The Harmony Grove Cardinals broke a two-game losing streak in Week 8 after senior running back Jake Brooks took a handoff before stepping behind the line of scrimmage to find a wide open Hayden Hilson in the end zone with under a minute to tick in the ballgame.
The Cardinals would hold on to the lead over Nashville, helping keep their playoff hopes healthy heading into Friday’s contest at Fountain Lake.
The Scrappers committed as many turnovers as they scored points (21), costing them 205 yards in last week’s loss at Sykes Stadium in Haskell.
Harmony Grove would be flagged five times for 47 yards as it won its third 7-4A Conference game, 26-21. The Cardinals currently sit at 3-2 overall in league action, good for a three-way tie for third with Arkadelphia and Nashville.
Five teams will represent the conference in the 4A State Tournament.
Harmony Grove will visit a struggling Fountain Lake team on Friday.
The Cobras snapped a four-game losing streak in Week 8, beating Malvern 35-0 on the road. Before, though, Fountain Lake had lost by a combined 170-34 during its skid.
The Cobras are led by quarterback Ian Lacy, who has completed 48 of 98 passes for 811 yards and six touchdowns. He has also thrown eight interceptions on the year.
At running back, senior Andrew Roberson has four 100-plus-yard games this season and a total of 651 yards and four scores on 111 carries.
In the receiving game, senior Andrew Johnson is the go-to target, leading the team with 31 catches for 546 yards and four scores.
Defensively, the Cobras rely on seniors Colson Simpson and Joe Murphy to make stops. The two have combined for 166 tackles in 2018.
Johnson and Roberson also lead the team in interceptions with three each while the team has a combined nine on the year.
In Week 8, Harmony Grove broke out its passing game against the Scrappers as senior quarterback Logan Whitley finished a perfect 7 for 7 for 110 yards and a score, by far the most passing yards in a game this season.
On the ground, the Cardinals continued to find holes as Brooks led with 176 yards and a score on 22 touches. This year, Brooks has trucked for 665 yards and nine scores, going for more than 100 three times.
Friday’s game will kick off at 7 p.m. at Cobras Stadium.