Warren built a massive early lead, watched nearly all of it disappear and then came up with one last defensive stand to escape with a 44–42 win over Gosnell in the second round of the 4A state playoffs Friday night.
The Lumberjacks (9-3) appeared to be cruising after stacking up explosive plays and forcing a series of critical fourth-down stops, moving ahead by 32 points midway through the third quarter. But Gosnell mounted a furious rally that turned the final minutes into a tense scramble, pushing deep into Warren territory before the Lumberjacks finally shut the door with a fourth-down stop at the 22-yard line with 42 seconds left.
Warren took control early after Gosnell recovered the opening onside attempt but stalled on its first possession. On Warren’s first drive, quarterback Jackson Denton lofted a 58-yard touchdown to Josiah Steen down the right sideline for a 6-0 lead.
The Lumberjacks’ defense followed with one of its strongest quarters of the season, turning away the Pirates on three separate fourth-down tries. Running back Aaron Davis broke the longest play of the night during that stretch, sprinting 85 yards for a touchdown that extended the lead to 12-0 late in the first quarter.
Warren didn’t let up in the second. Denton and Steen connected again, this time on a 46-yard strike, and a PAT pushed the advantage to 19-0. Gosnell countered with a 28-yard scoring run, but Warren answered immediately with a 22-yard touchdown to Bleyze Fellows. Davis added the two-point conversion for a 27-6 margin.
After another short touchdown by the Pirates, Marquez closed the half with a 20-yard field goal as time expired, sending Warren to the locker room up 30-12.
The Lumberjacks opened the third quarter the way they started the game — with Denton airing it out. On the second play of the half, he hit Fellows on a 68-yard touchdown. Warren then recovered its second onside kick of the night, and Denton later found Fellows once more on a 39-yard touchdown on fourth-and-long to make it 44-12 with 10:41 left in the third.
Gosnell, however, refused to fold. The Pirates cut into the lead with a 35-yard touchdown run, then intercepted Denton in the end zone. Although Warren briefly halted the surge with another fourth-down stop, Gosnell broke free for a 41-yard touchdown late in the third and soon trimmed the deficit to 44-26.
The Pirates kept coming. A Warren fumble set up another scoring opportunity, and early in the fourth quarter, Gosnell dashed 28 yards for a touchdown and converted the two-point try, closing the gap to 44-34. Another Lumberjack turnover gave the Pirates a short field, but Warren forced a punt to momentarily halt the momentum.
Gosnell wasn’t done. A 21-yard touchdown run and another successful two-point conversion with 6:06 remaining made it a two-point game and sent the home crowd into a frenzy.
With the Lumberjacks unable to extend their lead, the Pirates mounted one last drive in the final minute. Warren’s defense, which delivered several key stops earlier, made the biggest one of the night on fourth down, stopping the Pirates at the 22 to preserve the narrow win.
Warren advances to face Prairie Grove Friday at Jim Hurley Jr. Stadium in the 4A state quarterfinals.
