Fayetteville powers past Owasso

Darius Bowers knew his team was far better than it showed in a poor performance in a benefit game prior to the start of the season. The Fayetteville senior quarterback said he could not have played much worse in that scrimmage, throwing "about four interceptions." He could not have played much better than he has the first two weeks of the regular season. Bowers fired a pair of touchdown passes and ran for three more to lead the Bulldogs to a 45-31 win against Owasso, Okla., in the home opener at Harmon Stadium on Friday night. "I think we needed that," Bowers said of the scrimmage against Greenwood. "We were not focused as a team and that really helped us. During the game our body language was bad. So we got everybody together and said we were better than that." Fayetteville (2-0) has been dominant in its first two games, opening with a road win last week against a solid St. John Vianney (Mo.) team, then crushing the defending Oklahoma Class 6A state champions on Friday night. Bowers finished the night 24-of-36 for 376 yards without an interception. He hooked up with Bo Stuckey on touchdown passes of 73 and 76 yards in the first half to help the Bulldogs to a 31-10 halftime lead, then keyed a second half-opening 75-yard drive with two key completions to set up a 1-yard keeper and a 38-10 lead with 10 minutes, 8 seconds left in the third quarter. "That was huge," Fayetteville coach Billy Dawson said of the third quarter scoring drive. "Last week we had a kickoff return to open the half, then this week we go about 80 yards. So it was huge, a huge momentum boost and kind of let them know we're going to come out and try to plow through it." Fayetteville used the big plays to ignite the fast start, but Owasso (1-1) had big plays of its own to stay in the game. After the Bowers score, the Rams scored a pair of touchdowns to climb back in the game at 38-24. Quarterback Will Kuehne hit Hakelan Carney on a 43-yard pass to set up a 1-yard keeper, then Kuehne hit Payton Lusk on a 20-yard fade route for a touchdown with 18 seconds left in the third quarter to make it a 38-24 game heading into the fourth quarter. Fayetteville had an answer as Bowers hit Connor Flannigan for 25 yards and then found the end zone on a keeper from the three to ice the win. "He's huge every week," Dawson said of Bowers. "He puts the ball on the money. He overthrew a couple, but he had an outstanding night." Fayetteville will relish an off week this week, something Dawson said his team needed with several players missing Friday's game with injuries. "This bye week will really help us," Dawson said. "We had some guys that have been banged up and we had some guys tonight go down with cramps, but they just kept fighting and fighting. "So, looking forward to the bye this week and getting these guys healed up.". Fayetteville will travel to Bryant in two weeks before opening 7A-West Conference play.

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FAYETTEVILLE POWERS PAST OWASSO

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Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette | 9/1/2018

PHOTO CREDIT: Andy Shupe