NLR overwhelms Maumelle
Chapple, Adaway lead Charging Wildcats’ charge NORTH LITTLE ROCK 55, MAUMELLE 14
Senior quarterback David Chapple and junior running back Oscar Adaway helped lead the North Little Rock Charging Wildcats to a 55-14 victory over the Maumelle Hornets at Bobby Tiner Stadium in Maumelle on Friday night.
“Chapple looked good for us in fall camp and in the first real ballgame that he’s got to play,” North Little Rock Coach Jamie Mitchell said. “He threw it really well. I think he’s going to surprise some people throwing it. It makes us better.”
Chapple completed 5 of 8 passes for 128 yards.
Maumelle (0-1) contended early behind junior quarterback Xavion Morgan, but North Little Rock’s offense rarely failed to strike in the season-opener for both teams.
Morgan completed 14 of 17 passes for 179 yards.
“He got the ball out quick, and they’ve got some playmakers out there for him to get the ball to,” Mitchell said. “They’re going to be fine, and they’re going to be able to move the football. I don’t think there’s any question about that. They’ve got some good players.”
North Little Rock (1-0) scored on 1-yard touchdown runs by junior running back John James and Adaway to take a 14-0 lead in the first seven minutes of the game.
Adaway led North Little Rock with 103 yards and 2 touchdowns on eight carries.
“Our backfield is rock solid,” Mitchell said. “[We’ve] got depth there. [We’ve] got quality players.”
Junior running back Tyler Day’s 6-yard touchdown run with 3:00 left in the first quarter gave North Little Rock a 21-0 lead.
A series of North Little Rock defensive penalties and passes from Morgan set up Morgan’s 1-yard touchdown keeper that put Maumelle within 21-7 with 11:11 left in the second quarter.
For the game, North Little Rock had 10 penalties for 108 yards.
“That was a huge issue for us,” Mitchell said. “We’ve got to clean those things up.”
Adaway completed North Little Rock’s next possession with a 46-yard touchdown run, but Maumelle responded with a 45-yard touchdown pass from Morgan to junior Trey Jackson to cut the Charging Wildcats’ lead to 28-14 with 5:53 left in the second quarter.
North Little Rock countered on its next possession with a 75-yard touchdown pass from Chapple to senior receiver Aaron Griffin.
Chapple’s 1-yard touchdown sneak in the final seconds of the second quarter gave North Little Rock a 42-14 halftime lead.
“I felt like we were within a play or two of really being in this game,” Maumelle Coach Kirk Horton said. “Overall, I was pleased with the effort. We didn’t quit, and it’s easy to do that when you’re down by a lot. We played hard, and I can respect that.”