Morrilton Pulls Away From Russellville in Rivalry Opener
Morrilton 35, Russellville 13
MORRILTON — Morrilton combined an opportunistic defense with five touchdowns from three playmakers Friday night, opening the 2026 season with a 35-13 victory over longtime rival Russellville.
Russellville senior safety Chase Bradford intercepted a pass on Morrilton’s opening possession, but the Devil Dogs answered immediately with a fourth-down stop. Sophomore running back Davion Johnson then finished a 62-yard march with an 18-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 lead.
After forcing a punt, senior quarterback Ja’Kobe Chambers found senior receiver Champ McNabb uncovered down the seam for a 26-yard score. Morrilton carried that 14-0 advantage into halftime.
The Cyclones responded quickly after intermission. Junior quarterback Talen Hindsman, who rushed for at least 75 yards, connected with senior receiver Marcellus Olson for a 24-yard touchdown that pulled Russellville within 14-7. Olson finished with five catches for 35 yards and also supplied productive kickoff returns.
Morrilton answered on its next series when Chambers threw a short pass to McNabb, who broke tackles and covered 26 yards for his second touchdown. Johnson added a 17-yard scoring run early in the fourth quarter, finishing with 78 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Junior running back Caleb Hays helped close the game with a powerful late drive. Hays gained 66 yards on his final four carries, including a 32-yard touchdown run that stretched the lead to 35-7.
Russellville kept competing and finished the scoring when junior running back Luis Perez powered in from five yards with 30 seconds remaining. The victory was Morrilton’s third straight over the Cyclones.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
Morrilton – Davion Johnson 18-yard touchdown run (Joel Lopez kick), 7-0
Morrilton – Champ McNabb 26-yard touchdown reception from Ja’Kobe Chambers (Joel Lopez kick), 14-0
2nd Quarter
No scoring.
3rd Quarter
Russellville – Marcellus Olson 24-yard touchdown reception from Talen Hindsman (Luis Perez kick), 14-7
Morrilton – Champ McNabb 26-yard touchdown reception from Ja’Kobe Chambers (Joel Lopez kick), 21-7
4th Quarter
Morrilton – Davion Johnson 17-yard touchdown run (Joel Lopez kick), 28-7
Morrilton – Caleb Hays 32-yard touchdown run (Giovanni Santos kick), 35-7
Russellville – Luis Perez 5-yard touchdown run (kick failed), 35-13
Players of the Game
- Davion Johnson, Morrilton running back — Nine carries for 78 yards and two touchdowns covering 18 and 17 yards.
- Champ McNabb, Morrilton receiver — Two touchdown receptions, both covering 26 yards.
- Ja’Kobe Chambers, Morrilton quarterback — Threw two touchdown passes to McNabb and contributed as a runner.
- Talen Hindsman, Russellville quarterback — Rushed for more than 75 yards and threw a 24-yard touchdown pass.
- Marcellus Olson, Russellville receiver — Five receptions for 35 yards, a touchdown and several productive kickoff returns.