Jonesboro, AR – Jonesboro Right Now – In a hard-fought 42-39 victory over the Wynne Yellowjackets, the Nettleton Raiders secured a tie with Harding Academy for the 5A East conference crown in their regular season finale. The win sends the Raiders into the playoffs as the number two seed in the division.

While the defense tightened at multiple points throughout the game, the matchup ultimately became an offensive showcase from both sides as the touchdowns came rolling in.

The first half of the pivotal conference clash became a battle of the backfields. For Nettleton, their rotation of Calmarre Harrell, Seven Washington, Donovan Mitchell, and Kevin Sanders contributed substantial yardage, with Mitchell tacking on the second score of the night for the Raiders via a 13-yard touchdown rush.

Wynne primarily relied on their main running back, Caden Crawford, to advance the ball. He totaled 152 rushing yards in the first half alone, including 29-yard and 80-yard touchdown runs.

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Nettleton gained the upper hand before halftime through their passing ability. While only putting up 59 yards through the air in the first two quarters, quarterback Elijah Letner found plenty of success in the end zone. He threw two touchdowns to wide receiver Jordan Orr, helping bring the Raiders’ halftime point total to 21.

Letner did face challenges from the Wynne secondary, throwing two interceptions on back-to-back possessions to cornerback Carson Stovall to end the half.

On the other side, the Yellowjackets’ passing game started slow. Quarterback Ashton McDaniel went 1-of-5 on his throws for only nine yards early on, but managed to keep momentum alive with 61 rushing yards of his own.

The Nettleton defense hounded him throughout the first half, swatting away two of his pass attempts. Defensive end Darius McCuiston was a major source of trouble for McDaniel, contributing a deflection and a sack against the quarterback.

Despite the back-and-forth offensive duel, the game remained tight. A late Wynne field goal brought the halftime score to 21-17.

Refusing to fade, the Yellowjackets pushed to keep the game within reach throughout the second half. McDaniel finally found his rhythm through the air. Following an incompletion on the opening possession of the third quarter, he hit his target to open the following drive, eventually capping it with a 14-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kasen Moore.

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After another drive without a completion, McDaniel threw six straight completions to open the fourth quarter, including a 38-yard touchdown strike to Moore.

By the final whistle, McDaniel had rebounded heavily from his rough start, going 11-of-18 passing with three touchdowns and a two-point conversion without an interception. He contributed to all of the Yellowjackets’ 22 points in the second half to pull the match within reach.

However, Letner stayed hot to keep Nettleton in control. Opening up the second-half scoring for the Raiders, he threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Sanders. After a quiet three-play drive, Letner injected energy into the following possession with 58 yards of offense, punching in another touchdown connection to Orr.

Carrying that momentum onto their penultimate drive of the game, Letner efficiently moved the ball through the air before hitting Orr for the receiver’s third score of the night. The touchdown capped the Raiders at 42 points on the match.

Despite the hard-hitting offenses, the result ultimately came down to a critical defensive stand.

On a climactic final possession that saw the visitors trailing by only three points, the Yellowjackets needed a major three-and-out stop to get a chance to take their first lead of the game. Instead, the Nettleton running back corps tacked on a final first-down conversion, giving the Raiders enough leeway with clock management to kneel and seal the match at 42-39.

Following the regular season finale win, the Raiders will open up their 5A playoff run against the Mills Comets, while the Yellowjackets will take on the Little Rock Parkview Patriots. Both matchups kick off on Nov. 13.

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