By Don Abernathy (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
REEDS SPRING — It’s no secret that Nevada High School is built to run the football.
With a talented and experienced offensive line, along with smart and shifty runners in the backfield, the Tigers are relentless in the running game.
On Friday, Reeds Spring didn’t have an answer to stop Nevada’s pounding ground game, specifically the buck sweep, as the Tigers racked up 574 yards rushing in a convincing 46-19 road victory.
“We saw on film from last year the way they lined up schematically against that play,” Nevada coach Wes Beachler said.
“If the kids are blocking things right and Jack (Cheaney) is running like he did tonight, then we will just keep calling the number until it’s no longer productive.
“Our identity is downhill, smashmouth, off-tackle football. That’s what we hang our hat on.”
Nevada used misdirection off-tackle runs with two pullers as lead blockers to both sides repeatedly and effectively throughout the game.
“It’s no secret they have some pretty special guys up front,” Reeds Spring head coach Andy McFarland said.
“They do a good job as a coaching staff of playing to their strengths and they did a good job of finding something that was working and sticking with it tonight.”
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The Wolves took the opening kickoff and moved 83 yards for a touchdown with a mix of pass and run.
Reeds Spring senior quarterback Blandy Burall connected with junior Jace Bolin for a 58-yard pass and senior Chris Daniels capped the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run for an early 7-0 lead.
“Their quarterback and receivers all do a great job, and their offensive linemen are athletic and they get out into space,” Beachler said of Reeds Spring.
“They are a very scary offensive team.”
Nevada quickly answered when senior running back Brice Budd took the buck sweep handoff and scampered down the left sideline for a 65-yard touchdown just 1:09 later. A failed 2-point conversion left Reeds Spring ahead 7-6 midway through the first quarter.
“We have really good offensive linemen and they go hard to the whistle,” Budd said.
“We have guys pulling around and they pick up blocks in the alleys and it’s just wide-open green grass, and I took it.”
Budd added his second touchdown near the end of the quarter for an 18-7 lead, another buck sweep, this time from 24-yards out.
“We like to line up and play hard-nosed football,” Budd said.
“We feel like with our talent that we can line up with anybody and run the football.”
Cheaney’s first touchdown came on a 10-yard run off right guard to give the Tigers a 26-7 lead with 7:01 left in the first half.
Cheaney totaled 266 yards rushing on 19 carries with three running scores while Budd added 174 yards on the ground with two touchdown runs for Nevada.
“Our linemen played great tonight,” Cheaney said.
“They were pulling and doing their job. When I come around the right side, I have Talan (Chandler) and some other guys pulling through, and I just follow them. I don’t really have to do much but run behind them.”
Burall scored on a 12-yard run with just over six minutes left in the first half to cut the Nevada lead to 26-13, but that is as close as the Wolves would get.
Burall was 14-for-21 passing for 353 yards and a touchdown. Senior receiver James Dowdy had six catches for 156 yards and a score.
“I thought our defense was able to handle a very athletic, very disciplined offensive team that executes well,” Beachler said.
Nevada improved to 2-0 overall while Reeds Spring fell to 1-1.
