For a second consecutive week, Arkansas Tech University served notice to the Great American Conference that it will be a force to reckon with during the second half of the 2016 football season.
The Wonder Boys scored three touchdowns in the first 10 minutes of the game on Saturday night and cruised to a 55-14 victory over the East Central University Tigers at Thone Stadium at Buerkle Field in Russellville.
Arkansas Tech finished with a season-high 613 yards of total offense, including a season-high 361 rushing yards.
The 41-point win marked the Wonder Boys’ largest margin of victory over the Tigers in 19 all-time meetings between the two programs.
Jabyes Cross threw touchdown passes of 19 yards to Michael Fine and seven yards to Justin Bailey during Arkansas Tech’s first two offensive possessions. The Wonder Boys (4-3) led 14-0 with 7:47 left in the first quarter.
An interception by Tech’s Jandt Weary led to a 3-yard touchdown run by Cross and it was 21-0 with 5:50 to go in the opening period.
East Central (1-6) struck for a 59-yard touchdown pass from Jackson Lamb to David Moore at the 3:28 mark of the first quarter. The extra point was blocked by Jerry Henry.
The Wonder Boys pulled away in the second quarter. Touchdown runs of seven yards by Braden Stringer and three yards by Bryan Allen along with a 30-yard field goal by Eric Perez — who was also 5-for-5 on point after touchdown kicks in the first half — sent Arkansas Tech to halftime with a 38-6 advantage.
The outcome was never in doubt from there. Cross accounted for two more touchdowns in the second half, first on a 35-yard touchdown pass to Henry Wesley and later on a 7-yard touchdown run.
Perez notched his second field goal of the night midway through the fourth quarter to set the final score.
Cross completed 14-of-21 passes for 243 yards and three touchdowns. He rushed nine times for 63 yards and two touchdowns.
Allen finished with 22 carries for 134 yards, while Wesley caught four passes for 111 yards.
Arkansas Tech’s defense accumulated four takeaways. In addition to Weary’s interception, Cuá Rose made two interceptions for the Wonder Boys and Sheldon Jackson recovered a fumble. D’Vonta Derricott led Tech in tackles with nine.
The win over ECU came one week after Arkansas Tech went on the road and defeated Ouachita Baptist University 49-17, handing that set of Tigers just its third home loss in its last 15 games at Cliff Harris Stadium.
The Wonder Boys will visit Southeastern Oklahoma State University for a 2 p.m. GAC game in Durant, Okla., on Saturday, Oct. 22. Radio station KCJC 102.3 FM and www.arkansastechsports.com will have live play-by-play coverage.
