Karr remains focused with Bastrop next in their path to the Dome

No one said it would be easy.

Winning a state championship is very difficult at any level, in any sport. Winning two straight is a tremendous accomplishment.

Then, there are the Karr Cougars, who have won two consecutive Class 4A state titles and have been to the state championship game in seven of the last eight seasons.

The No. 1 seed is determined to make it three straight.

The Cougars are in the quarterfinals, hosting a good No. 8 Bastrop squad this Friday night at 7 p.m. at Behrman Stadium.

Karr coach Brice Brown and some of his players have familiarity with the Rams. The current Cougar seniors were freshmen in 2015 when Karr went to Bastrop and fought off the Rams 48-36 in the quarterfinals.

“Bastrop is fast, they are really fast,” Brown said. “We played them in 2015 at their place and barely got out of there. They have a really good wide receiver, quarterback and wide receiver. They are always like that and this year is no exception. They have played tough competition and will come here with confidence, no fear.”

At 9-2, the Rams are just eight points from an unbeaten season.

Bastrop has lost only to Brother Martin (28-25) and Neville (17-12). Both of those teams reached the quarterfinals in their respective class with the Tigers still alive.

The Rams handled Westgate 44-14 last week after beating McDonogh 35 by a 44-16 count in the opening round of the playoffs. Karr (12-0) downed Tioga 49-13 last week after dismissing Minden 34-10 in the opening round. By comparison, Karr defeated McDonogh 35 by a 35-6 margin in the regular season though the Cougars took starters out in the second half.

“We played pretty well last week,” Brown said. “We still haven’t put together a complete game in all three phases. That is what we are searching for this week, to get things cleared up. It looks like weather could play a role in the game.”

Ronnie Jackson leads Karr in rushing with 99 carries for 869 yards and 10 touchdowns. Leonard Kelly has completed 155-of-227 passes for 2,290 yards and 31 touchdowns with just five interceptions. Kelly has also rushed 67 times for 276 yards and a score. Dylan Hill is the top receiver with 37 receptions for 534 yards and eight touchdowns. Arkansas commit Devin Bush leads a stout defense. Bush had an interception return for a touchdown in last week’s win over Tioga.

Senior quarterback Quaterius Hawkins leads the Bastrop attack. He passed for 239 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 113 yards in the win over Westgate. Sophomore defensive tackle Jordan Doaty returned a fumble recovery for a score to pace the Bastrop defense, which forced five turnovers. Senior Christian Smith is a top receiver for the Rams.

Karr has remained focused on the task at hand.

“For the most part, this group still has that hunger to win it all,” Brown said. “This class has been to the state title game three stgraight years and they are trying to finish it. The main drive is to win a title with their class and to be the first team to win three championships in a row. If you think back-to-back is hard, this is very challenging. We get the best from everyone we play. We have to be ready weekly and be consistent in raising our level of play. We are expecting a tough game.”