Little Rock Parkview’s road trip is much shorter this week with Maumelle clash



BY DUDLEY E. DAWSON

If you are going to spend 16 hours on a bus, you might as well go ahead and win the football game you played in between the rides.

That’s just what two-time defending Class 5A champ Little Rock Parkview did on Saturday as it knocked off host and Texas power Melissa 27-20 at Kenny Deel Stadium in the Wipe Out Kid’s Cancer Football Classic.

The Patriots (1-0), who travel to Maumelle for a 7 p.m. game this week, loaded up Saturday morning to head to the Lone Star State and returned home in the wee hours on Sunday morning.

“We got home at 4:30 a.m.,” Little Rock Parkview head coach Brad Bolding said. “We have got a lot of things we need to fix, but its good to get a W when you drive eight hours down and eight hours back.

“I’m really proud of that and it was a tough environmental, a beautiful place to play and they are a very good team. They were big and we just utilized our speed and took advantage of that. We got plenty to fix, but we can be better that that’s exciting.”

Arkansas junior quarterback commit Quentin Murphy was 7 of 14 passing for 50 yards and rushed 14 times for 65 yards and a touchdown.

Kansas State tailback commit Monterrio Elston had 13 carries for 157 yards rushing with touchdowns of 68 and 61 yards while Oklahoma pledge Omarion Robinson returned an interception 40 yards for a score.

Razorback senior tailback commit Cameron Settles, who rushed for just under 1,000 yards and 20 touchdowns last season, had limited touches on Saturday night.

“Cam had an okay night – he’s had better ones, but Money (Elston) and Man Man (Robinson) definitely shows what their ability is and what they are capable of,” Bolding said. “We knew that, but to seem them do that versus that caliber of team just kind of stamped how good they really are.They made some great runs and great plays and put us in good situations.

Little Rock Parkview had 366 yards total offense – 277 rushing and 89 passing – while Melissa had 305 with 212 of that through the air.

“We were inside the 10 twice and didn’t score and had another touchdown called back,” Bolding said. “We had too many penalties. I think we had seven penalties and they had three.

“But we kind of knew going in – and I’m not saying anyone was cheating – but I’m just saying the calls don’t always go your way in Texas.”

The charity game came about right after Parkview found itself with an open date.

“I got a call from the people that put this on, part of this children’s cancer thing,” Bolding said. “…They just called out of the blue and it was really right after North Little Rock dropped us so to worked out really good for us.”

Bolding is happy this week’s road trip is much shorter to Maumelle, who beat Sylvan Hills 36-0 last Friday.

“This one’s just across the river,” Bolding said. “That’s going to nice to just drive right over there, play the game against a great team and then come right back. We are looking forward to it. They be a lot of talented athletes on that field as well.”

Photo by John D. James