WARREN, Ark. – Back home under the lights of Jim Hurley Jr. Stadium Friday night, September 30, 2022, the Warren Lumberjacks defeated 8-4A Conference opponent Crossett by the final of 41-14, in large part due to four rushing touchdowns from senior quarterback Maddox Lassiter.
Warren came into the game with a record of 3-1 overall, but undefeated through two weeks of 8-4A conference play. The Jacks had previous week wins over both Star City and McGehee.
Top photo: Kentraves Starks leads ahead to block for power-back Landon Wolfe during Warren’s Friday night game vs. Crossett. Photo by Robert Camp.
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Their Friday night guests were the Crossett Eagles. The Eagles arrived with a 1-4 overall record, sitting at 1-1 in league play. Two weeks prior they fell to Star City 40-13. However, last week they responded with a 13-0 road win over a struggling Hamburg side.
Warren kicked off the night to Crossett. The orange and black’s defense held strong, even after an early fake punt was converted to move the sticks. Crossett was forced to punt four plays later.
Coach Bo Hembree dialed up a half-back pass from Treylon Jackson on Warren’s first offensive drive of the ballgame. Jackson targeted sophomore receiver Antonio Jordan on a go-route. The pass however was just out of the reach of Jordan.
Warren did march into Crossett territory. However, they were held in the red zone on four straight plays, turning the ball over on downs.
The 0-0 deadlock wouldn’t be broken until early in the second quarter. Crossett struck the first blow with a pass from Max Brooks into the corner of the end zone to Taylin Paskel. They led 7-0 with 10:12 to go in the period.
Warren’s next drive was started with a tough seven-yard run by power-back Landon Wolfe. Soon afterward a great 23-yard catch by Jordan set the Jacks up near the Crossett five. Lassiter put Warren on the board for the first time with 6:42 to go in the second through a four-yard rush. Jose Jacinto converted the extra-point try to level things up at 7-7.
Both teams traded a fumble a piece to one another on the following possessions. Crossett was forced to punt with about a minute and a half to go in the quarter.
The Lumberjacks took over at their own 26-yard-line with 1:22 to go before the half. Lassiter dropped back and pinpointed a pass down the middle of the field to junior Ervin Rivera. Rivera found a seam in Crossett’s coverage, made the catch, and picked up 53 yards on the play. The very next play Lassiter again went to the air. This time he hit Jordan over the middle in traffic. The 6’5” sophomore made a terrific grab, spun through two tackles, and nearly propelled himself into the end zone, coming up just shy at the one-yard line. Lassiter finished off the drive with a one-yard rushing blast. Jacinto hit the extra-point to put Warren up 14-7 at the half.
Starting their third-quarter opening drive at their own 48-yard-line, the Jacks put together a three-minute drive deep into Crossett’s end of the field. A clutch fourth-down run by Jackson helped sustain the possession until Lassiter finished it off with an eight-yard touchdown run, his third of the night. Jacinto knocked through the point after to put the orange and black up 21-7 with 8:53 to go in the third.
The Eagles cut the deficit back to one possession two drives later. Warren looked to have things under control, as Crossett faced a third and nine situation from their own nine-yard-line. Eagle quarterback Max Brooks hit receiver Taylin Paskel near the 17 yard-line over the middle. Paskel broke clear and took it 91 yards to the house. Crossett trailed just 21-14 with 4:02 to go in the third quarter.
Late in the third Warren’s Antonio Jordan made another great catch with yards attached. On the same drive that bled into the fourth quarter, Lassiter added his fourth touchdown of the night on a one-yard run. Jacinto hit the extra point to restore Warren’s 14-point advantage.
Crossett put a nice drive together about three minutes later, threatening into Warren’s end of the field once more. However, the Eagles’ chance was cut short when Lumberjack Sophomore Kam Davis broke on a Paskel pass over the middle, intercepting it and racing to the other end for a 72-yard return for a touchdown. This is the second game-changer moment for Kam Davis through two weeks after he returned a kickoff 82-yards for a touchdown last week against McGehee. This week’s interception return put Warren up 35-14 with just nine minutes remaining. It felt like the final dagger.
The Lumberjacks did add another late-on when Landon Wolfe ripped off a 38-yard touchdown run off the left tackle. The extra point was no good, but the score put Warren up by what became the final, 41-14 over the Crossett Eagles.
Warren put up 565 total yards of offense on the night. On the ground, the Jacks gained 330 yards. Through the air, Warren had one of their better games of the season, tallying 235 yards.
Quarterback Maddox Lassiter led the orange and black on the ground with 17 carries for 132 yards and four touchdowns. Lassiter averaged 7.7 yards per carry.
Not trailing Lassiter by much, running back Treylon Jackson posted 103 yards on 19 carries.
Landon Wolfe ran 13 times for 88 yards and a touchdown.
Neon’dre Thomas had a single carry for 17 yards.
Lassiter went 12 of 21 through the air, throwing for 235 yards. His longest pass was the 53-yard connection with Rivera.
Antonio Jordan had a breakout night receiving. The sophomore Lumberjack caught six passes for 121 yards. His longest catch of the night was for 41. Several of Jordan’s grabs were top-notch catches, worthy of recognition. He was named the Saline River Chronicle Player of the Game for his performance, as Warren seemed to coalesce a passing game around the multi-sport talent.
Ervin Rivera was Warren’s second-leading receiver, catching two passes for 65 yards.
Neon’dre Thomas had three grabs for 28 yards.
Jordyn Ingram also had one reception for 21 yards. He may be one to watch over the next few weeks.
Defensively, it’s hard to look past the play of Maddox Lassiter. The quarterback, who doubles as a linebacker on the other side of the ball, posted ten tackles and a sack.
Jalin Lee and Delfino Rivera each had five tackles.
Malik Day posted four tackles and two defended passes.
Kam Davis had a game-impacting interception, but he also garnered two tackles and two more passes defended.
The win puts Warren in the driver’s seat in the 8-4A. They remain the lone team without a conference loss. The Jacks move to 4-1 overall, but more importantly 3-0 in the Conference.
They travel next week to take on a struggling 1-3 Dumas Bobcat team that will be hungry for their first conference win of the season. That game kicks off a 7:00 p.m.
