ROGERS — Ronnie Peacock’s pre-game prediction rang true.

Despite a big night by Rogers’ new power running game, the Mounties couldn’t overcome three turnovers in a close game to Fort Smith Northside.

Northside junior quarterback Tanner Knight threw a touchdown in overtime to lift the Grizzlies to a 41-38 win at Mountie Stadium on Friday.

The close game - as the Mounties’ coach knew it would be - leaves Rogers (2-7, 0-6) winless in 7A-West Conference play.

“We had our chances and I hate it for our kids,” said Peacock. “But one of the things I told them before the ball game was this has the potential to be a real close ball game.

The difference is just one or two plays.”

Knight, who missed time this season because of back spasms, completed 32 of 42 passes for 322 yards and three touchdowns.

Knight, who also rushed for two scores, was patient in the pocket and escaped pressure to make big plays.

The Grizzlies (3-6, 1-5) never trailed until Rogers senior Spencer Dunlop hit a 28-yard field goal in the overtime period.

The Mounties outscored Northside 18-7 in the second half of regulation - getting rushing touchdowns from seniors D.J. Smart and Jason Oller to tie the game with 5:51 left - but couldn’t stop Knight’s 12-yard pass to Arthur Poole in the extra frame.

Poole led the Northside receivers with 11 catches for 108 yards.

The Northside offense clicked early, scoring 14 points off three Rogers fumbles.

After Dunlop bobbled the snap on his first punt attempt, Salih Willis dislodged the ball from him and Jeff Grimmett scooped and scoredfrom 7 yards out for a quick 7-0 lead.

Brandon Austin’s fumble in Rogers territory late in the first quarter set up a Northside touchdown for a 28-14 lead and a fumble to cap a 14-play, 42-yard drive that ate nearly eight minutes of the second quarter left the Mounties without points.

But the Rogers’ power running game - led by 215 yards and two scores by Oller - and trick plays kept the Mounties in the game.

“We’ve run (the power offense) now for a couple of weeks and I think we’ve gotten a little bit sharper,” Peacock said. “We were hoping we were going to be better there. (Oller) ran well and broke some tackles.”

Oller cut an inside trap back to the visitors’ sideline and scored for a 66-yard run to tie the game at 7.

After Knight scored the first of his running touchdowns, the Mounties answered with a flea flicker for a 57-yard score.

Oller took a hand off but flipped back to Parker, whose pass with a Northside defender in his face found a wide-open Casey Caton for the score.

Austin’s halfback pass in the second quarter to Caton moved the Mounties 38 yards to set up a field goal to cut the lead to 28-17 before halftime.

Roger added another Dunlop field goal in the third quarter while stopping Northside twice before knotting the score at 28 onSmart’s 1-yard run and quarterback Graham Parker’s leap over two defenders on the two-point conversion.

Northside answered with a quick scoring drive - Knight was 7 of 7 for 73 yards and a score to Kenrick Burns - before Oller answered with his second score.

The Mounties had a chance at the win when Brent Young picked off Knight’s tipped pass. But the Mounties couldn’t score and the game went to overtime.

Sports, Pages 7 on 11/04/2009

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