CONWAY, Arkansas – Both teams had troubled stopping one another, but No. 18 Central Arkansas came up with the big plays when it needed it for a 66-35 victory over HBU in Southland Conference football Saturday night at Estes Stadium.
Sophomore quarterback
Bailey Zappe broke his own school records for completions and attempts, going 32-for-54 for 346 yards, two shy of his own record, and threw a personal-best four touchdowns, one shy of Jonathan Fleming's school record five. Freshman Jerreth Sterns set the school record with 11 receptions for 115 yards, the second-most in school history, for HBU (1-4, 0-3 SLC). Sophomore
Corey Ceniceros caught seven for 47 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore running back
Dreshawn Minnieweather rushed nine times for 38 yards and a score.
Sophomore linebacker
Caleb Johnson led the Huskies with 12 tackles, while sophomore linebacker
Langston Tunson made 10 stops and sophomore safety
Patrick Wolfe had nine tackles and an interception for HBU.
Luke Hales completed 16-of-27 passes for 304 yards, five touchdowns and an interception for the Bears (3-2, 2-1). Kierre Crossley rushed 12 times for 147 yards and Carlos Blackman had 47 rushing yards and a touchdown. Brandon Myers made two catches for 113 yards, both going for touchdowns, while Jakari Dillard also had two touchdown catches totaling 96 yards.
Juan Jackson had 13 tackles and a forced fumble for the Bears, with Reggio Dean making seven tackles and recovering the fumble Jackson forced.
UCA got on the board with Hales' 65-yard touchdown pass to Dillard, but HBU answered on Minnieweather's 15-yard touchdown run. Hales scored on a 2-yard keeper, then found Dillard for a 31-yard touchdown to give the Bears a 21-7 lead with 9:48 to go in the opening quarter. The Huskies used some trickery as Zappe passed to junior offensive tackle
Sterling Savell for a 4-yard touchdown.
Blackman's 1-yard touchdown opened the second quarter scoring for the Bears, then Hales threw a 71-yard touchdown to Myers to extend their advantage to 35-14 with 3:14 to go in the half. HBU was able to cut into the lead before the break on Zappe's 15-yard touchdown pass to sophomore tight end
Coleman Robinson with 1:34 remaining. UCA missed a 46-yard field goal as time expired to keep the score at 35-21 heading into the locker room.
UCA scored first in the second half as well, as Hales found Myers again, this time for a 42-yard strike 3:27 into the third quarter. On HBU's first possession, Jackson forced a fumble by Dickens, which was scooped up by Dean for a six-yard touchdown return for a 49-21 lead. The Huskies also took advantage of a fumble recovery, when Bowling stripped the ball and sophomore
Caleb Johnson recovered. Zappe followed by hitting Dickens with an 11-yard touchdown pass for a 49-28 score with 7:24 to go in the the third quarter. Matt Cummins added a 19-yard field goal with 1:03 on the clock to make the Bears' lead 52-28.
HBU answered quickly as sophomore wide receiver
Gamar Girdy Brito returned the kickoff 90 yards down to the UCA 9-yard line, then Zappe found Ceniceros from three yards out as the Huskies scored as time expired to cut the deficit to 52-35 heading in to the fourth quarter.
The Bears followed with Crossley's 44-yard run setting up Hales' 14-yard touchdown to Joshua Nix. The Huskies drove to the UCA 35, but failed to convert on 4
th and 10, turning the ball over on downs. Jaylin Small intercepted
Andrew Haidet and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown for the game's final score.
The Huskies wrap up their three-game road stretch at Southeastern Louisiana Saturday, Oct. 13 at 4 p.m. at Strawberry Stadium in Hammond, Louisiana.
