Moody, defense carry Mills past Lonoke on senior night

Mills 21, Lonoke 14

In a rugged 4A-2 finale at Abraham Stadium, Mills turned a 6-0 halftime deficit into a 21-14 win over Lonoke, clinching a share of the conference crown and the No. 1 playoff seed. Sophomore quarterback Elijah Moody accounted for all three Comet touchdowns—bursting loose on a third‑quarter keeper, threading a scoring strike to Torrance “TJ” Talbot, then sneaking in from the one in the fourth. Mills’ offense found rhythm behind chain‑moving carries by Za’marion McDonald and perimeter work from wideout Chase Slater.

Defensively, the Comets slammed the door in the red zone and flipped momentum with a takeaway. Cornerback DaKing Warren snared a third‑quarter interception, while the front—ends Cortez Carter and Isaiah Chambers with tackle Jameson Parker and mike linebacker Darrin Weston—generated constant pressure and key short‑yardage stops. Return man Alan “Bug” Hall repeatedly tilted the field. Positions reflect Hudl listings.

Lonoke showed why it entered as a league co‑leader. Quarterback Dylan Dean operated calmly, and two‑way hammer Ryder Ingle churned out punishing yards. Trey Jackson authored a toe‑tap touchdown catch before later racing back a kickoff to tie it at 14, and Jonathan Hixson finished a cleverly designed two‑point trick pass. Massive guard/defensive tackle Rian Lewis anchored a physical front that made every Mills yard earn interest.

The turning sequence came late: Mills stuffed a fourth‑and‑goal, then Moody and company bled the clock, finishing behind the offensive line’s surge and clean special‑teams execution, sealing a statement road win on senior night for Lonoke. Playoffs arrive with momentum for Mills.

Scoring Summary
1st Quarter — None
2nd Quarter — Lonoke – Trey Jackson TD catch from Dylan Dean (kick failed), LON 6–0.
3rd Quarter — Mills – Elijah Moody QB keeper (PAT good), MIL 7–6. Mills – Torrance Talbot TD pass from Moody (PAT good), MIL 14–6. Lonoke – Trey Jackson kickoff return TD (2‑pt pass to Jonathan Hixson good), 14–14.
4th Quarter — Mills – Elijah Moody 1‑yd run (PAT good), MIL 21–14.

Players who stood out

• Elijah Moody (QB, Mills) — accounted for all three Comet TDs.

• DaKing Warren (CB, Mills) — third‑quarter interception.

• Cortez Carter (DE, Mills) — constant edge pressure/TFLs.

• Trey Jackson (WR/RET, Lonoke) — TD catch plus kickoff‑return score.

• Ryder Ingle (RB/MLB, Lonoke) — punishing short‑yardage conversions.