WARREN, Ark. – Jim Hurley, Jr. Stadium roared to life as the Warren Lumberjacks took on the Stuttgart Ricebirds in the opening game of the 2023 regular season. The excitement was palpable, not just because of the start of a new season but due to a unique twist – both teams were starting freshmen at quarterback. Warren’s Jackson Denton, who’s a talented multi-sport athlete that has excelled on the junior level, is likely to become a well known name around the community after delivering a five-touchdown performance in his first ever start for the senior Lumberjacks.
Top photo: Warren receiver Kam Davis sprints free from a Stuttgart defender to put Warren up 21-0 in the first quarter.
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First Quarter
The Ricebirds won the toss and elected to receive, eager to set the tone early. However, their opening drive didn’t go as planned. Stuttgart had a rough start with an incompletion and a false start penalty. Warren’s senior defensive standout, Treylon Jackson, made his presence felt with a great pass breakup on second down. The Lumberjack defense stuffed Stuttgart’s jailbreak play, forcing them into a punt situation.
Warren’s first offensive possession showcased their explosive potential. A 14-yard run by tailback Jackson set up the Lumberjacks in a favorable position. They struck first with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Antonio Jordan to Neon’dre Thomas in the corner of the end zone, executed beautifully on a fade route. Jordan checked in a few times at quarterback in short yardage situations, and while he does have the pass as an option, Denton is likely to get the bulk of time this season as the orange and black’s main signal caller. Alann Juarez, a stand-out product of Warren’s soccer program knocked through his first extra-point kick of the year to give Warren an early 7-0 lead.
The Ricebirds started their next drive at their own 25 after Juarez belted. the ensuing kickoff into the endzone. Again, Warren’s defense looked hungry and aggressive from the start. Junior defender Cody Weatherspoon made a tackle for loss. The Lumberjacks were playing with undeniable intensity. Although a Warren penalty gave Stuttgart a new lease on life, the drive eventually stalled at the Warren 41-yard line, thanks in part to a crucial sack by Warren senior Jordyn Ingram on third down. He had a big night. onboth sides of the ball. The Ricebirds were forced to punt again.
With the ball back in their hands, Warren took advantage. Denton hit Tramond Miller on a screen pass to for a 15-yard gain. A couple of incompletions however forced an Antonio Jordan punt. He boomed a 53-yarder to pin Stuttgart deep at their own 15-yard line.
Stuttgart’s offense continued to struggle, failing to gain traction once more. Their frustration led to another punt, giving Warren excellent field position.
With 2:12 left in the first quarter, Denton lofted a ball to junior receiver Neon’dre Thomas. To be fair, Stuttgart’s corner had tight coverage, but Neo made arguably the catch of the night, hauling it in with one hand. His work was far from over on the play though. Thomas powered the remainder of the way into pay-dirt. The xtra point was no good after an issue on the snap and hold. Warren led 13-0.
The Jacks would strike again late in the first. After starting the drive with good field position on their own 42, Warren benefited from a Stuttgart pass interference call. With 43 second lefts in the period Denton dialed up a pass to junior receiver Kam Davis for another six points. Coach Bo Hembree elected to go for two. The Jacks converted the points successfully to take a 21-0 lead into the second quarter.
Second Quarter
The second quarter opened with Stuttgart in possession of the football. However, they encountered a relentless Warren defense. Warren junior safety Cam Burks made a touchdown-saving play with about nine minutes to go before the midway break. Stuttgart looked to connect with a reciever over the middle in the back of the endzone, but Burks dropped the hammer, drilling the Stuttgart receiver and jarring the ball loose for a mere incompletion. This impressive defensive effort led to Stuttgart missing a field goal attempt.
Warren’s offense continued to shine. At the 8:40 mark, Denton found Kam Davis with a pass into the flats. Davis then showcased his speed, hitting the sidelines and sprinting 64 yards downfield for a touchdown. Alann Juarez’s extra point was good, extending Warren’s lead to 28-0.
The kickoffs from Juarez were consistently impressive, regularly sailing four yards deep into the end zone for touchbacks. His next was no different.
Stuttgart finally found some offensive success on their next drive, marching downfield with determination. However, Warren’s Bleyze Fellows made a great pass breakup near the Warren 20-yard line, stifling the Ricebirds’ progress. Stuttgart then came tantalizingly close to a touchdown pass, but it was once again broken up, this time by Warren’s Aaron Davis. With 4:35 left in the second quarter, Stuttgart finally broke through with a seven-yard rushing touchdown, putting them on the board for the first time on the night. Warren still led 28-7.
Warren started their next drive at their own 32-yard line but experienced a costly turnover with a fumble at the Ricebird 15-yard line. Stuttgart saw an opportunity to cut into the lead further, moving the ball to the Warren 48-yard line with 2:35 left before halftime. However, the Lumberjack defense stood tall, highlighted by a big stop by sophomore Louis Woods and a critical pass breakup by senior linebacker Ervin Rivera. The Ricebirds turned the ball over on downs, and the first half came to a close with Warren leading 28-7.
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Third Quarter
In the third quarter, Denton continued to impress, connecting through the air with Antonio Jordan on a 24-yard touchdown pass on 4th and long with 10:18 remaining in the quarter. Although the extra-point attempt was marred by a snap and hold issue, Warren extended their lead to 34-7.
Once again, Juarez’s kickoff soared into the end zone, leaving Stuttgart to start their drive from the 25-yard line. However, the Lumberjacks’ defense was unyielding, forcing another punt.
With just 1:37 left in the third quarter, Warren unleashed another big play. Denton connected with Kam Davis again, this time over the middle and deep downfield for a 65-yard touchdown pass. Davis slipped behind the Stuttgart secondary and made quick work of the touchdown. A successful two-point conversion, run in by Jordyn Ingram, pushed Warren’s lead to 42-7. The sportsmanship rule came into effect, and the continuous clock started.
Fourth Quarter
The fourth quarter saw Warren’s dominance continue. A fumble was recovered by Warren junior Braden Smith, effectively sealing the victory.
With this impressive win, Warren moved to 1-0 on the season. Their sights now move set to their next challenge, a road game against White Hall scheduled for next Friday night, September 1.
Game Stats
Warren Lumberjacks:
- Rushing: 77 yards
- Passing: 323 yards
- Total Offense: 400 yards
Individual Performances:
- Treylon Jackson rushed 10 times for 61 yards.
- Jackson Denton completed 11 of 26 passes for 319 total yards and 5 touchdown passes.
- Antonio Jordan completed 1 of 1 pass for 4 yards and 1 touchdown.
- Receiving leaders included Kam Davis (4 catches for 182 yards and 3 touchdowns), Neon’dre Thomas (3 catches for 46 yards and 2 touchdowns), Antonio Jordan (3 catches for 70 yards and 1 touchdown), and Tramond Miller (2 catches for 25 yards).
Game states were provided courtesy of David King.
A scheduling error on our part prevented a Johnny’s Radiator Shop Bo Show ahead of the Stuttgart game. We will instead begin that program next Wednesday. The Joey Cathey State Farm Lumberjack Player of the Week will be announced next week.