Johnson’s Three Touchdowns Send Morrilton Past Vilonia
Morrilton 35, Vilonia 14
VILONIA — Davion Johnson rushed for three touchdowns, including scores of 45 and 42 yards in the third quarter, as Morrilton broke a halftime tie and defeated Vilonia 35-14 Friday.
Champ McNabb caught six passes for 72 yards and a touchdown. Vilonia running back Hunter Harwood caught two touchdown passes from Cooper Hanson, both on fourth down.
Johnson opened the scoring with a 6-yard run that finished an eight-play, 48-yard drive. Joel Lopez’s kick made it 7-0 with 4:27 remaining in the first quarter.
Hanson found Harwood for a 17-yard touchdown on fourth-and-six to open the second quarter. Luke Robinson’s extra point tied it 7-7.
Lance Ross recovered a fumble for Morrilton, while Vilonia’s defense recorded a fourth-down sack late in the half to preserve the tie.
Vilonia recovered a fumble on Morrilton’s opening second-half possession, but the Devil Dogs stopped the Eagles on fourth down. Johnson’s 45-yard run put Morrilton ahead 14-7 with 9:57 remaining.
Another fourth-down stop returned possession to Morrilton. Johnson scored from 42 yards on third-and-one, extending the lead to 21-7 with 5:48 left.
Harwood caught his second touchdown pass with 2:58 remaining, bringing Vilonia within 21-14 entering the fourth quarter.
McNabb’s 36-yard punt return gave Morrilton possession at Vilonia’s 28. Three plays later, Maddox Turnipseed connected with McNabb for a 27-yard touchdown on third-and-nine. Lopez’s kick made it 28-14 with 8:36 left.
Ja’Kobe Chambers’ 28-yard keeper set up Caleb Hays’ 17-yard touchdown run with 5:04 remaining. Hays escaped a tackle in the backfield before cutting inside to score.
Turnipseed completed six of 10 passes for 56 yards and a touchdown. Lopez also converted all five of Morrilton’s extra-point attempts.
Chambers finished with 64 rushing yards on six carries. Kai Urie recorded five tackles, including a first-quarter sack for a 10-yard loss. Morrilton improved to 2-0.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
Morrilton — Davion Johnson 6-yard touchdown run (Joel Lopez kick), Morrilton 7-0, 4:27.
2nd Quarter
Vilonia — Hunter Harwood 17-yard touchdown pass from Cooper Hanson on fourth-and-six (Luke Robinson kick), tied 7-7, 11:56.
3rd Quarter
Morrilton — Davion Johnson 45-yard touchdown run (Joel Lopez kick), Morrilton 14-7, 9:57.
Morrilton — Davion Johnson 42-yard touchdown run on third-and-one (Joel Lopez kick), Morrilton 21-7, 5:48.
Vilonia — Hunter Harwood touchdown pass from Cooper Hanson on fourth down (Luke Robinson kick), Morrilton 21-14, 2:58.
4th Quarter
Morrilton — Champ McNabb 27-yard touchdown pass from Maddox Turnipseed on third-and-nine (Joel Lopez kick), Morrilton 28-14, 8:36.
Morrilton — Caleb Hays 17-yard touchdown run (Joel Lopez kick), Morrilton 35-14, 5:04.
Players of the Game
- Davion Johnson, Morrilton, running back: Three rushing touchdowns, covering 6, 45 and 42 yards. His two third-quarter scores turned a 7-7 halftime tie into a 21-7 lead.
- Champ McNabb, Morrilton, wide receiver: Six receptions for 72 yards and one touchdown. Returned a punt 36 yards to Vilonia’s 28, then caught the 27-yard touchdown on third-and-nine three plays later.
- Hunter Harwood, Vilonia, running back: Two touchdown receptions, both on fourth down. His 17-yard catch opened the second-quarter scoring and helped tie the game. His second touchdown brought Vilonia within 21-14 with 2:58 left in the third quarter.
- Maddox Turnipseed, Morrilton, quarterback: 6-of-10 passing for 56 yards and one touchdown. Connected with McNabb for the 27-yard fourth-quarter score that extended Morrilton’s lead to 28-14.
- Kai Urie, Morrilton, defensive end: Five tackles and one sack. His first-quarter sack of Hanson produced a 10-yard loss, moving Vilonia from first-and-five to second-and-15.