EL DORADO, Ark. – In a dramatic rivalry showdown at First Financial Field at Memorial Stadium, the El Dorado Wildcats of Conference 6A East narrowly defeated the Camden Fairview Cardinals of 5A South, 35-34, on Friday night. The victory snapped a five-year streak of road teams winning this annual clash.
The Wildcats took an early lead late in the first quarter when quarterback Cannon Jacobs connected on a deep pass under pressure, finding AJ Gilmore at the Fairview 34-yard line. Jeremy Samuel capped off the drive with an 8-yard touchdown run. Cooper Henry’s extra point made it 7-0 with under a minute left in the opening quarter.
Camden Fairview answered immediately on the ensuing kickoff. Senior Trent Haygood found a gap and returned the ball 98 yards for a touchdown. Haygood’s extra point tied the game 7-7 with just 28 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
El Dorado regained the lead in the second quarter as Jacobs scrambled for a 24-yard touchdown run, followed by another successful Henry extra point. With 8:34 left in the second, the Wildcats were up 14-7. However, Camden Fairview tied the game just before halftime, with quarterback Darrell Atkins finding senior Jordan Elliot for a 12-yard touchdown pass. Haygood’s kick tied the score at 14-14 going into the break.
In the third quarter, El Dorado’s Jeremy Samuel added his second touchdown of the night with a 29-yard run to put the Wildcats ahead 21-14. Then, early in the fourth, Jacobs threw his first varsity touchdown pass, a 57-yard strike to Gilmore. Henry’s extra point extended the lead to 28-14.
Camden Fairview fought back, as Atkins connected with Haygood on a 30-yard touchdown pass, bringing the score to 28-21 with 9:31 left in the game. El Dorado extended their lead again as Samuel rushed for an 11-yard touchdown with just under 5 minutes to play. Henry’s extra point made it 35-21.
With 1:55 remaining, Atkins kept Camden Fairview’s hopes alive with a 3-yard touchdown run, cutting the deficit to 35-28. After recovering a perfectly placed onside kick, Atkins hit Will Henton with a 49-yard touchdown pass to bring the Cardinals within one point. However, the extra point was blocked, preserving El Dorado’s 35-34 lead.
The Wildcats were forced to punt on their next possession, but Camden Fairview couldn’t convert on their final drive. El Dorado held on for the win, improving to 1-1 on the season. They will travel to Texarkana next week to face Arkansas High, while Camden Fairview, also 1-1, will head to Pine Bluff to take on the Zebras.
Some stats:
- El Dorado totaled 379 offensive yards.
- Cannon Jacobs went 13 of 21 passing and threw for 210 passing yards and a touchdown
- Jeremy Samuel 17 carries for 94 yards and 3 touchdowns
- The Wildcats gained 169 rushing yards as a team.
