FARMINGTON — One week after hitting rock bottom during a lackluster performance at Pea Ridge, it was all systems go for Farmington opening conference play with a 38-13 win at Clarksville.
Farmington head coach Mike Adams felt his team got punched in the mouth and didn't punch back at Pea Ridge, but Friday the Cardinals took what adversity they faced in stride and set about the business of winning their 5A West opener. Two bad games in-a-row could have put a damper on the season, but Adams and staff got the Cardinals ready to compete. Explosive plays helped as did an overpowering run game. Senior tailbacks Reid Turner (18 carries for 196 yards, 2 touchdowns), Tony Mayo (4 carries, 109 yards, 1 touchdown), Jeremiah Lara (9 rushes, 50 yards), and Dimariae Donovan (4 rushes, 30 yards) churned out huge chunks of real estate.
The Cardinals turned the ball over on down on their first possession despite completing a pass on fourth down to the Panther 25-yard line. Farmington's defense rose to the challenge forcing Clarksville to punt on its first two series. Turner literally administered the counterpunch by taking a misdirection carry 72 yards for a touchdown
Clarksville responded by driving 68 yards capped by Jamie White's 39-yard touchdown run. With the score knotted at 7-7, Turner provided an answer on the next play from scrimmage.
Turner has never been shy about running a country mile if that's what it takes him to reach the end zone. Clarksville defenders found the sideline was no help when Turner took a pitch left deep in the I-formation behind the fullback and turned the corner. Seeing his path to the end zone cut off with four Panthers trying to pin him down, Turner cut back across the grain at the Clarksville 40 outrunning the pursuit and following the blocking of Drew Sturgeon downfield. With one man to beat at the 10, Turner used Sturgeon as a shield blazing a trail to the right pylon to complete a 60-yard touchdown run.
Sturgeon was split out wide to the right far away from the action when the play began. He recognized Turner's cutback and accelerated to provide the block necessary at the five to get Turner in the end zone.
No matter whose number was called Farmington's offensive unit produced to the tune of 518 yards of total offense including 399 on the ground. The Cardinals averaged 10.5-yards-per-rush and broke away with 17 unanswered points in the second period climaxed by Drew Sturgeon's 21-yard field goal just before the half.
Mayo ripped off a 60-yard run to pay dirt and Sturgeon, who kicked 5-of-5 extra-point attempts in the game, made good on the field goal to put the Cardinals comfortably ahead, 24-7.
Clarksville marched to the Farmington 15 where the Cardinal defense forced a turnover on downs on an incomplete Panther pass. The Cardinals flipped the field, going 85 yards the other direction in seven plays.
Farmington struck through the air with quarterback Eric Hill (6-of-13 passing, 113 yards, no interceptions) hitting Sturgeon for a 16-yard touchdown late in the third. Hill threw a short screen pass to Turner, who juked the only defender with a shot at him, and took the reception 39 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter boosting the lead to 38-7. Marqwaveon Watson caught one of Hill's passes for 46 yards.
Turnovers that plagued Farmington at Pea Ridge were not a problem. The Cardinals lost one fumble, but they also recovered a Clarksville fumble to finish the contest even in that category.
Farmington (3-1, 1-0 5A West) plays host to Alma (1-3, 1-0 5A West) Friday with kickoff slated for 7 p.m. at Allen Holland Field.
FARMINGTON 38, CLARKSVILLE 13
Farmington 7 17 7 7 -- 38
Clarksville 0 7 0 6 -- 13
First Quarter
Farmington -- Reid Turner 72-yard run (Drew Sturgeon kick), 1:23.
Second Quarter
Clarksville -- Jamie White 39-yard run (Sergio Fernandez kick), 8:44.
Farmington -- Reid Turner 60-yard run (Drew Sturgeon kick), 8:16.
Farmington -- Tony Mayo 60-yard run (Drew Sturgeon kick), 6:00.
Farmington -- Drew Sturgeon 21-yard field goal, 0:43.
Third Quarter
Farmington -- Drew Sturgeon 16-yard pass from Eric Hill (Drew Sturgeon kick), 2:00.
Fourth Quarter
Farmington -- Reid Turner 39-yard pass from Eric Hill (Drew Sturgeon kick), 10:39.
Clarksville -- Nicholas Buckner 6-yard run (pass failed), 3:20.
TEAM STATISTICS
Farmington Clarksville
Total plays 57 58
First downs 18 13
Total offense 518 287
Rushes-yards 38-399 41-208
Rush average 10.5 5.1
Passing yards 119 79
Comp-Att-Int 7-15-0 6-13-0
Third down 8-13 3-11
Fourth down 1-2 2-4
Fumbles Lost 1 1
Penalties-Yards 8-17 4-22
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING -- Farmington, Reid Turner 18-196, Tony Mayo 4-109, Jeremiah Lara 9-50, Dimariae Donovan 4-30, Seth Swain 1-6, Sean O'Connell 1-4.
PASSING -- Farmington, Eric Hill 6-13-113-2-0, Seth Swain 1-2-6-0-0.
RECEIVING -- Farmington, Drew Sturgeon 2-20, Ben Macedo 2-12, Marqwaveon Watson 1-46, Reid Turner 1-39, Dimariae Donovan 1-2.