Panthers top CAC in junior high scoring fest

Heber Springs’ Dalton Yancey looks for running room against CAC Thursday night at Panther Stadium. Yancey finished the night with four receptions for 128 yards and a touchdown in the Junior Panthers, 49-26, victory over the Mustangs. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

By PHILIP SEATON

Liam Buffalo passed for more than 300 yards and Parker Brown had three touchdown receptions as Heber Springs improved to 4-1 on the season with a 49-26 victory over Central Arkansas Christian Thursday at Panther Stadium in 2-4A junior high play.

The two teams combined for 755 yards of total offense (417 for Heber Springs and 238 for CAC), but early on it was defensive stand that help put the Panthers on the scoreboard first.

After the Mustangs took the opening kickoff and drove from their own 36 to the Panther 17, Heber Springs stopped the drive on fourth down as Grayson Wilson’s pass attempt fell short for the Mustangs.

Four plays later, Buffalo connected with Dalton Yancey for a 70-yard touchdown strike. Gideon Tate kicked the PAT and Heber Springs led 7-0 with 1:30 left in the opening quarter.

After the two team traded three-and-outs, CAC took the ground on the Panther 47 and used an 11-play (all rushes), 5:39 drive, to pull within a point at 7-6 with 1:22 left in the half. The 2-point conversion failed.

Heber Springs wasn’t finished in the half as Buffalo took the snap at the buzzer rolled to his left and found Hud Haggard in the back of the end zone for the score. A Buffalo 24-yard run had set-up the score, but the key play on the drive came on the play before as Buffalo connected with Xander Lindley on a fourth-and-1 from the CAC 45 for a 13-yard completion.

The Panthers would go up 21-6 to start the second half when Buffalo connected with Brown for a 27-yard touchdown with 6:09 left in the third. But the key play on the drive came on a fourth-and-1 from the Panther 25 when Buffalo hit Yancey for a 37-yard, first-down pass completion.

That six-play drive would be the longest of the second half until the waning seconds of the game as the two teams traded scoring jabs with one exception.

Wilson would connect with Caden Rhoads for a 41-yard touchdown pass to make it 21-12 with 4:18 left in the third.

On the ensuing kick off, Lindley returned it 81 yards for the quick answer at the 4:06 mark.

Heber Springs’ Weston Warden.

A minute later, Wilson hit Renalson Sullivan for a 55-yard touchdown reception for make it 28-18 with 3:06 left in the third.

With 55.5 seconds left in the quarter, Buffalo found Brown for a 30-yard scoring play putting the Panthers up 35-18 to start the fourth.

On a fourth-and-12 from the Panther 40 on the ensuing drive, Wilson connected with Vance Strange for a 10-yard completion, but the Panthers held and four plays later Heber Springs would go up 42-18 as Buffalo again found Brown this time for a 60-yard score to make it 42-18 with 6:08 to play.

Wilson connected with Sullivan again, this time for a 35-yard touchdown pass, to make it 42-26 with 4:40 left in the contest.

Heber Springs would go the ground and pick up the final points of the game as Tate would score on a 15-yard run with 2:22 left. Tate added the PAT kick to finish the night a perfect seven-for-seven.

Buffalo , who had 344 yards of total offense, finished the night completing 15 of 25 passes for 304 yards and five touchdowns. Brown caught seven of those passes for 142 yards and three scores while Yancey had four receptions for 128 yards and a score.

For CAC, Wilson was 10 of 19 passing for 231 yards and five touchdowns. Sullivan finished with five receptions for 129 yards and three touchdowns to pace the Mustangs.

Heber Springs will look to improve to 3-1 in conference play on Thursday when the Panthers travel to Bald Knob for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

The Heber Springs offensive line looks to the sideline for the play. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

Junior High Stats: Central Arkansas Christian at Heber Springs

CENTRAL ARKANSAS CHRISTIAN AT HEBER SPRINGS
Junior High Football
October 8, 2020
at Panther Stadium

CAC               0   6   6  14 - 26
Heber Springs     7   7  21  14 - 49

FIRST QUARTER
Heber Springs, Liam Buffalo to Dalton Yancey 70-yard pass (Gideon Tate kick), 1:30
SECOND QUARTER
CAC, Grayson Wilson to Renalson Sullivan 9-yard pass (pass failed), 1:22
Heber Springs, Buffalo to Hud Haggard 8-yard pass (Tate kick), :00
THIRD QUARTER
Heber Springs, Buffalo to Parker Brown 29-yard pass (Tate kick), 6:09
CAC, Wilson to Caden Rhoads 41-yard pass (pass failed), 4:18
Heber Springs, Xander Lindley 81-yard kickoff return (Tate kick), 4:06
Heber Springs, Buffalo to Brown 30-yard pass (Tate kick), 55.5
FOURTH QUARTER
CAC, Wilson to Vance Strange 40-yard pass (run failed), 7:48
Heber Springs, Buffalo to Brown 60-yard pass (Tate kick), 6:08
CAC, Wilson to Sullivan 35-yard pass (Wilson run), 4:40
Heber Springs, Tate 15-yard run (Tate kick), 2:22

TEAM STATS
First Downs by Rush: Heber Springs 7, CAC 6
First Downs by Pass: Heber Springs 8, CAC 7
First Downs by Penalty: Heber Springs 0, CAC 1
Total First Downs: Heber Springs 15, CAC 14
Penalties: Heber Springs 1/5, CAC 7/40
3rd-Down Conversions: Heber Springs 3/6, CAC 4/9
4th-Down Conversions: Heber Springs 2/3, CAC 3/4
Fumbles/Lost: Heber Springs 0/0, CAC 0/0
Sacks/Yards Lost: Heber Springs 0/0, CAC 0/0
Rush/Yards/Avg: Heber Springs 12/113/9.4, CAC 25/107/4.3
Passing (A/C-Yards-TD/Int): Heber Springs 15/25-304-5/0, CAC 10/19-231-4/0
Total Offense: Heber Springs 417, CAC 338
Punts: Heber Springs 0/0, CAC 1/19
INDIVIDUAL STATS
OFFENSE
Rushing: Heber Springs, Gideon Tate 4/49/1, Liam Buffalo 4/40,  Dalton Yancey 1/18, Weston Warden 3/9. CAC, Renalson Sullivan 7/38, Grayson Wilson 10/27, Caleb Cook 4/24, Vance Strange 2/10, Hayes Miller 1/5, Gus McConnell 1/3.
Passing: Heber Springs, Liam Buffalo 15/25-304-5/0. CAC, Grayson Wilson 10/19-231-4/0
Receiving: Heber Springs, Parker Brown 7/142/3, Dalton Yancey 4/128/1, Weston Warden 2/13, Xander Lindley 1/13, Hud Haggard 1/8/1. CAC, Renalson Sullivan 5/129/2, Vance Strange 2/32/1, Caden Rhoads 1/41/1, Jake Overstreet 1/15, Hayes Miller 1/14
Kickoff Returns: Heber Springs, Xander Lindley 1/81/1, Parker Brown 1/13, Corbin Jones 1/0. CAC, Vance Strange 3/55, Renalson Sullivan 1/17, Hayes Miller 1/6, Jake Overstreet 1/6.
Interceptions: None
Total Offense: Heber Springs, Liam Buffalo 344, Gideon Tate 49, Dalton Yancey 18, Weston Warden 9. CAC, Grayson Wilson 258, Renalson Sullivan 38, Caleb Cook 24, Vance Strange 10, Hayes Miller 5, Gus McConnell 3.
All-Purpose Yards: Heber Springs, Parker Brown 155, Dalton Yancey 146, Xander Lindley 94, Gideon Tate 49, Liam Buffalo 40, Weston Warden 22, Hud Haggard 8. CAC, Renalson Sullivan 184, Vance Strange 97, Caden Rhoads 41, Grayson Wilson 27, Hayes Miller 25, Caleb Cook 24, Jake Overstreet 21, Gus McConnell 3.
DEFENSE
SACKS/YARDS LOST: None
PUNTS: CAC, Renalson Sullivan 1/19
KICKING: Heber Springs, Gideon Tate (7/7 XP)