Another successful Lumberjack Football season is in the books after Warren exited the 2022 4A Arkansas State Playoffs after a 27-21 overtime loss to Malvern Friday night, November 25 at Jim Hurley, Jr. Stadium in Warren.
Facing off against a Malvern Leopard squad that had lost just twice this season, Warren came into the ballgame with an overall record of 10-1, coming off a huge round two playoff win over Stuttgart by the final of 62-14 last week. Malvern put away Lamar by ten points in a 41-31 win in round two.
Top photo: Senior Lumberjack Maddox Lassiter returns a second-half interception 37 yards for a touchdown. Photo by Robert Camp.
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A big crowd was on tap at Jim Hurley, with the weather a little milder and drier than in recent weeks. The atmosphere set the stage for one of the biggest games in the State. In the end, it would not disappoint the neutral fan.
Warren received the opening kickoff, though it sailed out of bounds to set Warren up at the 35-yard line on the opening drive of the ballgame. Through a couple of chunk plays on the ground, the Lumberjacks put together a drive that lasted nearly four and a half minutes. Senior Jack quarterback Maddox Lassiter got things rolling with an 11-yard blast on the second play from scrimmage. Junior tailback Treylon Jackson contributed with a first down run, followed by two Lassiter completions to Antonio Jordan and Ervin Rivera to the Malvern 4. Lassiter finished off the drive with a one-yard quarterback blast into the end zone. Jose Jacinto knocked through the extra point to put Warren up 7-0 early in the first.
Malvern found no success on their first offensive drive, eventually being forced to punt.
The two teams traded possessions back and forth several times between the later stages of the first quarter and into the second. The Jacks struggled to get a rhythm going in the passing game.
The next big break of the night came with just under five minutes remaining before halftime. Having marched to the Warren 11 and seriously threatening to tie the ballgame, the Leopards went to the air with a lofted pass over the middle of the field into the end zone. A receiver looked to be open, but Warren defensive back Lee Johnson went high to pick the ball out of the air. Johnson shot out of the end zone and carried the interception back to the Warren 24.
Lassiter and his offense came back onto the field with 2:36 to go before the end of the first half. A couple of strong runs by the senior quarterback helped Warren to near midfield. A play or two later Lassiter went to the air and found Jalin Lee who had nestled into a soft spot in Malvern’s zone. The catch put Warren near the Leopard 21. The Lumberjacks doubled their lead with 33 seconds to go before halftime as Lassiter threw a toss-up to one of his favorite targets of the year, Jordan. The 6’5” sophomore outjumped the corner and snagged the pass to put Warren up 14-0 at the half after Jacinto delivered the extra point.
After the halftime break, Malvern’s opening possession of the third quarter looked to cement Warren’s place in the semifinals. A pass to the left edge receiver was picked off by linebacker Maddox Lassiter and returned 37 yards for a touchdown. Jacinto hammered home the extra point to make it 21-0 Warren. The Jacks looked to be cruising and in full command.
In dire need of points, Malvern faced a fourth-and-four situation near the seven-minute mark of the period. After successfully converting that fourth down, the Leopards scored for the first time on the night with 6:48 to go in the quarter to cut Warren’s lead back to 21-7.
They held Warren’s offense scoreless on the following drive, getting the ball back through a punt.
With 5:25 left in the third, a huge momentum shift was felt when Malvern set up on their own 43-yard line. They busted the first play of the possession for a touchdown through a run right up the middle for a 57-yard gasher. Suddenly, and almost without warning, Malvern was right back in the ballgame.
In need of a response, Lassiter went back to work for the Jacks on the next Warren possession. He would scramble for 25 yards and a first down on the first play of the drive. Three minutes later however the Lumberjacks were forced to punt, hoping to pin Malvern deep in their own territory.
The Leopards began the drive at their own 11, facing nearly the full length of the field. Into the fourth quarter, Malvern had already pushed into Warren territory near midfield. They converted a huge fourth and 11 play minutes later for a first down. That set up a five-yard touchdown run by the Leopard quarterback with 7:18 remaining to tie the game at 21-21.
The Lumberjacks nearly responded with a crucial drive of their own with about five minutes to go. The Jacks maneuvered to the Malvern 24, but a fourth down pass completion to Antonio Jordan came up just inches short of the sticks.
Malvern almost took full advantage as they marched down the field to the Warren 6-yard line with 54 seconds left, looking set to deliver a late blow. However, on the next play, the Leopards fumbled and a Lumberjack pounced to breathe new life into the home side. The game went into overtime.
Warren received the ball first in the initial overtime series. The Jacks put together a short run from the 10-yard line but followed that up with two incompletions. Jose Jacinto was sent in to attempt a 25-yard field goal to put the Jacks up by three on fourth down. The kick was just short.
With their possession of the first overtime period, all the Leopards had to do was score to win. They put together two short runs on first and second down, putting them at the Warren 4. A false start set them back into a third-and-nine situation. Malvern completed a pass on the left side in the end zone to win the game at 27-21, heartbreakingly defeating the Lumberjacks to end Warren’s 2022 season.
Warren struggled offensively on the night, picking up 263 yards total.
Maddox Lassiter led the Jacks on the ground with 17 carries for 124 yards and a touchdown.
Treylon Jackson carried the ball 11 times for 28 yards.
Lassiter went 8 for 25 passing with 78 yards and a touchdown.
Malvern gained 400 yards of total offense, 297 coming on the ground.
Delfino Rivera unofficially led Warren in tackles with 10.
Other defensive standouts for the Jacks included Lassiter with eight tackles, a pass defended, and an interception returned for a touchdown, Jalin Lee with seven tackles and a pass defended, Bryson Harris with eight tackles, Jordyn Ingram with seven tackles, and Lee Johnson with three tackles and an interception.
After the loss, Warren finishes the season with an overall record of 11-2. The Jacks were the undefeated, 9-0 Champions of Conference 8-4A.
Editor’s Note: As always, it’s been a pleasure to provide the community with weekly Lumberjack football news. We hope you’ll stick with us as we move soon into our basketball season coverage. We want to congratulate the Warren Lumberjack Football Team and staff for another successful season! We have a bright future to look forward to in the fall of 2023.
