By Richard Sharp
Lake Area Sports
LITTLE ROCK-Competing in their very first state playoff game in school history in their first season of eight man football, the Rose Bud Ramblers seen their 2020 campaign come to a close in the state semifinals at the hands of the Little Rock Episcopal Wildcats by a final score of 62-20.
The host came through with the first score of the contest after Joe Fleming broke the plain for six on a short run early in the first quarter, however the Ramblers answered right back on the next drive after Gus Eubanks connected with Dawson Roberson on a short pass in the end zone to tie it before Lance Wilson took it to the house for a 69-yard rush to swing the momentum back in favor of the Wildcats.
Canton “The Bus” Moody provided the second TD of the evening after muscling his way up the middle for six points with 3:21 remaining in the first half, tying the affair up once again with a successful two-point conversion.
The Wildcats came out of the intermission swinging first as quarterback Stephen Munson threaded the needle on a long 34-yard connection to Wilson for a touchdown, clipping on an extra two for a 22-14 advantage.
Rose Bud rolled the dice and went for it on fourth and long, but Eubanks’ pass intended for Juan Cueves was batted down, giving the ball back to Episcopal, who would get back on the board with a 50-yard quarterback keep play to the end zone courtesy of Munson to make it a two-score game.
Eubanks would go on to throw an interception on the ensuing drive, with the football ending up in the hands of Fleming. Episcopal would go on to pick up another score after Munson weaved his way in for the touchdown with under four minutes remaining in the third session of play.
The Ramblers ended their scoring drought with a 60-yard touchdown pass from Eubanks to Caleb Saunders to pull within eighteen at 38-20, but it would prove to be too little, too late for the guests, as the Wildcats used the final quarter to put the nail in the coffin with 22 straight points.
Rose Bud concludes their season with a 2-5 overall mark, picking up two victories in the form of Brinkley (30-24) and Woodlawn (49-12).