-Hodge came back home to welcome 2-0, Class 3A Bunkie, during week three. Sadly, for the Tigers, the visiting Panthers would come into Caldwell-Peacock Stadium and play an almost flawless first half of football.

J-Hodge kicked off to begin the contest, and quickly forced the Panthers into a 3rd down situation, something the Tiger defense would do six times during the first half. Bunkie’s QB, Dillon Compton, would convert it on a QB keeper for 25 yards, and then he would soon find the end zone later in the drive to put Bunkie ahead 7-0 early in the 1st quarter.

Looking to catch the Panthers off guard on the Tigers opening drive, head coach Terrance Blankenship used a two QB system, alternating senior Symeon Malone and sophomore Dakota Knox as the signal callers.

One play saw Knox throw for a 1st down, the next play saw Malone take a QB
keeper 30 yards. The Tigers used this unique offensive strategy to move all the way down the field, and eventually set up a pivotal 4th down at the 1-yard line. With Knox at QB, he rolled out looking for an open receiver, but was brought down by a Panther pass rusher.

Bunkie started the ensuing drive set up on their own 5-yard line, and once again found themselves facing a third and long situation. This time the Panthers ran a WR screen, and the WR broke numerous tackles and rumbled all the way into the end zone for a 76-yard touchdown.

The Tigers responded with a 10 play, 54-yard scoring drive, capped off by Malone finding his way into the end zone for his third rushing touchdown of the season to bring JHHS to within 13-6.

It looked like the tide had turned for JHHS as on the ensuing kickoff, Bunkie made seemingly their only mistake of the night by fumbling the return and setting up the Tigers on the Bunkie 32-yard line. Four plays later, J-Hodge gave the ball back to the Panthers after a 4th down pass went through two receivers hands to fall incomplete.

Bunkie would go on to score on their next three possessions to take a 34-6 halftime lead. Perhaps remembering the 51-0 thrashing the Tigers handed out two years ago, Bunkie showed no signs of taking their foot off the gas, recovering an onside kick to start the second half and then scoring four plays later. The Panthers ran three more offensive plays in the game, that was played with a running clock the entire second half, two of which were touchdowns.

A bright spot in the contest was the discovery of senior Karmekizik Barber’s ability as a running back. Forced into duty due to Chance Leonard leaving in the third quarter due to a leg injury, Barber carried the ball four times for 69 yards, including a 61 yard jaunt that led to Malone finding senior wideout Da’Marious Burns in the back of the end zone making the final score 54-12 as the Tigers closed out the game on a high point.

Jonesboro-Hodge falls to 1-2 on the season, with their second consecutive loss to a school in a higher classification, while Bunkie improved to 3-0 on the year. The Tigers will be back on the road again this Friday, September 22nd, when they take on 1-2, Lincoln Prep High School, in their brand-new football stadium located in Grambling. 

TEAM	1	2	3	4	FINAL
JHHS (1-2)	0	6	0	6	12
Bunkie (3-0)	13	21	13	7	54

YARDSTICK

STAT	JHHS	BUNKIE
First Downs	10	23
Rushing Yards	108	291
Passing Yards	59	145
Total Yards	167	436
Turnovers	1	1
Third Down Conversions	1/9	4/6
Fourth Down Conversions	3/5	1/1
Penalties	6/49	2/19

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