Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Go-Devils shut out Fouke 35-0 for homecoming

The Gurdon Go-Devils are continuing their dominance of the 7-3A conference after a 35-0 homecoming shut out of the Fouke Panthers at Go-Devil Stadium on Friday, Oct. 5.

The win has moved the team to the top of the 7-3A in several polls, and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette has ranked the team at number five in all of the 3A statewide, moving up one spot from its placement in the same poll last week.

The Go-Devils win against Fouke began in a game where the Gurdon defense came out in full force. The Panthers received to begin the game and started first and 10 at their own 24. With less than one minute off of the clock, the Panthers were forced to punt on fourth and 11.

Gurdon made a nine play drive down the field that included one first down before turning the ball over on down after an incomplete pass from senior quarterback Zack Duncan to senior Beau McKenzie.

Fouke got just one first down on the next drive, and that was courtesy of a five yard penalty for offsides on the Go-Devils. Seniors Mario Brownlee and Taurean Gulley helped ensure the Panthers would not move any further by sacking Foukes quarterback in the backfield on two consecutive plays, pushing the Panthers back to fourth and 15.

Fouke returned the ball with a punt to the 10 yard line. On a quarterback keep, Duncan gained eight yards. On second and two, Duncan handed off to senior Jeff Henry who broke multiple tackles to run the ball 82 yards for a touchdown.

An extra point attempt was not successful, and the score was 6-0.

The first quarter ended with the Go-Devils third and four at the nine yard line. Senior OBryan Bell picked up the yardage easily at the opening of the second quarter.

Duncan ran the ball in on a two point conversion, and with only seven seconds off of the clock in the second quarter, the Go-Devils were up 14-0.

On their next possession, the Go-Devils began first and 10 at their own 12 yard line. A pass from Duncan to McKenzie moved the Go-Devils out to the 41 yard line. After taking the hand-off on the next play Bell made it all the way to the 15 yard line before being forced out of bounds.

Bell later ran the ball in five yards for another touchdown, and junior Justin Smillie made it into the end zone for a successful two point conversion, brining the score to 22-0.

It didnt take Bell long to make it into the end zone on the Go-Devils next possession, but an illegal block by Gurdon brought the ball back where the Go-Devils set up second and 20.

A pass to the end zone found the hands of McKenzie, but officials ruled him out of bounds as he made the catch.

The Go-Devils were determined to find the end zone one last time before the half, and they did when Henry scored a touchdown on an 11 yard run. An unsuccessful point after attempt brought the score to 28-0 at the half.

Gurdon came out strong after the half, scoring on its first possession. After going for and getting the first down on fourth and four, senior Kendall Harper found the end zone. The kick for the extra point was good, but offsides were called against the Panthers, forcing the Go-Devils to re-kick the attempt after moving up half the distance to the goal.

The second attempt was as good as the first, and the Go-Devils moved up to 35-0, and the mercy rule was put into place, keeping the clock running.

With the mercy rule in place, the fourth quarter passed quickly with neither team scoring any other points.