Under the Friday night lights of Jim Hurley, Jr Stadium, fans witnessed a back and forth playoff grudge match as the Bauxite Miners clashed with the Warren Lumberjacks in a heart-stopping second-round matchup of the state playoffs on November 17, 2023. The game was a symphony of strategy, skill, and tenacity, leaving an indelible mark on the season.
The game began with anticipation as Warren's Allen Juarez showcased his powerful leg, delivering a touchback that set the Miners on their own 20-yard line. Despite an early promise, the Miners faced a challenging 3rd and long situation, leading to a punt with 10:55 left in the first quarter.
A game-changing moment unfolded as the Lumberjacks capitalized on the botched punt. JD Tillman's 14-yard return turned into a touchdown, giving Warren an early 7-0 lead at the 10:44 mark.
Following another Juarez touchback, the Miners would take over on the 20. Warren’s defense, which would prove to be the MVP of the night, held strong and forced another Miner punt with 9:58 left in the quarter.
Antonio Jordon would return the punt 30 yards, setting up great field position for the Jacks. On first and 10, Denton would hand the ball off to Trey Jackson for a quick 11 yard burst. On the very next play, Tremon Miller would take a reverse inside the Miner’s 10 yard line, setting up what everyone thought would be another Lumberjack Score. Undeterred, the Miners front line held strong, forcing a fourth and one situation from the two yard line. Antonio Jordan would line up in the Wild Jack formation and meet a host of Miner defenders at the two yard line, forcing a turnover on downs.
With 7:31 left in the quarter the Miners took over. Walk Duncan would scamper 11 yards for a quick first down, their first of the game. On the next play, Warren defensive standout Neo Harding would chase down the Miner QB for a sack, setting up a third and long situation. On third down, Harding would come up big again with the stop forcing another Bauxite punt with 5:25 remaining in the quarter.
After another impressive return by Jordan, the Jacks took over with great field position at the Miners’ 37. On first and 10, Denton was blitzed by the Miners linebacker core for a nine yard loss. A Warren penalty would result in the Jacks facing third and 22. Denton would find a receiver for a 15 yard gain, but on fourth and seven, Denton’s pass to Trey Jackson would find the Jacks just short of the line to gain, forcing a turnover on downs with 3:35 left in the quarter.
Bauxite quarterback, Wimberly would lead the Miners on their best drive of the game thus far with a quick first down on a quarterback keeper. The Lumberjack defense bowed up on the next few plays stuffing the Miners’ run game and setting up another fourth down situation. The Miners would take a chance and go for it on fourth and short and make it, advancing the ball into Lumberjack territory. With less than a minute remaining in the quarter, Wimberly would connect on another fourth down situation that moved the Miners inside the Warren 30 as time expired in the first quarter with Warren leading 7-0.
The second quarter saw a shift in momentum as Bauxite's QB Perry finished off an impressive drive, tying the game at 7-7 with a gritty three yard run. Both teams displayed resilience and determination in an evenly matched contest.
Following consecutive procedure penalties on the Bauxite kick off team, Warren would take over at the 40 yard line. Bauxite would flex its defensive muscles on this drive, forcing a third and 12 with 8:40 left in the half. Denton would try to connect with Thomas but the pass was deflected, forcing Warren to punt.
Bauxite would take over at the 20 with 8:11 remaining in the half. The Miners would continue their ground game success, gaining a first down to open the drive. With 7:20 left in the half, the Miners were looking at third and two when Neo Harding made his presence known again – stopping the Miners’ run game in the backfield, setting up a fourth down situation. On fourth down, Harding would again dominate the Bauxite offensive line and stop the Miners tailback in the backfield, forcing a turnover on downs.
Warren would take over and begin their march towards the end zone. With 5:51 left in the half, facing fourth and three, Jackson would take the handoff and rumble six yards for a Lumberjack first down. Then, with 5:08 left, the ground game success continued as Miller broke a long run down inside the Bauxite 25 yard line. On the very next play, Jackson Denton would connect with Neondre Thomas for a 24 yard touchdown to give Warren a 14-7 lead with 4:49 left to play in the half.
The kickoff would be returned to the Miners 45 yard line where Bauxite would start their drive. Perry would find Wimberly for a quick nine yard strike, setting up a second and short. On the next play, Duncan found daylight and raced 39 yards to give Bauxite a first down at the Warren 13 yard line. Warren would hold the Miners on the next two plays, but Bauxite's Perry connected with Wimberly for a four yard touchdown pass, leveling the score at 14-14 with just over two minutes left in the half.
Warren hoped to get things in gear on the next drive, but the Bauxite defense would have nothing of it. After a couple of successful plays, the Jacks would fumble the ball near midfield with less than a minute left in the half.
With the Miners gaining the momentum, the Warren defense would come up big again. With Bauxite facing a third and eight from the Warren 37, Neo Harding and Cam Davis would lead the way with big play after big play, forcing a turnover on downs as time expired in the half. The halftime score stood deadlocked at 14-14, setting the stage for an intense second half filled with anticipation and strategic adjustments.
The third quarter opened with a burst of excitement as Warren's Trevon Miller returned the kickoff for a spectacular 73-yard touchdown. The successful extra point by Juarez put Warren ahead 21-14 with 11:47 remaining.
After another Juarez touchback, the Miners would start their first drive of the third quarter at the 20 yard line. Warren’s defense stood strong yet again, forcing a fourth and 28 punt by the Miners. With 10:52 left, the Jacks would take over at their own 40 yard line.
Trey Jackson would try to get things going for Warren with a few good runs to start the drive. However, the drive stalled and with 10:01 the Jacks faced a third and long situation. Denton would find Jackson on a short gain, but it wouldn’t be enough for the first down and the Jacks would have to punt again.
Bauxite would take over and immediately begin marching the ball down the field. After two quick runs, Wimberly would find the sideline and get the Miners down to the Warren 14. With 8:06 left in the quarter Duncan would scamper inside the 10. On third and four, Perry would run a quarterback sneak to put the Miners in the end zone. Following the successful extra point, the game was tied at 21-21.
Warren found itself with good field position on their next drive. However, the Bauxite defense would not be deterred and Warren was forced to punt after three quick plays.
A booming punt by Irving Rivera pinned the Miners inside their two yard line. With 6:37 remaining in the third quarter, Bauxite would try to get out of the shadow of their end zone but they would not be successful. The Miners would be forced to punt and things looked to be in Warren’s favor as Neondre Thomas returned the punt back inside the Miners 10 yard line, but a block in the back penalty would negate the long return.
With five minutes left in the quarter, the Warren offense looked to get things going. Faced with a third and 11 from the Bauxite 42, Trey Jackson would rumble nine yards setting up a fourth and two with 4:23 left. Jackson would get the call again and find the needed yards for a Lumberjack first down. An intentional grounding penalty would put the Jacks in a bind, forcing a third and 30. Tremon Miller would pick up eight yards on the ensuing play but the Jacks would be forced to punt again. Irving River, subbing for the injured Antonio Jordan, would showcase a strong leg again; this time pinning the Miners back inside their one yard line.
The Miners would find themselves faced with a third and nine from the one. Perry found his receiver, Wimberly, for a 10 yard completion to keep the drive alive. Bauxite would run two more plays as time expired in the third quarter with the score tied at 21-21.
The fourth quarter began with the Miners facing a third and two from their own 19. Wimberly would fight hard for three yards for a Miners first down. Following a seven yard gain, Bauxite would be faced with another third down situation that saw Wimberly grind his way through the Warren defense for another first down. The Lumberjack defense would not budge this time as they force a third and long with 9:49 left in the game. Wimberly would try and connect on a deep pass only to have Warren defensive back Cam Burkes break up the pass forcing the Miners to punt with 8:30 left in the contest. In another example of fine special teams plays by both teams, the Bauxite punter would pin the Jacks inside their own 10 yard line.
With 90 yards between the Jacks and a victory, Jackson Denton would lead Warren on a drive to remember. Denton would start things off with a quick strike to Cam Davis for five yards. Trey Jackson would take the next handoff and rumble 13 yards for a first down. With Bauxite expecting Warren to stick with run game, Denton would surprise the Miners with a 51 yard bomb, connecting with Neondre Thomas to get the Jacks inside the 25 yard line. On the next play, Trey Jackson would race past the Miners’ defense on his way to pay dirt. The touchdown run would give the Jacks a 28-21 lead with seven minutes left in the game.
Allen Juarez would kick another touch back for Warren and the Miners would be forced to take over at their 20 yard line. The Lumberjack Defense proved to be the difference maker and continue its solid play. On fourth and one, with the season on the line for both teams, Wimberly would come up big for the Miners, gaining a first down to keep their season’s hopes alive. With 5:50 left in the game, Wimberly would rush for 13 yards setting up a first down. On the next play, Wimberly would scramble only to find a host of Lumberjacks led by Cody Weatherspoon, resulting in a seven yard loss on the play. On the next play, defensive superstar Neo Harding would sack the Bauxite QB setting up a fourth and long. Bauxite would come up big on the fourth down as Perry would find his man, Duncan, for a long first down pass play. That set up the Miners with a first down just inside midfield with only 3:29 left in the game. Warren would flex its defensive muscles again as JD Tillman would drop Perry with a quarterback sack of his own. Following a Miners holding penalty, Bauxite would find themselves in a third and 29 hole. Once again, the pesky Bauxite quarterback would come up with the big play as he escaped the Warren pass rush and raced down the field for a 30 yard gain. However on the very next play, Warren would seal another playoff victory as Neondre Thomas would intercept Perry!
Warren controlled the clock in the final minutes, securing a hard-fought playoff victory and advancing to the quarterfinals.
On the night, Warren would hold Bauxite to 299 total yards. Save for two long plays the Warren defense did a fantastic job keeping the Bauxite running game in check. Special teams was a standout for the Jacks with multiple deep punts, touchbacks on every kick off, and two special teams touchdowns.
The Warren offense was led by Jackson Denton and Neondre Thomas. Denton was 8 of 13 passing for 120 yards and a score. Thomas caught six balls for 86 yards and a touchdown.
The Warren Faithful will have at least one more Friday night at home as the Ozark Hillbillies will make the long trip from Northwest Arkansas next week. The Jacks are one step closer to their goal of playing the final game of the year in War Memorial. Come out next Friday, November 24, and cheer on the Jacks to Victory!
