Published: November 03, 2008 08:28 am      

TVCC 41, ARKANSAS BAPTIST 27 - Now they’re in

TVCC gets another shot No. 1 Navarro in SWJCFC semis

Now it’s really official: the Trinity Valley Community College Cardinalsl are in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference playoffs.

Capping a week in which first they were in the playoff and they they weren’t, the Cardinals made sure of the former with a 41-27 win Saturday over Arkansas Baptist College in a regular season finale played in Little Rock, Ark.

Second-year coach Brad Smiley’s Cardinals (6-3) now turn their attention to a rematch with No. 1-ranked and unbeaten Navarro College (9-0). Navarro outlasted Blinn for a 24-21 win Saturday to secure the top seed in the playoffs.

The TVCC-Navarro game is scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday at Tiger Stadium in Corsciana.

Navarro was a 35-6 winner over the Cardinals in early October.

Sophomore defensive back Malcolm Williams came up big for the Cardinals in the win over Arkansas Baptist. He returned both a fumble and interception 60 yards for touchdowns.

Freshman quarterback Ryan Balentin also had a standout performance. He completed 12-of-21 passes for 253 yards and three touchdowns, including an 80-yarder to James Cleveland and a 72-yarder to Darnell Williams.

Williams caught six passes for 136 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Sophomore defensive tackle Michael Collins had eight tackles and one sack.

Jonathon Blackshire had a fumble recovery for TVCC and Tim Hayter and Brian Johnson each intercepted a pass.

Arkansas Baptist finished the season winless, having announced Friday it would forfeit its four wins due to using ineligible players. One of the wins forfeited was a 26-22 decision over Tyler, which meant the Cardinals had to win Saturday to make the playoffs.