Chicks end tremendous season with loss to Hope in 5A playoffs

HOPE -- The Blytheville Chickasaws ended their season Friday night with a 31-21 loss to Hope in the opening round of the Class 5A playoffs.

Hope scored 24 unanswered points in the final 17 minutes of the game to end Blytheville's tremendous year, which included tying for the 5A-East championship and watching head coach Ben Fisher earn Conference Coach of the Year honor.

Blytheville finishes 8-3 overall.

On Friday night, BHS started well, as it tried for its first playoff win since 1994.

The Chicks opened the game with a big special teams play.

Issac Kelly's long opening kickoff return gave Blytheville good field position at the Hope 37 to start the contest.

A 23-yard Desmond Moore to Trai McDaniel connection on fourth down kept that first drive alive and set up the first score of the game.

Star running back Demekko Clark, who finished with 185 yards and all three touchdowns, raced in from nine yards out with 9:56 left in the first quarter. Walt Daniels booted the PAT for a 7-0 lead.

On Hope's first play from scrimmage, Blytheville's Malik Smith picked off a pass at the HHS 20 and returned it to the 7.

The Chicks looked like they would have a quick two-score lead.

Moore hit Chase Turner for a touchdown, but it was called back by a penalty.

Penalties would stall the drive, as the Chicks turned it over on downs at the Hope 32.

On the next Blytheville series, Moore fired to Tyrell King, who raced 30 yards for a first down on second and long.

However, on the next play, Hope pounced on a bad Blytheville snap at the Hope 46.

But the Chicks forced another Bobcat turnover on the ensuing drive.

Moore picked off Hope with 4:06 left in the first quarter, one of several big defensive plays in the first half.

The turnover set up a 39-yard touchdown run by Clark at the 3:47 mark. The PAT made it 14-0.

On the kickoff, a hard, low kick bounced off a Bobcat and the Chicks recovered at their own 42.

Blytheville threatened once again.

McDaniel had another big fourth down catch in the red zone to keep the drive going for the Chicks.

However, McTelvin Agim would pick off the Chicks and return it 41 yards to end the threat and keep it a two-score game on the first play of the second quarter.

Hope took over near mid-field at its own 48, and the Bobcats drove down the field. Lincoln Conway broke a 38-yard run to set up a first-and-goal. Three plays later, quarterback Austin Stubber snuck it in from a yard out with 10:02 left in the half. The PAT trimmed Blytheville's lead to 14-7.

Hope ended the next Blytheville drive with an interception, after the Chicks drove to the red zone with 8:11 left in the half.

But the BHS defense came up big again.

A bad snap led to a bad punt and set up Blytheville at the Hope 39.

The Chicks moved into the red zone once more, but turned it over on downs at the Hope 6 on the ensuing drive at the 3:20 mark.

Blytheville took a 14-7 advantage into the break.

The Chicks opened the second half with a huge special teams play, recovering a fumble on the kickoff.

Blytheville converted on a fourth down on the drive, as Moore found Tyrell King for a 12-yard gain at the Bobcat 20.

Clark cashed in again with a 7-yard touchdown run at the 8:31 mark. The PAT made it 21-7.

Hope answered with a scoring drive of its own.

Corey Haynes ran it in from five yards out at the 5:12 mark, cutting the lead to 21-14.

Hope picked off Blytheville in Chickasaw territory at the 44, just three plays later.

A 30-yard pass from Stubber to Andrew Washington moved the ball to the BHS 14.

Agim punched it in two plays later with 2:38 left in the third, as the Bobcats tied the game, 21-21.

After Blytheville went three-and-out, Hope went on top for the first time, 28-21, on a tough touchdown grab with 11:33 left in the game.

Blytheville went three-and-out again, but Derajay Jackson got a big 14-yard sack on second down that led to a defensive stop with less than eight minutes left in the fourth quarter.

The big stop gave the Chicks a chance.

With less than seven minutes left, Blytheville was forced to punt, but Hope fumbled the punt return at the BHS 13.

Hope got it back three plays later with an interception that was returned to the Chickasaw 8 with 5:57 left. The Bobcats booted a 27-yard field goal to go up 31-21.

The Chicks went four-and-out on the ensuing series, as Hope iced the game with 2:11 left.