West Rusk falls at Arp, but will face Hearne in 2A playoffs

ARP — There's little shame in losing to the No. 1 team in the state, especially when the consolation prize in last night's West Rusk-Arp showdown is a trip to the UIL Class 2A playoffs.

West Rusk lost at Arp Friday night, 29-8, but had already clinched a playoff berth, the Raiders' first in eight years.

The Raiders will open the playoffs in the bi-district round against Hearne — the likely site was Waxahachie, but that was not for certain at press time.

Arp scored before the end of the first quarter, with about three minutes left, on a 9-yard run by Lavocheya Cooper. Will Allen's extra point was good, and the Tigers led 7-0.

Allen booted a field goal from 24 yards out to give Arp a 10-0 lead, and Cooper would score again with about two minutes left before halftime, a 3- yard run that gave Arp a 16-0 advantage going into the break.

The Raiders (8-2 overall this season, 3-2 in District 19-2A) broke onto the scoreboard with 6:35 left in the third quarter to close the gap. Daniel Thompson, money all year for the Raiders, scored on a 75-yard run. Braylon Williams caught a pass from Dominique Smith for the two-point conversion, and cut Arp's lead in half, 16- 8.

West Rusk just couldn't keep Arp's offense in check, though. The Tigers would get another score with 12 seconds left in the third quarter, again from Cooper, this time on a 2-yard run. Arp was able to hold West Rusk at bay, and Cooper would get the final score of the game in the fourth quarter, an 11-yard run that finished the contest.

Cooper finished with 157 yards and all four Arp touchdowns on 20 carries. Thompson, who had 200 yards and the score on 26 carries, is up to the 1,700-yard rushing mark on the season, and has 15 scores.

West Rusk committed four turnovers in the game — that was the difference.