Heber Springs’ Ladd Choate drives for a lay-up against Nemo Vista Tuesday night at the Panther Den. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO
November 12, 2019
Conner Riddle finished with 19 points in a losing effort as Heber Springs dropped its home opener to Nemo Vista, 45-37, in junior boys action Tuesday night at the Panther Den.
Heber Springs (0-2) trailed 16-6 at the end of the first quarter and 27-18 at the half.
Nemo Vista was 8 of 17 from the free-throw line on the night while the Panthers were 7 of 9.
Heber Springs’ Sophia Stone drives toward the basket in junior girls basketball action Tuesday night at the Panther Den. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO
November 12, 2019
The Heber Springs junior girls basketball team won its home opener 33-27 over Nemo Vista Tuesday night at the Panther Den.
Freshman Jaylea Hooten finished with 12 points to helping lead Heber Springs (2-0) to win as the Panthers led 18-10 at the half and 24-21 at the end of the third quarter.
Sophia Stone also finished in double figures for Heber Springs with 11 points.
Heber Springs was 9 of 13 from the free-throw line on the night.
Heber Springs scoring (33): Hooten 12, Stone 11, Hope Turney 3, Madison Clemons 3, Rylee Harrod 2, Riley Bailey 2.
Nemo Vista scoring (27): Peebles 15, Freeman 4, Barclay 4, D. DeSalvo 2, Eller 2
On Saturday, Heber Springs opened it’s season with a 27-16 victory over Greenbrier at the Marshall Junior High Tournament.
Hooten led the Panthers in scoring in that contest too finished with 13 points, including five-of-six from the free-throw line.
Heber Springs led 11-4 at the half and 17-12 at the end of three quarters of play.
Heber Springs’ Hunter Kent (21) and Nathan McKee (22) celebrate a touchdown against Mills Friday night. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO
November 8, 2019
By PHILIP SEATON
LITTLE ROCK – With a playoff berth and seeding secured for Heber Springs, the Panthers took care of business Friday night with a 28-14 victory over Little Rock Mills.
Earlier in the week the drama had been taken out of Friday’s night game when the Arkansas Activities Association ruled that the Comets had used an ineligible player forcing the Mills to forfeit all four of their wins, including all three conference contests. That ruling assured that the Panthers would be in the playoffs regardless of the outcome of Friday’s game.
Friday night Adam Martin passed for two touchdowns and ran for another while Nathan McKee caught one of those touchdown passes and also had an interception in the win.
The two teams traded possessions to open the contest before the Panthers took over on their own 47 driving to the Mills 13 before the drive stalled on fourth down.
The Comets took over and drove to the Heber Springs 47 after converting on a fourth-and-3 play. On the next play, Lavell Carnell connected with Zack Smith for a 47-yard scoring strike to make it 6-0 after the PAT kick failed with 11:01 to play in the half.
The Panthers responded with an 11-play, 60-yard drive that Martin capped with a 5-yard touchdown run with 6:51 to play in the first half. Jackson Harrod kicked the PAT and Heber Springs led, 7-6
The Panther defense got a stop on the Comets next possession stopping Mills on a fourth-and-3 own their own 40 for a two-yard loss. On the next play, Martin found Hunter Kent in stride for a 38-yard touchdown pass with 3:31 to play in the second quarter.
Mills had a response with a 55-yard drive that Carnell finished off with a 1-yard quarterback sneak with 9 seconds left in the half. Carnell added the two-point conversion to make it 14-all at the break.
Nicholas Hitchcock recovered the onside-kick attempt for Heber Springs to start the second half, and the Panthers appeared to be marching in for a score after Martin connected with Landon Johnson for a 29-yard gain on third-and-10 to move the ball to the Mills 15. But Martin was sacked for a 6-yard loss by Shon Moore forcing a third-and-14, Heber Springs was unable to convert turning the ball over on downs at the Comet 10.
The Panther defense came up big keeping Mills pinned inside the 10, including almost recording a safety on back-to-back to plays. Punting from his own end zone, Carnell shanked the punt giving Heber Springs a short field at the Comet 13.
Four plays later Julio Rubio punched the ball in from the 2 to make it 21-14 with 6:10 left in the third quarter.
Mills’ next drive stalled the Panther 38 when McKee stepped in front of the Carnell pass attempt at the 20 returning to the 36. But Heber Springs went backwards on the ensuing drive thanks in part to holding and false start penalties.
The Panthers got another turnover as junior Diego Rubio pounced on a loose football at the Heber Springs 46, the third straight week Rubio has recovered a fumble. Back-t0-back unsportsmanlike penalties against the Comets after the fumble, which led to the ejection of Carnell, gave the Panthers the ball on the 24.
On the ensuing play, Martin connected with McKee to put Heber Springs up 28-14 with 53 seconds left in the third.
Mills threatened again with 9:06 left after Julius Graves intercepted a Martin pass attempt at the Panther 21, but the Panther defense stiffened in the red zone forcing the Comets to turn the ball over on downs at the 9.
After a three-and-out, Mills got the ball back with 4:37 left at the Panther 40 and reached the Panther 7 with 1:02 to play but an incomplete pass on fourth down sealed the win for Heber Springs.
COACH WILL COX POSTGAME COMMENTS
Heber Springs’ Matthew Cook
SCORING
Heber Springs (4-3, 4-6) 0 14 0 0 - 14
Little Rock Mills (0-7, 0-10 0 14 14 0 - 28
SECOND QUARTER
Mills - Lavell Carnell to Zack Smith 47-yard pass (kick failed), 11:01
Heber Springs - Adam Martin 5-yard run (Jackson Harrod kick), 6:51
Heber Springs - Adam Martin to Hunter Kent 38-yard pass (Harrod kick), 3:31
Mills - Carnell 1-yard run (Carnell run), :09
THIRD QUARTER
Heber Springs - Julio Rubio 2-yard run (Harrod Kick), 6:10
Heber Springs - Martin to Nathan McKee 24-yard pass (Harrod kick), :53
Heber Springs’ Nathan McKee with a second-half interception return. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO
INDIVIDUAL STATS
OFFENSERUSHING: Heber Springs, Julio Rubio 12/39/3.3/1, Adam Martin 10/29/2.9/1, Team 4/(-10)/(-2.5), Landon Johnson 2/12/6. Mills, Lavell Carnell 16/45/2.8, Reggie Swinton II 13/41/3.2, Keilon Davis 7/34/8.0, G'Kyson Wright 5/1.
RUSHING RUNS OF 20+: Heber Springs, Julio Rubio (1)
RUSHING RUNS OF 10+: Heber Springs, Julio Rubio (2), Adam Martin (1). Mills, Lavell Carnell (2), Reggie Swinton II (1)
PASSING: Heber Springs, Adam Martin 19/29-176-2/1. Mills, Lavell Carnell 7/14-77-1/1, G'Kyson Wright 2/9-26-0/0
RECEIVING: Heber Springs, Nathan McKee 6/62/1, Landon Johnson 5/49, Hunter Kent 3/41/1, Matthew Cook 3/10, Fate Berry 1/12, Julio Rubio 1/2. Mills, Zack Smith 5/90/1, Keilon Davis 2/5, Kammarion Slade 1/6, Eugene Hinton 1/2.
TOTAL OFFENSE: Heber Springs, Adam Martin 205, Julio Rubio 39, Landon Johnson 12, Team (-10). Mills, Lavell Carnell 122, Reggie Swinton II 41, Keilon Davis 34, G'Kyson Wright 27.
PUNT RETURNS: Mills, Keilon Davis 1/11.
KICK RETURNS: Heber Springs, Nathan McKee 1/14, Hunter Kent 1/6. Mills, Keilon Davis 2/25, Tamarion Hunter 2/12.
FUMBLE RETURNS: None
INTERCEPTION RETURNS: Heber Springs, Nathan McKee 1/16. Mills, Julius Graves 1/14
ALL-PURPOSE YARDS: Heber Springs, Nathan McKee 92, Landon Johnson 61, Hunter Kent 47, Julio Rubio 41, Adam Martin 29, Fate Berry 12, Matthew Cook 10. Mills, Zack Smith 90, Keilon Davis 75, Lavell Carnall 45, Reggie Swinton II 41, Tamarion Hunter 12, Kammarion Slade 6, Eugene Hinton 2, G'Kyson Wright 1.
DEFENSE TACKLES (Shared/Solo/Total): Heber Springs, Landon Johnson 14/1/15, Lawrence Baureis 9/1/10, Fate Berry 7/2/9, Nathan McKee 7/2/9, Nicholas Hitchcock 6/2/8, Julio Rubio 4/3/7, Diego Rubio 7/0/7, Kaden Hughes 4/1/5, Matthew Cook 2/2/4, Dalton McCollum 3/0/3, Levy Phillips 2/0/2, Hunter Kent 2/0/2, Trevor Weathers 1/0/1, Jackson Harrod 1/0/1
TACKLES FOR LOSS: Heber Springs, Julio Rubio 6, Lawrence Baureis 4, Kaden Hughes 2, Nicholas Hitchcock 2, Landon Johnson 1, Nathan McKee 1
SACKS: Heber Springs, Diego Rubio .5, Landon Johnson .5. Mills, Eddie Brown 1/9, Shon Moore 1/6.
INTERCEPTIONS: Heber Springs, Nathan McKee. Mills, Julius Graves
FUMBLE RECOVERIES: Heber Springs, Nicholas Hitchcock, Diego Rubio
PUNTING: Heber Springs, Adam Martin 3/94/31.3. Mills, Lavell Carnall 2/33/22, G'Kyson Wright 1/38
PUNTS INSIDE 20: Heber Springs, Adam Martin (1).
ALMA MATER
FINAL 4A-2 STANDINGS
W L CP W L PS PA
Riverview 5 2 52 7 3 337 278
Southside Batesville 5 2 54 7 3 340 246
Central Arkansas Christian 5 2 59 7 3 296 220
Lonoke 5 2 47 6 4 293 297
Heber Springs 4 3 41 4 6 274 300
Bald Knob 3 4 13 3 7 160 310
Stuttgart 1 7 13 1 9 238 341
Little Rock Mills 0 8 0 0 10 202 264
Friday, November 1
Central Arkansas Christian 34, Bald Knob 6
Heber Springs 49, Riverview 35
Lonoke 35, Stuttgart 28
Southside Batesville 50, Little Rock Mills 23
Thursday, November 7
Lonoke 26, Riverview 14
Central Arkansas Christian 28, Stuttgart 6
Friday, November 8
Bald Knob 27, Southside Batesville 22
Heber Springs 28, Little Rock Mills 14
CORRECTION FROM LAST WEEK: In preparing the playoff scenarios for the 4A-2 in Friday’s game preview, the conference point was incorrect for Riverview. With the forfeits by Mills, every team that played them in conference received 13 conference points. Riverview had defeated Mills by 10, 37-27, October 11 but those adjusted points were inadvertently left out of the conference totals in Friday’s preview.
CONFERENCE CHAMPS: With Bald Knob’s win over Southside Batesville Friday night, it created a four-way tie at the top of the conference standings. As a result, Lonoke, Riverview, Southside Batesville and CAC all claim a share of the conference crown. It is the first conference title for Riverview. The fifth for CAC. The second for Southside Batesville and the 13th for Lonoke.
PLAYOFFS: No. 1 Riverview hosts Bauxite, No. 2 Southside Batesville hosts Star City, No. 3 CAC hosts Gentry, No. 4 Lonoke travels to Pea Ridge and No. 5 Heber Springs travels to Shiloh Christian.
Who do you want to see become the next University of Arkansas coach?
Mike Norvell, Memphis (33%, 44 Votes)
Lane Kiffin, Florida Atlantic (23%, 31 Votes)
Hugh Freeze, Liberty (8%, 10 Votes)
Other (8%, 10 Votes)
P.J. Fleck, Minnesota (6%, 8 Votes)
Matt Campbell, Iowa State (6%, 8 Votes)
Mike Leach, Washington State (5%, 7 Votes)
Matt Rhule, Baylor (4%, 5 Votes)
Eliah Drinkwitz, Appalachian State (3%, 4 Votes)
Dave Clawson, Wake Forest (2%, 3 Votes)
Luke Feckell, Cincinnati (2%, 2 Votes)
Chris Klieman, Kansas State (1%, 1 Votes)
Total Voters: 133
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Chad Morris was fired as head coach of the University of Arkansas football program one day after a disastrous 45-19 home loss to Western Kentucky.
The loss dropped the Razorbacks to 2-8 on the season and 4-18 under Morris in just under two seasons. Long-time Arkansas assistant and former player Barry Lunney Jr. has been named interim coach for the two remaining games on the schedule, a Nov. 23 date at No. 1 LSU and a game in Little Rock against Missouri on Nov. 29.
The news began circulating last night after the loss but was made official by the university this morning in an official release. No details of the buyout were included in the release.
For Razorback fans, this will be the second coaching search in as many years and the third since 2012. Arkansas is 1-21 against Southeastern Conference opponents since 2017 and with the program floundering, going 4-4 against non-Power 5 schools under Morris’ watch, the next hire will come at a pivotal time in Razorback football history.
With all of that said, many local and national pundits have already released lists of who they think Arkansas should hire, many are the same names that were bantered about two years ago when Morris was hired. The difference between that hire and this one is the man now in charge of the athletics department at the University of Arkansas — Hunter Yurachek.
So to be perfectly honest, many of these people don’t know what they are talking about, just like me. They can only make guesses and assumptions, like me.
It should noted, that one should not expect a hire until after the completion of the regular season and that many names are going to appear and disappear. Agents will use the Arkansas job to get their clients raises (and will intentionally float their client’s names), boosters will float and leak names in an effort to get momentum for someone of interest to them or to gauge the interest of the fans and out of work coaches will express interest publicly because they have nothing to lose.
With that said, the only tangible evidence that we have to go by into what Yurachek might be thinking is the two hires he has made since taking over the department – Eric Musselman for men’s basketball and Jordyn Wieber for gymnastics.
Musselman came to Arkansas from Nevada where he lead a mid-major program to success. He had previously been an assistant at LSU after years in the professional ranks where he followed his father’s footsteps into coaching at the professional level. Musselman is a high-energy guy that is detail oriented and consistently studies the game.
Wieber is young and without head coaching experience, but was hired after helping guide UCLA to a 2018 national title as a volunteer assistant. She has competed and excelled at the highest levels of her sport, winning a Gold Medal at the 2012 Olympics as well as being the U.S. all-around champion in 2011 and 2012. Her name is well-known and well-respected in the gymnastics community instantly creating a buzz for the Razorback program when she was hired.
So what can we take from these hires? Obviously the basketball hire was well-followed by the fans and the media. Musselman was not near the top, nor was he on many of the lists, when the news broke that Mike Anderson had been fired last spring.
Though football is the “cash cow” for the athletic department so the parameters may vary to some degree, but with a mindset along Yurachek’s previous hires, here are a list of candidates, keeping in mind with my analysis that is nothing more than an educated (insert jokes here) guess going on the assumptions that fit that bill of previous Yurachek hires at Arkansas (high energy, competed or coached at highest levels, well-respected in profession, attention to detail).
SILLY NAMES, CROSS THEM OFF NOW
ANAYSIS: I am not going to their backgrounds, Razorback fans should already know them, so I am going to give you a list of names to scratch off now because they are not going to happen, Houston Nutt and Bobby Petrino. Sure many long for the good times with those coaches, but not going to happen with either one. And just like last time, I am sure Jon Gruden will be seen in Fayetteville, but not going to happen.
Seemingly the leader out of the gate this time around, Norvell has Arkansas connections having played under Clint Conque at the University of Central Arkansas and starting his coaching career at UCA. His wife is also from the state. After serving as an assistant at Tulsa, Pittsburgh and Arizona State, Norvell has led Memphis to a 34-15 and two American Athletic Conference Championships. BACKGROUND: Offensive: PROS: Young and energetic. Has Arkansas connections. Continued the success of his predecessor, Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente. Reportedly has a low buyout. CONS: Hasn’t built a program from the bottom nor does he have any professional experience. There were rumors floating when his name was bantered about when Morris was hired. Could they still be out there? ANALYSIS: He could wind up in Fayetteville.
Leach was a hot name the last time around with many pundits linking him to the Arkansas job. The same this time around. Leach has a career record of 137-88, with a current record of 53-45 in Pullman. He was successful at Texas Tech becoming the school’s all-time wins leader there before controversy ended his tenure in Lubbock. BACKGROUND: Offensive. PROS: Leach has only had two losing seasons as a head coach. His first and third seasons at Washington State. Led the Cougars to 11 wins in 2018. CONS: A sub-par 2019 campaign has the Cougars in danger of not reaching a bowl game (only one win in conference). Controversy has also followed him at both stops. ANALYSIS: Too much controversy, to make him the right fit for Arkansas.
An Arkansas high school coaching legend, was linked to the job the last time around. BACKGROUND: Offensive. PROS: SEC experience. Very well-known in Arkansas. CONS: Used the Arkansas job the last time to get a raise from Auburn. ANALYSIS: Not going to happen. His name is thrown out there because pundits need names to fill copy.
Currently the head coach at Florida Atlantic where his teams have won 11 games in 2017, 5 games in 2018 and set at 7-3 this season. BACKGROUND: Offensive. PROS: SEC experience at a head coach at Tennessee. Head-coaching experience in the NFL. Has some experience in the state having lived in Fayetteville before the age of 5 while has dad, Monte Kiffin, was serving as defensive coordinator under Lou Holtz. CONS: Kiffin is another controversial figure. Hasn’t coach anywhere longer than four seasons. ANALYSIS: Kiffin definitely fits the criteria with NFL experience. He could end up as coach at Arkansas, but much like Leach, will the controversy will cost him a chance in the end?
It seems that Gundy’s names has been mentioned in every coach in the past decade, probably because it has. ANALYSIS: If hasn’t happened yet, don’t see that changing now.
The former Oklahoma coach, and current XFL Dallas Renegades coach. BACKGROUND: Defensive. PROS: Won a National Title at Oklahoma. Experience. CONS: Retired from Oklahoma stating he was tired of recruiting. Was linked to Florida State job earlier this week and turned it down. ANALYSIS: Stoops is mentioned because you at least make a call to see if he is interested. If he wants the job, throw the bank at him. Not going to happen though.
Former Arkansas State and Ole Miss head coach, currently at FBS Liberty University, 5-3 record up to this point. BACKGROUND: Offensive. PROS: Did well at Ole Miss including beating Alabama. Coached in the state. CONS: Controversy surrounded his tenure at Ole Miss. ANALYSIS: Freeze would jump at the opportunity to take the job. As with Leach and Kiffin, will the controversial past be what the program needs? He could end up on the Hill, but I don’t see it though Yuracheck was part of the committee that brought Kelvin Sampson to Houston.
Former Arizona and Michigan coach is only mentioned because he was in a national pundit’s top 5 candidates. BACKGROUND: Offensive. ANALYSIS: Going to save the space, he is only being mentioned because he would jump at the opportunity. Name floated and bait taken by pundit. Not going to happen.
The former Louisiana Tech and California coach took over for Chad Morris at SMU. BACKGROUND: Offensive. ANALYSIS: SMU gave Dykes a second chance and he has rewarded the program nicely, I just can’t see Arkansas going back to SMU for this coaching hire.
THE PROVEN UP-AND-COMERS (SUCCEEDED A MORE THAN PROGRAM)
The current University of Minnesota and former Western Michigan coach is a hot name everywhere. BACKGROUND: Offensive. PROS: Led Western Michigan to the Cotton Bowl and 12-win season before taking over Minnesota where he has led the Gophers to an undefeated mark this season. High energy guy. Former NFL assistant coach. Checks all of the Yurachek boxes. Built programs up. Young. CONS: Just signed a contract extension with a $10 million dollar buyout. ANALYSIS: Just signed a contract extension, so if he name gets mentioned, then you would know he was a serious candidate. He should top every AD’s wish list and with that he could end up in Fayetteville if wants to end up in Fayetteville.
The current Baylor coach has remarkable turnarounds at both Baylor and Temple. BACKGROUND: Multiple. PROS: Turned a once dormant Temple program into a conference champion before taking over a Baylor program that was rocked by scandal. NFL experience. CONS: Could be waiting to take over at Penn State, which could be happening soon if rumors connecting current Penn State coach James Franklin are true. ANALYSIS: Proven to rebuild programs quickly, just what Arkansas needs. Another candidate that if he wants the job, you give it to him. I don’t think it happens because I think the dominoes will fall and ends up in Happy Valley.
Razorback fans may remember Campbell when his Toledo team came into Little Rock and downed the Razorbacks in 2015. He used that season to get the Iowa State job. BACKGROUND: Offensive. PROS: Turned around Toledo and has made Iowa State respectable. Definitely a high energy guy, runs the student section before home games. CONS: Hasn’t pushed Iowa State past the eight-win mark, but not many have. ANALYSIS: Campbell played at Division III powerhouse Mount Union, so there isn’t the lure of coaching at his alma mater. Turned down a chance to interview for the New York Jets in 2018 so seems content in the college game. If he wants the Arkansas job, would be his.
Clawson has worked his way through the college ranks and currently has Wake Forest at 7-2 and ranked this season. BACKGROUND: Offensive. PROS: Has won conference titles at Fordham, Richmond and Bowling Green. Coached one season as OC at Tennessee. Has taken Wake Forest to three consecutive bowl games. CONS: Never coached west of the Mississippi so his recruiting ties would be on the east coast. ANALYSIS: Not the splashiest as some of the other proven up-and-comers, but would be a solid hire if Arkansas were to gauge his interest.
Harsin’s name appears because he coached one season at Arkansas State before landing at Boise State, and by default gets mentioned. ANALYSIS: Harsin is from Boise, played quarterback at Boise State and seems to be at home. Yuracheck would surely listen if Harsin was interested, but just can’t see him leaving home.
Going 69-6, including four FCS National Titles, at North Dakota State got Klieman the job at Kansas State, where he has the Wildcats at 6-3. ANALYSIS: Paid his dues in the lower levels of college coaching before finally getting the opportunity at Kansas State. It would be hard to see Klieman leave after one season at the helm.
Fickell is an intriguing candidate having served as head coach at his alma mater, Ohio State, on interim basis (replacing Jim Tressell). After his one season in which the Buckeyes went 6-7, Fickell stayed on the staff at Ohio State before landing the Cincinnati job in 2017. His Bearcats went 4-8 his first season before going 11-2 in 2018 and 8-1 this season. ANALYSIS: Would be a very intriguing hire to say the least, could he be waiting for Ohio State again if Ryan Day decided to turn his attention back to the professional ranks or would he like an opportunity to prove that Buckeyes wrong? Cincinnati is a future nonconference opponent for Arkansas.
Spent one season as assistant head coach at Arkansas State before heading to Ole Miss. ANALYSIS: Has Indiana at 7-2 on the year and that is enough to garner attention, but that is coming back-to-back 5-7 campaigns. He would be reach at this point.
Drinkwitz’ name will get a lot of attention just because of his ties to the state. The former Alma Airedale played at Arkansas Tech and was a coach at Alma and Springdale before assistant coaching stops at Auburn, Arkansas State, Boise State and North Carolina State. ANALYSIS: Took over a program that was on very solid ground when Scott Satterfield left for Louisville. In his first season as head coach, he has Mountaineers at 8-1 overall, including a win over South Carolina on Saturday. With only one season for a body of work, this probably not the right time for Drinkwitz.
Clark rebuilt the UAB program from scratch and has went 31-17 at the school, including 6-3 season. The long time high school coach has been in college coaching since 2008. ANALYSIS: Though Clark has done wonders at UAB, his extensive high school background might be a tough sell with Razorback fans after the Morris saga.
The Furman graduate has his Rajin’ Cajuns at 7-2 in his second season as head coach, after a 7-7 campaign last year. ANALYSIS: Spent time as an assistant at both Clemson and Alabama, but his limited experience will turn off many fans.
OVERALL ANALYSIS
This list above is just that, a list. It is like many that you see and read over the coming weeks. Names will be dropped, airplanes will be tracked and the craziness is about to ensue. Could the next coach at Arkansas not be on the list? Absolutely. A fired NFL coach could garner attention. Though I don’t think Arkansas can afford to go with an unproven assistant coach, it could be a hot shot college or pro assistant. One thing is certain, Yurachek will keep things close to his chest and odds are he is been putting together a list already. Other coaching changes will also effect things. One thing is certain, the next coach is going to have to hire a more complete staff, win the press conference with plain talk and not just Twitter hastags, and he is going to have to show a complete commitment to the program and the state. So just hang on the for the ride.
W L CP W L PS PA
Southside Batesville 5 1 54 7 2 318 219
Central Arkansas Christian 5 2 59 7 3 296 220
Riverview 5 2 49 7 3 337 278
Lonoke 5 2 47 6 4 293 297
Heber Springs 3 3 28 3 6 246 286
Bald Knob 2 4 8 2 7 133 288
Stuttgart 1 6 13 1 9 238 341
Little Rock Mills 0 6 0 0 9 188 236
Friday, November 1
Central Arkansas Christian 34, Bald Knob 6
Heber Springs 49, Riverview 35
Lonoke 35, Stuttgart 28
Southside Batesville 50, Little Rock Mills 23
Thursday, November 7
Lonoke 26, Riverview 14
Central Arkansas Christian 28, Stuttgart 6
Friday, November 8
Bald Knob at Southside Batesville
Heber Springs at Little Rock Mills
PLAYOFFS
Due to Little Rock Mills forfeiting four wins due to the use of an ineligible player on Monday and Thursday’s results, Heber Springs is locked in the No. 5 seed regardless of the outcome of tonight’s contest with Little Rock Mills. The rest of the conference seeding is set as well, the seeding will be: No. 1 Southside Batesville, No. 2 Riverview, No. 3 Central Arkansas Christian, No. 4 Lonoke and No. 5 Heber Springs.
The only thing left to be determined is if Southside Batesville clinches the outright conference title or has to share it with Riverview, CAC and Lonoke. The seeding will not change regardless of the outcomes.
Playoff Match-Ups for 2A-4
DeWitt at Southside Batesville, Star City at Riverview, Gentry/Gravette/Prairie Grove at Central Arkansas Christian, Lonoke at Pea Ridge/Shiloh Christian loser, and Heber Springs at Pea Ridge/Shiloh Christian winner.
CONSECUTIVE STREAK: Heber Springs has qualified for the playoffs for six straight seasons, and 13 out of the last 14 years.
HEBER SPRINGS COACH WILL COX
GAME NOTES
THE SERIES: Heber Springs leads the series 1-0.
SERIES HISTORY: Though this is the second time the Panthers have faced Little Rock Mills, Heber Springs did play the two of the schools that consolidated to form Mills University Studies. The Panthers went 0-4 from 1955 through 1959 against Little Rock Fuller, and 0-3-1 against Mabelvale from 1955 through 1958.
CLOSE TO A THOUSAND: Julio Rubio needs 43 yards rushing tonight against Little Rock Mills to top the 1,000-yard mark this season. The senior has carried the ball 164 times this season for 957 yards with 14 touchdowns.
WINS, BUT NOT REALLY: Mills had won four games before the forfeiting those contests because of the use of an ineligible player earlier this week. The Comets, under first-year coach Cortez Lee — the former Pine Bluff Dollarway head coach, had defeated Jacksonville in nonconference play, before beating Central Arkansas Christian, Lonoke and Stuttgart.
MISTAKES: Heber Springs is 2-1 on the season when committing 5 or less infractions, and 1-5 when being flagged more than five times. The lone loss was at Greenbrier when Heber Springs was flagged only four times, but turned the ball over three times in that contest.
SON OF FORMER NFL PLAYER: Mills’ Reggie Swinton II is the son of former Dallas Cowboy Reggie Swinton.
SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: NATE DEARMOND
SEASON STATS
Heber Springs 54 76 40 76 - 246 (27.3)
Opponent 46 83 90 67 - 286 (31.8)
TEAM First Downs by Rush: Heber Springs 94, Opponent 102
First Downs by Pass: Heber Springs 55, Opponent 51
First Downs by Penalty: Heber Springs 7, Opponent 10
Total First Downs: Heber Springs 156, Opponent 162
Third-Down Conversions: Heber Springs 52/110 (47.3), Opponent 38/97 (39.2)
Fourth-Down Conversions: Heber Springs 12/29 (41.4), Opponent 13/25 (52)
Red-Zone Conversions: Heber Springs 23/30 (76.7) (23 tds), Opponent 28/36 (77.8) (26 tds, 2 FG)
Fumbles/Lost: Heber Springs 16/8, Opponent 15/7
Turnovers: Heber Springs 15, Opponent 10
Points Off Turnovers: Heber Springs 41, Opponent 28
Penalties/Yards: Heber Springs 73/545, Opponent 60/609
Plays/Total Offense/YPP: Heber Springs 555/3281/5.9, Opponent 540/3046/5.6
Rushing: Heber Springs 367/1914/5.2, Opponent 393/1876/4.8
Rushing Per Game: Heber Springs 212.7, Opponent 208.4
Passing: Heber Springs 107/182-1366-10/7, Opponent 100/167-1208-16/3
Completion Percentage: Heber Springs 58.8, Opponent 59.9
Passing Per Game: Heber Springs 151.8, Opponent 134.2
Sacks/Yards Lost: Heber Springs 19/107, Opponent 10/49
Punts: Heber Springs 26/1026/39.5, Opponent 26/893/34.4
Blocked Punts: Heber Springs 1
INDIVIDUAL OFFENSE RUSHING (ATT/YARDS/PER ATTEMPT/PER GAME/TDS): Julio Rubio 164/957/5.8/106.3/14, Adam Martin 151/698/4.6/77.6/7, Landon Johnson 50/227/4.5/25.2/5, Levy Phillips 4/21, Nathan McKee 1/6, Diego Rubio 1/2, Tri Johnson 1/(-2), Team 2/(-41)
RUNS OF 50+: Julio Rubio 2, Adam, Martin 1
RUNS OF 40+: Julio Rubio 3 Adam Martin 1
RUNS OF 30+: Julio Rubio 5, Adam Martin 2
RUNS OF 20+: Julio Rubio 9, Adam Martin 7, Landon Johnson 1
RUNS OF 10+: Adam Martin 23, Julio Rubio 23, Landon Johnson 4, Levy Phillips 1
100-YARD RUSHING GAMES: Julio Rubio 5, Adam Martin 3
PASSING (ATT/COMP-YARDS-TDS/INT): Adam Martin 107/182-1366-10/7
250-YARD PASSING GAMES: Adam Martin 1
RECEIVING (REC/YARDS/PER CATCH/TDS): Matthew Cook 19/188/9.9/1, Nathan McKee 18/212/11.8/2, Landon Johnson 16/212/13.3/2, Fate Berry 13/182/14/1, Hunter Kent 13/170/13.1/2, Tri Johnson 12/208/17.3/2, Julio Rubio 12/143/11.9, Jackson West 1/18, Dalton McCollum 1/9, Diego Rubio 1/8
100-YARD RECEIVING GAMES: Hunter Kent 1, Tri Johnson 1, Julio Rubio 1
TOTAL OFFENSE (OFFENSE/PER GAME): Adam Martin 2064/229.3, Julio Rubio 957/106.3, Landon Johnson 227/25.2, Levy Phillips 21, Nathan McKee 6, Diego Rubio 2, Tri Johnson (-2), Team (-41)
KICKOFF RETURNS: Tri Johnson 8/170/21.3, Matthew Cook 4/62/15.5, Hunter Kent 5/46/9.2, Julio Rubio 3/44/14.7, Levy Phillips 4/37/9.3, Jackson West 4/39/9.8, Diego Rubio 2/37/18.5, Nathan McKee 5/65/13, Lawrence Baureis 1/10, Harley Bresnahan 1/ 6, Tristan Thissen 1/0.
PUNT RETURNS: Nathan McKee 3/12, Tri Johnson 1/(-3)
INTERCEPTION RETURNS: Nathan McKee 1/10, Dalton McCollum 1/4, Fate Berry 1/2
FUMBLE RETURNS: Matthew Cook 1/4
ALL-PURPOSE YARDS (YARDS/PER GAME): Julio Rubio 1037/129.6, Adam Martin 698/77.6, Tri Johnson 373/53.3, Landon Johnson 438/48.7, Nathan McKee 305/33.9, Matthew Cook 254/28.2, Fate Berry 184/23, Hunter Kent 216/24, Diego Rubio 47/5.9, Jackson West 57/6.3, Levy Phillips 58/7.3, Lawrence Baureis 10/1.7, Harley Bresnahan 6/1, Dalton McCollum 13/1.6,
DEFENSE TACKLES (ASST/SOLO/TOTAL): Fate Berry 66/24/90, Landon Johnson 56/25/81, Diego Rubio 40/13/53, Kaden Hughes 27/13/40, Hunter Kent 27/11/38, Nathan McKee 26/11/37, Levy Phillips 22/11/33, Lawrence Baureis 21/9/30, Matthew Cook 25/5/30, Nicholas Hitchcock 21/6/27, Jackson West 22/4/26, Tri Johnson 9/5/14, Dalton McCollum 8/5/13, Julio Rubio 9/3/12, Harley Bresnhan 6/4/10, Trevor Weathers 7/1/8, Preston Jones 2/2/5, Harley Hannah 3/2/5, Hunter Griffin 3/1/4, Devon Doxey 3/1/4, Tristan Thissen 1/2/3, Trent Barnes 2/1/3, Jackson Harrod 2/1/3, Nate Dearmond 0/1/1, Spencer Evans 1/0/1, Gus Hannah 1/0/1.
TACKLES FOR LOSS: Fate Berry 15, Landon Johnson 14.5, Kaden Hughes 9.5, Diego Rubio 7, Nicholas Hitchcock 4.5, Julio Rubio 3, Lawrence Baureis 3, Levy Phillips 2, Jackson West 2, Tri Johnson 1.5, Hunter Griffin 1, Harley Bresnahan 1, Devon Doxey 1.
SACKS/YARDS LOST: Fate Berry 4/28, Kaden Hughes 4/24, Tri Johnson 2.5/22, Levy Phillips 1/ 5, Harley Bresnahan 1/ 4, Diego Rubio 1/5, Julio Rubio .5/9, Landon Johnson .5/3, Matthew Cook .5/3, Nicholas Hitchcock .5/4.
INTERCEPTIONS: Dalton McCollum 1, Nathan McKee 1, Fate Berry 1
DEFENSIVE FUMBLE RECOVERIES: Hunter Kent 2, Diego Rubio 2, Nicholas Hitchcock 1, Nathan McKee 1, Landon Johnson 1,
BLOCKED PUNTS: Kaden Hughes 1
PUNTING (No./Yards/Avg./Inside20): Adam Martin 25/993/39.7/6, Matthew Cook 1/33/33
SCORING: Julio Rubio 84 (14 tds), Adam Martin 48 (8 td), Landon Johnson 36 (6 tds), Jackson Harrod 30 (30-33 PAT, 0-1 FG), Hunter Kent 12 (2 td), Nathan McKee 12 (2 td), Tri Johnson 12 (2 td), Fate Berry 6 (1 td), Matthew Cook 6 (1 td)
SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: BRANDON TATE
MARKEDTIME.COM PLAYERS OF WEEK
WEEK 9 vs RIVERVIEW
OFFENSE – Hunter Kent. DEFENSE – Diego Rubio
WEEK 8 vs SOUTHSIDE BATESVILLE
OFFENSE – Julio Rubio. DEFENSE – Diego Rubio
WEEK 7 vs. BALD KNOB
OFFENSE – Landon Johnson. DEFENSE – Fate Berry
WEEK 6 vs. CAC
OFFENSE – Julio Rubio. DEFENSE – Kaden Hughes
WEEK 5 vs. STUTTGART
OFFENSE – Adam Martin. DEFENSE – Nathan McKee
WEEK 4 vs. LONOKE
OFFENSE – Fate Berry. DEFENSE – Landon Johnson
WEEK 3 vs. HARDING ACADEMY
OFFENSE – Tri Johnson. DEFENSE – Dalton McCollum
WEEK 2 vs. GREENBRIER
OFFENSE – Harley Hannah. DEFENSE – Levy Phillips
WEEK 1 vs. CLINTON
OFFENSE – Adam Martin and Julio Rubio. DEFENSE – Fate Berry
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HEBER SPRINGS – The Heber Springs Panthers accomplished what they needed too in a 47-6 4A-2 victory over Little Rock Mills, and even left with a couple of records.
Coming into Friday night’s contest at Panther Stadium against winless Little Rock Mills, Heber Springs coach Darren Gowen had said he was more concerned about his team, how they played and more importantly, that his team just had fun.
It would be easy to say that happened on a night that seniors were honored before the game.
Senior running back Blaze Nelson rushed eight times for 198 yards and four touchdowns while the defense held Mills to 80 yards of total offense in the first half as the Panthers built up a 40-0 lead at the break and emptied the bench in the second half.
“We got everybody in there, even the foreign exchange students,” Gowen said. “It was great to take care of business like we needed to, get everybody on the field, stay healthy and get ready for the playoffs.”
Heber Springs (6-4, 6-1 in 4A-2) almost got a gift from the Central Arkansas Christian Mustangs on Friday night, but a last second field goal that would have sent that game into overtime fell short as Stuttgart claimed a 30-27 victory and the overall conference crown — a Ricebird loss would have given the Panthers a share of the 4A-2 title.
Heber Springs will head into the playoffs as the No. 2 seed and host Pocahontas (4-6) Friday night at 7 p.m. at Panther Stadium.
Against the Comets, it didn’t take long for the Panthers to strike. After a 15-yard run by senior Dalton Hall on the games first play from scrimmage, Nelson raced past the Mills defenders for a 65-yard score. The Julian Cameron PAT kick made it 7-0 with 11:27 to play in the first quarter.
Mills followed with a nine-play drive that netted only seven yards but ate more than three minutes off the clock before Heber Springs would take over on Comet 44. After a pair of Nelson runs, Adam Martin connected with senior Rocky Finney for a 19-yard completion that put the ball on the 2. From there, Nelson would run up the middle to make 14-0 with 5:52 left in the first quarter.
Mills (0-10, 0-7) then put together a 14-play, 61-yard drive that netted nearly all of its first-half offense and pushed the ball to the Panther 18. But the Heber Springs first-team defense, which has allowed only four touchdowns during the Panther’s five-game winning streak to close the regular season, stopped the Comets a yard short on fourth-and-2.
Nelson took over from the carrying twice before finally breaking free on his third carry of the drive for a 76-yard touchdown run to make it 21-0 with 10:07 left to play in the first half.
Sophomore Matthew Cook got the ball right back for Heber Springs when he stepped in front of Braelon Adams pass attempt on the Comets first play from scrimmage on the drive and returned it 27 yards.
The Panthers didn’t waste any time as Martin hit Finney in the end zone for a 32-yard touchdown pass to make it 28-0 with 9:28 left in the second quarter.
After a three-and-out, Hall tackled the Mills punter in the end zone for a safety to make it 30-0 at the 7:38 mark.
On the ensuing possession after the Comet free kick, Nelson raced 23 yards to score his 26th rushing touchdown of the season to make it 37-0 Heber Springs with 5:17 left in the half. The 26 rushing touchdowns by Nelson ties a school record set by Braylon Mitchell in 2009.
Heber Springs would add one more score in the first half when Cameron connected on a 35-yard field goal attempt with 11 seconds left on the clock.
With the Arkansas Activities Association Mercy Rule in effect in the second half, Heber Springs added one more score when sophomore Diego Rubio scored on a 17-yard run. Seth Dickeson hit the PAT kick to make 47-0 with 8:38 left in the third.
Mills’ Demetrius Abernathy set the final score with a six-yard run with 43 seconds to play in the third quarter.
Rushing: Heber Springs, Blaze Nelson 8-198-4, Jackson West 5-17, Diego Rubio 4-31-1, Levy Phillips 4-31, Adam Martin 3-4, Dalton Hall 1-15. Mills, Braelon Adams 14-84, Terryn Withers 9-20, Malik Bean 4-33, Demetrius Abernathy 2-14, Favionne Bell 1-4, Logan Archer 1-(-2), Landen Epps 1-(-10).
Passing: Heber Springs, Adam Martin 4-5 67 1-0. Mills, Braleon Adams 5-11 54 0-2.
Receiving: Heber Springs, Rocky Finney 2-51-1, Seth Dickeson 1-9, Landon Johnson 1-7. Mills, Jaden Withers 4-42, Malik Bean 1-12.
Heber Springs junior Hunter Kent is brought down short of the end zone in the first half Friday against Riverview. Kent finished with a career-high seven receptions for 114 yards and two touchdowns in the 49-35 victory by the Panthers. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO
November 1, 2019
By PHILIP SEATON
Heber Springs kept its postseason hopes alive on Friday with a come-from-behind 49-35 victory over conference-leading Riverview in front of a sparse, but enthusiastic and vocal crowd, on a chilly night at Panther Stadium.
Adam Martin paced the Panthers through the air by going 11-of-15 with 209 yards and 3 touchdowns, with two those going to junior Hunter Kent who also caught a career-high seven passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns. Julio Rubio rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown as the Panthers scored the games final 28 points after trailing 35-21 early in the third quarter.
The win by the Panthers on “Senior Night” was the first home win of the season for Heber Springs and prevented Riverview from earning at least a share of its first conference title in football on the Panthers’ home field.
Things didn’t start well for Heber Springs (3-3 in the 4A-2 and 3-6 overall). A high snap on the Panthers first possession resulted in a 19-yard loss and later a punt from their own 5.
Riverview (5-1, 7-2) took advantage of the short field with a five-play, 38-yard drive that Raider quarterback Logan Miller capped with a 27-yard run to make it 7-0 after the successful PAT with 8:28 left in the first quarter.
The Panthers managed a first down on its next possession but were forced to punt after an incomplete pass on a third-and-2 play from the Heber Springs 43.
Taking over on their own 20 with 6:33 left in the first stanza, the Raiders marched down the field with a methodical running game that chewed up most the remaining first-quarter clock as Xander Duckett, who had a 33-yard run on the drive, raced into the end zone from the 9 to make it 14-0 Riverview with 49.7 seconds left in the first quarter.
Heber Springs responded on its next possession. After 25-yard kickoff return by Nathan McKee gave the Panthers the ball on their own 37, a personal foul was called against the Raiders after a Martin 5-yard run to push the ball into Riverview territory at the 43. After converting on a third-and-3 from the Raider 36, Martin scrambled for 19 yards before connecting with Kent on a 14-yard scoring strike with 10:58 to play in the half making it 14-7 after the Jackson Harrod PAT kick.
Riverview struck quickly on its next possession as Miller scored on a 51-yard run to make to 21-7 with 9:39 left in the second quarter.
Heber Springs took advantage of a pair of penalties on the ensuing kick-off attempt to get the ball in Raider territory at the 42. On the first play of the drive, Rubio broke free for a 22-yard run and then later a 12-yard run to move the ball to the 5, where Martin carried in to make it 21-14 with 8:55 to play in the half.
The Raiders only need 28 seconds to go back up by two scores. Aided by a 15-yard face-masking penalty by the Panthers, Ashton Williams completed a three-play, 45-yard drive with an 8-yard touchdown run.
Heber Springs drove to the Raider 45 on its next possession but failed to convert on a fourth-and-2 giving the ball back to Riverview with 3:34 to play in the half.
The Raiders had scored on their first four possession before the Panthers forced a three-and-out near midfield at the 1:52 mark of the second quarter.
Taking over on their own 17, the Panther drive appeared to fizzle at the 23 forcing a Martin punt. The Raiders muffed the punt and Kent pounced on the loose football at the Riverview 47. Back-to-back pass completions from Martin to Kent moved the ball to Raider 3. A pair of Panther penalties almost stalled the drive before Landon Johnson carried the ball to the 1 with 4.3 seconds left in the second quarter. Martin quickly ran up under center and took the snap sneaking in from the 1 as time expired to make it 28-21 at the half.
Riverview struck quickly in the second half using a 58-yard, six-play drive to go up 35-21 after Williams scored on a 19-yard run with 9:42 to play in the third quarter.
Heber Springs responded quickly as Martin found Kent for short completion on third-and-7 from the Raider 43. The junior did the rest racing past a pair of defenders for a 43-yard score with 8:05 left in the third.
The Panthers got another turnover to tie things up. After Williams had to leave the game after his helmet came off during a play, Duckett was shifted to quarterback and coughed up the football where Nicholas Hitchcock recovered the ball at the Riverview 36.
Three plays later, Martin ran the ball in from the 11 with 5:10 left in third quarter to tie things up at 35-all.
Riverview drove to the Panther 27 on 10 plays before facing a fourth-and-5 with 24.6 seconds left in the third quarter. After attempting to draw the Panthers offsides, Riverview inexplicably left the play clock expire. After some conferring by the officials, a delay of game penalty was called and the Heber Springs defense stopped the Raiders on the final play of the quarter.
The Panthers responded quickly as Martin went deep connecting with Johnson for a 74-yard scoring strike to give Heber Springs its first lead of the night at 42-35 with 11:48 to play.
Another delay of game penalty on a fourth-and-2, cost the Raiders as the Panthers got a stop at the Riverview 43 with 10:33 to play.
From there, Heber Springs used eight plays and 4:28 of clock to go up 49-35 as Rubio scored from the 8 with 6:05 to play.
The Panther defense got another turnover and grinded out the clock to earn the win.
Heber Springs will travel to Little Rock to face Mills Friday night. The Panthers will need to win to qualify for the 4A playoffs.
Hunter Kent races past a pair of defenders for a 43-yard touchdown. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO
GAME NOTES
WEEK 9 “BATTLE OF THE LITTLE RED”: This will be the last time Riverview and Heber Springs will face off on the gridiron for at least two years as the Raiders are dropping to class 3A next season. Clinton will be moving up from class 3A and replace Riverview as the Panthers opponent in week 9, which means the “Battle of the Little Red” will be played in week 9 instead of the opening game of the season.
SOMETHING ABOUT 33: Heber Springs junior Matthew Cook wears the number 33 on his jersey. In his first punt of the season in the first quarter against Riverview, his kick went 33 yards.
YOU’RE WELCOME: Outside Panther Stadium, the biggest cheer of the night probably emanated from Independence County. With the win by the Panthers, Southside Batesville can earn at least a share of the 4A-2 title with win over Bald Knob on Friday. Riverview had beat the Southerners 35-7 earlier this season and still owns the tiebreaker for the top seed from the conference.
CLOSE TO A THOUSAND: Julio Rubio needs 43 yards rushing on Friday against Little Rock Mills to top the 1,000-yard mark this season. The senior has carried the ball 164 times this season for 957 yards with 14 touchdowns.
THIS IS NOT 2003: It had been 16 years since Heber Springs had not won a game at Panther Stadium. The win by the Panthers ensured that would not happen in 2019.
HEBER SPRINGS COACH WILL COX
HEBER SPRINGS’ ADAM MARTIN
HEBER SPRINGS’ LANDON JOHNSON
SENIOR NIGHT FESTIVITIES
SIDELINE CELEBRATION/FIELD-GOAL ATTEMPT
ALMA MATER
SCORING
Riverview (5-1, 7-2) 14 14 7 0 - 35
Heber Springs (3-3, 3-6) 0 21 14 14 - 49
FIRST QUARTER
Riverview - Logan Miller 27-yard run (Emmanuel Rios kick), 8:28
Riverivew - Xander Duckett 9-yard run (Rios kick), 49.7
SECOND QUARTER
Heber Springs - Adam Martin to Hunter Kent 21-yard pass (Jackson Harrod kick), 10:58
Riverview - Miller 51-yard run (Rios kick), 9:39
Heber Springs - Martin 5-yard run (Harrod kick), 8:55
Riverview - Ashton Williams 11-yard run (Rios kick), 8:27
Heber Springs - Martin 1-yard run (Harrod kick), :00
THIRD QUARTER
Riverview - Miller 19-yard run (Rios kick), 9:42
Heber Springs - Martin to Kent 43-yard pass (Harrod kick), 8:05
Heber Springs - Martin 11-yard run (Harrod kick), 5:10
FOURTH QUARTER
Heber Springs - Martin to Landon Johnson 74-yard pass (Harrod kick), 11:48
Heber Springs - Julio Rubio 8-yard run (Harrod kick), 6:05
OFFENSERUSHING: Heber Springs, Julio Rubio 20/107/5.4/1, Adam Martin 20/64/3.2/3, Landon Johnson 6/20, Team 1/(-19). Riverview, Logan Miller 25/201/8.0/3, Ashton Williams 13/58/4.5/1, Xander Duckett 6/55/9.2/1, Drake Ivy 6/18/3, Israel Gameros 1/5, Team 1/(-17).
RUSHING RUNS OF 50+: Riverview, Logan Miller (1)
RUSHING RUNS OF 40+: Riverivew, Logan Miller (1)
RUSHING RUNS OF 30+: Riverview, Logan Miller (2), Xander Duckett (1)
RUSHING RUNS OF 20+: Heber Springs, Julio Rubio (1) Riverview, Logan Miller (4), Xander Duckett (1)
RUSHING RUNS OF 10+: Heber Springs, Julio Rubio (3), Adam Martin (2). Riverview, Logan Miller (6), Xander Duckett (1), Ashton Williams (1)
PASSING: Heber Springs, Adam Martin 11/15-209-3/0. Riverview, Logan Miller 6/9-38-0/0, Xander Duckett 1/4-4-0/0
RECEIVING: Heber Springs, Hunter Kent 7/114/2, Landon Johnson 3/83/1, Nathan McKee 1/12. Riverview, Ashton Williams 4/34, Xander Duckett 2/4, Kamil Preciado 1/4.
TOTAL OFFENSE: Heber Springs, Adam Martin 273, Julio Rubio 107, Landon Johnson 20. Riverview, Logan Miller 239, Xander Duckett 59, Ashton Williams 58, Drake Ivy 18, Israel Gameros 5.
PUNT RETURNS: None
KICK RETURNS: Heber Springs, Nathan McKee 4/54, Jackson West 1/14, Hunter Kent 1/4. Riverview, Israel Gameros 3/26, Ashton Williams 1/17, Cody Arrowood 1/11, Colton Cook 1/0.
FUMBLE RETURNS: Matthew Cook 1/4 (offensive)
INTERCEPTION RETURNS: None
ALL-PURPOSE YARDS: Heber Springs, Hunter Kent 118, Julio Rubio 107, Landon Johnson 102, Nathan McKee 66, Adam Martin 64, Jackson West 14, Matthew Cook 4. Riverview, Logan Miller 201, Ashton Williams 109, Xander Duckett 59, Israel Gameros 31, Drake Ivy 18, Cody Arrowood 11, Kamil Preciado 4.
FIELD GOALS: Heber Springs, Jackson Harrod 21 (no good)
DEFENSE TACKLES (Shared/Solo/Total): Heber Springs, Nathan McKee 9/2/11, Diego Rubio 7/3/10, Landon Johnson 6/2/8, Fate Berry 6/0/6, Jackson West 5/1/6, Nicholas Hitchcock 5/1/6, Julio Rubio 3/2/5, Trevor Weathers 5/0/5, Kaden Hughes 3/0/3, Levy Phillips 3/0/3, Dalton McCollum 1/1/2, Jackson Harrod 1/0/1, Lawrence Baureis 1/0/1, Matthew Cook 1/0/1.
TACKLES FOR LOSS: Heber Springs, Fate Berry 3, Julio Rubio 3, Diego Rubio 3, Jackson West 2, Lawrence Baureis 1, Nicholas Hitchcok 1.
SACKS/YARDS LOST: None
INTERCEPTIONS: None
FUMBLE RECOVERIES: Heber Springs, Nicholas Hitchcock, Diego Rubio, Hunter Kent
PUNTING: Heber Springs, Adam Martin 2/70/35, Matthew Cook 1/33/33. Riverview, Emmanuel Rios 1/32
PUNTS INSIDE 20: Emmanuel Rios (1)
4A-2 STANDINGS
W L CP W L PS PA
Riverview 5 1 49 7 2 323 252
Southside Batesville 5 1 54 7 2 318 219
Little Rock Mills 3 3 14 4 5 188 236
Central Arkansas Christian 3 3 33 5 4 268 214
Lonoke 3 3 22 4 5 267 283
Heber Springs 3 3 28 3 6 246 286
Bald Knob 2 4 8 2 7 133 288
Stuttgart 0 6 0 0 9 232 313
Friday, November 1
Central Arkansas Christian 34, Bald Knob 6
Heber Springs 49, Riverview 35
Lonoke 35, Stuttgart 28
Southside Batesville 50, Little Rock Mills 23
Thursday, November 7
Lonoke at Riverview
Central Arkansas Christian at Stuttgart
Friday, November 8
Bald Knob at Southside Batesville
Heber Springs at Little Rock Mills
PLAYOFF SCENARIOS
RIVERVIEW/SOUTHSIDE BATESVILLE: Can clinch a share of its first conference title and the No. 1 seed with a win over Lonoke on Thursday. A loss and Southside Batesville win would give Southside Batesville the No. 1 seed and the outright conference title. Riverview owns the tiebreaker over Southside Batesville. Both teams have clinched a home playoff game.
HEBER SPRINGS/CAC/MILLS/LONOKE: The Panthers must beat Little Rock Mills on Friday to earn a playoff spot. If the Panthers lose next week, the season is over. Bald Knob and Stuttgart have been eliminated.
If Heber Springs wins, they will either be a 3, 4 or 5 seed. A Mills victory would give the Comets the No. 3 seed.
CAC would get the No. 3 seed with a win over Stuttgart and a Heber Springs win over Mills. Lonoke would earn the No. 3 seed with wins by Stuttgart and Heber Springs.
Heber Springs can claim the three seed with a win at Mills and a Riverview win over Lonoke, and a Stuttgart win over CAC.
If Heber Springs wins and Lonoke and/or CAC win, they will be the No. 4 or No. 5.
If Heber Springs, Lonoke and CAC all win, CAC would be the 3, Lonoke the 4 and Heber Springs the 5.
If Heber Springs wins and only Lonoke or CAC win (only one). Either Lonoke or CAC would be the No. 3, Heber Springs the No. 4 and Mills the No. 5
If the Panthers are the No. 3 they would host the Gentry/Gravette (possibly Prairie Grove based upon the conference points system) winner at Panther Stadium in a first-round playoff game. Former Heber Springs coach Darren Gowen is an assistant at Gravette.
If the Panthers are the No. 4 seed, would travel to Pea Ridge/Shiloh Christian (most likely Pea Ridge)
If the Panthers are the No. 5 seed, would travel to the Pea Ridge/Shiloh Christian winner in the first round (most likely Shiloh Christian).
Kickoff: 7 p.m. at Panther Stadium. Senior Night festivities start at 6:25 p.m.
Admission: $5
Radio: Billy Morgan with handle the play-by-play with Lance Hamilton providing color on KSUG 101.9 The Lake. Panther Pregame begins at 6:30 p.m. followed by the game. Listen Live Link.
W L CP W L PS PA
Riverview 5 0 49 7 1 288 203
Southside Batesville 4 1 41 6 2 268 196
Little Rock Mills 3 2 14 4 4 165 186
Central Arkansas Christian 2 3 20 4 4 234 208
Lonoke 2 3 15 3 5 232 255
Heber Springs 2 3 14 2 6 197 251
Bald Knob 2 3 8 2 6 127 254
Stuttgart 0 5 0 0 8 204 278
Friday, October 25
Southside Batesville 48, Heber Springs 20
Little Rock Mills 20, Stuttgart 14
Central Arkansas Christian 28, Lonoke 21 (OT)
Riverview 42, Bald Knob 14
Friday, November 1
Bald Knob at Central Arkansas Christian
Riverview at Heber Springs
Stuttgart at Lonoke
Little Rock Mills at Southside Batesville
Thursday, November 7
Lonoke at Riverview
Friday, November 8
Bald Knob at Southside Batesville
Heber Springs at Little Rock Mills
Central Arkansas Christian at Stuttgart
PLAYOFF SCENARIOS
CLINCHED: Riverview and Southside Batesville have both clinched playoff spots.
ELIMINATED: Stuttgart was officially eliminated with the loss to Little Rock Mills, but can still play spoiler the next two weeks.
CAN STILL WIN AT LEAST SHARE OF CONFERENCE TITLE: Riverview, Southside Batesville and Little Rock Mills. Riverview controls its own destiny. If the Raiders win out, they will win their first conference title in football. If they split between Heber Springs and Lonoke, and Southside Batesville wins out, the two teams share the crown with Riverview getting the No. 1 seed. Southside Batesville needs Riverview to lose both while winning both. Little Rock Mills would need Riverview to lose both and the Comets would have to win both to earn a share of the conference title.
BEST SHAPE FOR PLAYOFF SPOTS: Little Rock Mills and Central Arkansas Christian. CAC clinches a playoff spot with a win this week or next week, and owns tiebreakers over Lonoke and Heber Springs.
WIN OUT AND IN: If Lonoke, Bald Knob or Heber Springs win out, they would get into the 4A playoffs. Lonoke owns tiebreakers over Heber Springs and Bald Knob, while Heber Springs owns the head-to-head with Bald Knob.
HEBER SPRINGS: If the Panthers win out, they would get in the playoffs and still potentially get a home playoff game if CAC and Lonoke both lose one game. If Heber Springs wins one of two, then Heber Springs could still make the playoffs depending upon the outcome of other games.
WEEK 9 PREDICTIONS: 1. Riverview, 2. Southside Batesville, 3. Little Rock Mills, 4. Central Arkansas Christian, 5. Lonoke.
HEBER SPRINGS COACH WILL COX
GAME NOTES
THE SERIES: Heber Springs leads 5-0
SERIES HISTORY: This will be the 6th all-time meeting between these two schools. Riverview was formed when the Kensett and Judsonia school districts consolidated. Both of the schools fielded football teams in the 1920s and 1930s. Heber Springs was 2-1 against Kensett and 4-1 against Judsonia.
RIVERVIEW: The Raiders are the midst of the best season in the program’s history. Riverview, which played its first season in 2008, has tied the program record with 7 wins and can claim a school-record eight wins tonight with a win and also clinch a share of a the program’s first conference title with a win and/or a loss by Southside Batesville. They defeated Brookland, 48-32, and Highland, 21-20, in nonconference play while falling to DeWitt, 46-35.
HOME WOES: Heber Springs is winless in five tries at home this season and is looking for avoid its first winless home campaign in 16 years since the 2003 season -that team went 0-10.
1000 YARDS: Senior Julio Rubio needs 150 yards rushing to top the 1,000-yard mark for the season. Rubio has rushed for 850 yards on 144 carries.
SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: DALTON MCCOLLUM
SEASON STATS
Heber Springs 54 55 26 62 - 197 (24.6)
Opponent 32 69 83 67 - 251 (31.4)
TEAM First Downs by Rush: Heber Springs 85, Opponent 85
First Downs by Pass: Heber Springs 49, Opponent 50
First Downs by Penalty: Heber Springs 6, Opponent 9
Total First Downs: Heber Springs 140, Opponent 143
Third-Down Conversions: Heber Springs 47/99 (47.4), Opponent 32/86 (37.2)
Fourth-Down Conversions: Heber Springs 11/27 (40.7), Opponent 12/22 (54.6)
Red-Zone Conversions: Heber Springs 18/24 (75) (18 tds), Opponent 25/33 (75.8) (23 tds, 2 FG)
Fumbles/Lost: Heber Springs 13/8, Opponent 11/4
Turnovers: Heber Springs 15, Opponent 7
Points Off Turnovers: Heber Springs 27, Opponent 28
Penalties/Yards: Heber Springs 68/500, Opponent 58/519
Plays/Total Offense/YPP: Heber Springs 493/2900/5.9, Opponent 478/2684/5.6
Rushing: Heber Springs 325/1742/5.4, Opponent 341/1556/4.6
Rushing Per Game: Heber Springs 217.8, Opponent 194.5
Passing: Heber Springs 96/167-1157-7/7, Opponent 93/157-1166-16/3
Completion Percentage: Heber Springs 57.5, Opponent 59.2
Passing Per Game: Heber Springs 144.6, Opponent 145.8
Sacks/Yards Lost: Heber Springs 19/107, Opponent 10/49
Punts: Heber Springs 23/923/40.1, Opponent 25/861/34.4
Blocked Punts: Heber Springs 1
INDIVIDUAL OFFENSE RUSHING (ATT/YARDS/PER ATTEMPT/PER GAME/TDS): Julio Rubio 144/850/5.9/106.3/13, Adam Martin 131/634/4.8/79.3/4, Landon Johnson 44/207/4.7/29.6/5, Levy Phillips 4/21, Nathan McKee 1/6, Diego Rubio 1/2, Tri Johnson 1/(-2), Team 1/(-22)
RUNS OF 50+: Julio Rubio 2, Adam, Martin 1
RUNS OF 40+: Julio Rubio 3 Adam Martin 1
RUNS OF 30+: Julio Rubio 5, Adam Martin 2
RUNS OF 20+: Julio Rubio 8, Adam Martin 7, Landon Johnson 1
RUNS OF 10+: Adam Martin 21, Julio Rubio 20, Landon Johnson 4, Levy Phillips 1
100-YARD RUSHING GAMES: Julio Rubio 4, Adam Martin 3
PASSING (ATT/COMP-YARDS-TDS/INT): Adam Martin 96/167-1157-7/7
250-YARD PASSING GAMES: Adam Martin 1
RECEIVING (REC/YARDS/PER CATCH/TDS): Matthew Cook 19/188/9.9/1, Nathan McKee 17/200/11.8/2, Fate Berry 13/182/14/1, Landon Johnson 13/129/9.9/1, Tri Johnson 12/208/17.3/2, Julio Rubio 12/143/11.9, Hunter Kent 6/56/6.2, Jackson West 1/18, Dalton McCollum 1/9, Diego Rubio 1/8
100-YARD RECEIVING GAMES: Tri Johnson 1, Julio Rubio 1
TOTAL OFFENSE (OFFENSE/PER GAME): Adam Martin 1791/223.9, Julio Rubio 850/106.3, Landon Johnson 207/29.5, Levy Phillips 21, Nathan McKee 6, Diego Rubio 2, Tri Johnson (-2), Team (-22)
KICKOFF RETURNS: Tri Johnson 8/170/21.3, Matthew Cook 4/62/15.5, Hunter Kent 4/42/13, Julio Rubio 3/44/14.7, Levy Phillips 4/37/9.3, Jackson West 3/25/8.3, Diego Rubio 2/37/18.5, Nathan McKee 1/11/11, Lawrence Baureis 1/10, Harley Bresnahan 1/ 6, Tristan Thissen 1/0.
PUNT RETURNS: Nathan McKee 3/12, Tri Johnson 1/(-3)
INTERCEPTION RETURNS: Nathan McKee 1/10, Dalton McCollum 1/4, Fate Berry 1/2
FUMBLE RETURNS: None
ALL-PURPOSE YARDS (YARDS/PER GAME): Julio Rubio 1037/129.6, Adam Martin 634/79.3, Tri Johnson 373/53.3, Landon Johnson 336/42, Nathan McKee 239/34.1, Matthew Cook 250/31.3, Fate Berry 184/23, Hunter Kent 98/12.3, Diego Rubio 47/5.9, Jackson West 43/5.4, Levy Phillips 58/7.3, Lawrence Baureis 10/1.7, Harley Bresnahan 6/1, Dalton McCollum 13/1.6,
DEFENSE TACKLES (ASST/SOLO/TOTAL): Fate Berry 60/24/84, Landon Johnson 50/23/73, Kaden Hughes 24/13/37, Hunter Kent 27/11/38, Diego Rubio 33/10/43, Lawrence Baureis 20/9/29, Nathan McKee 17/9/26, Matthew Cook 24/5/29, Levy Phillips 19/11/30, Jackson West 17/3/20, Tri Johnson 9/5/14, Nicholas Hitchcock 16/5/21, Harley Bresnhan 6/4/10, Dalton McCollum 7/4/11, Julio Rubio 6/1/7, Preston Jones 2/2/5, Harley Hannah 3/2/5, Hunter Griffin 3/1/4, Devon Doxey 3/1/4, Tristan Thissen 1/2/3, Trevor Weathers 2/1/3, Trent Barnes 2/1/3, Jackson Harrod 1/1/2, Nate Dearmond 0/1/1, Spencer Evans 1/0/1, Gus Hannah 1/0/1.
TACKLES FOR LOSS: Landon Johnson 14.5, Fate Berry 12, Kaden Hughes 9.5, Diego Rubio 4, Nicholas Hitchcock 3.5, Lawrence Baureis 2, Levy Phillips 2, Tri Johnson 1.5, Hunter Griffin 1, Harley Bresnahan 1, Devon Doxey 1.
SACKS/YARDS LOST: Fate Berry 4/28, Kaden Hughes 4/24, Tri Johnson 2.5/22, Levy Phillips 1/ 5, Harley Bresnahan 1/ 4, Diego Rubio 1/5, Julio Rubio .5/9, Landon Johnson .5/3, Matthew Cook .5/3, Nicholas Hitchcock .5/4.
INTERCEPTIONS: Dalton McCollum 1, Nathan McKee 1, Fate Berry 1
FUMBLE RECOVERIES: Nathan McKee 1, Landon Johnson 1, Hunter Kent 1, Diego Rubio 1
BLOCKED PUNTS: Kaden Hughes 1
PUNTING (No./Yards/Avg./Inside20): Adam Martin 23/923/40.1/6
SCORING: Julio Rubio 78 (13 tds), Landon Johnson 30 (5 tds), Adam Martin 30 (5 td), Jackson Harrod 23 (23-26 PAT), Nathan McKee 12 (2 td), Tri Johnson 12 (2 td), Fate Berry 6 (1 td), Matthew Cook 6 (1 td)
SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: SPENCER EVANS
MARKEDTIME.COM PLAYERS OF WEEK
WEEK 8 vs SOUTHSIDE BATESVILLE
OFFENSE – Julio Rubio. DEFENSE – Diego Rubio
WEEK 7 vs. BALD KNOB
OFFENSE – Landon Johnson. DEFENSE – Fate Berry
WEEK 6 vs. CAC
OFFENSE – Julio Rubio. DEFENSE – Kaden Hughes
WEEK 5 vs. STUTTGART
OFFENSE – Adam Martin. DEFENSE – Nathan McKee
WEEK 4 vs. LONOKE
OFFENSE – Fate Berry. DEFENSE – Landon Johnson
WEEK 3 vs. HARDING ACADEMY
OFFENSE – Tri Johnson. DEFENSE – Dalton McCollum
WEEK 2 vs. GREENBRIER
OFFENSE – Harley Hannah. DEFENSE – Levy Phillips
WEEK 1 vs. CLINTON
OFFENSE – Adam Martin and Julio Rubio. DEFENSE – Fate Berry
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SEARCY – Heber Springs scored 42 unanswered points and cruised to a 42-6 4A-2 win over Riverview Friday night at Raider Stadium.
The Panthers fourth-straight win clinched Heber Springs (5-4, 5-1 in the 4A-2) the No. 2 seed in the upcoming playoffs and a home game in the first-round, most likely against Pocahontas.
“I am just proud of the kids,” Heber Springs coach Darren Gowen said. “We got out of here healthy and with a win, and guaranteed ourselves of a No. 2 seed and first-round playoff game at home and possibly more.”
Senior Blaze Nelson rushed 21 times for 151 and three touchdowns while junior quarterback Adam Martin completed six of 14 passes for 151 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the Panthers.
“Blaze had another great night and Adam threw the ball very well,” Gowen said. “He finally let a couple of them go and we didn’t catch them like we should have, but he threw it well.”
Heber Springs’ defense had another good night limiting Riverview (2-7, 1-5) to 128 yards of total offense with only 28 of those coming the second half.
Coupled with the week 8 shutout of Southside Batesville, the six points allowed by the Panther defense are the fewest allowed in back-to-back weeks since 1990 when Heber Springs shutout Dardanelle in week three and beat Yellville-Summit, 7-6, in week four.
Despite the fast finish, it was a slow start for the Panthers.
A holding penalty on the Heber Springs’ first possession negated a 20-yard, first-down run by Nelson forcing a punt, while an illegal procedure penalty helped stall out the Panthers second possession late in the first quarter.
It would be the Raiders that would strike first on six-play, 63-yard drive capped off by a 36-yard touchdown reception by Cade Trickey from Griffin Miller with 11:51 to play in the half. A bad snap on the PAT attempt made the score 6-0 in favor of Riverview.
“We didn’t have a great week of practice and that leads to not playing well on Friday night,” Gowen said. “It’s tough when you win several games against teams that look better in terms of records and scores, and it’s hard for the kids to play at the same level they have been playing when they do that.
“It took us a while to get going, but we got there.”
It wouldn’t take Heber Springs long to “get going” after the Raiders’ took the lead, in fact only 51 seconds. Two plays after the Riverview touchdown, Martin would connect with Tri Johnson on a short screen pass and the junior would do the rest racing 50 yards to give the Panthers the lead at 7-6 after the Julian Cameron PAT kick.
Three plays later, the Panthers would get the ball back after Fate Berry sacked Miller for a 10-yard loss causing the senior to cough up the football. Senior Dalton Hall picked up the ball at the 20 and almost scored before being brought down at the 1. Nelson would punch it in on the next play to make it 14-6 with 9:57 to play in the half. Miller was injured on the sack and would not return for Riverview.
Heber Springs threatened again late in the half after Martin connected with Johnson on a 36-yard pass play to put the ball at the Raider 38. Four runs moved the ball to the Raider 19 with less than a minute to play, but three pass attempts came up short leaving the score 14-6 at the half.
“I thought the defense played,” Gowen said. “We almost had a scoop and score, their quarterback went out and that kind of hamstrung them a little bit in terms of what they could do but we also figured out what they were doing.
“In the second half, we just came out and shut them down, and our offense was able to score.”
And score they did on all four second-half possessions.
The first one came with 7:03 to play in the third when Nelson scored on an 18-yard touchdown run to make it 21-6.
The next tally came with 1:34 to play in the quarter when Martin connected with senior Rocky Finney on a 39-yard touchdown pass to make it 28-6.
After the Panther defense forced a three-and-out, Heber Springs struck again this time on a 5-yard run by Nelson, his 22nd rushing touchdown of the season, to make it 35-6 with 9:26 to play in the contest.
Tanner Tillman recovered a Raider fumble on the Riverview 14 three plays later and Hall would follow with six straight runs. His 1-yard scoring run would invoke the Arkansas Activities Association 35-point Mercy Rule with 5:32 left to play.
Heber Springs will look to a secure a winning season Friday night at home against winless Little Rock Mills. Seniors will be honored before Friday night’s game.
Rushing: Heber Springs, Blaze Nelson 21-151-3, Dalton Hall 6-19-1, Adam Martin 2-1, Riverview, Baylee Dillin 13-27, Griffin Miller 10-20, Landon Chandler 10-5, Santos Gutierrez 7-1, Xavier Duckett 3-20, Team 2-(-3).
Passing: Heber Springs, Adam Martin 6-14 151 2-0. Riverview, Griffin Miller 4-4 54 1-0, Landon Chandler 2-2 1 0-0, Cade Trickey 0-1 0 0-0.
Receiving: Heber Springs, Tri Johnson 3-92-1, Rocky Finney 2-50-1, Matthew Cook 1-9. Riverview, Cade Trickey 3-40-1, Baylee Dillin 2-12, Carlos Munoz 1-3.
Heber Springs’ Xander Lindley looks to throw a pass against Riverview on Tuesday at Panther Stadium. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO
October 29, 2019
Koby Teeter rushed six times for 186 yards and a touchdown in leading Riverview to a 38-8 victory over Heber Springs Tuesday night at Panther Stadium.
Teeter scored his touchdown on a 91-yard jaunt in the first quarter. Raider quarterback Harley Sawtelle was 8-of-10 passing for 136 yards and three touchdowns in the win. Riverview lead 16-0 at the end of the first quarter and 24-0 at the half.
Heber Springs trailed 32-0 at the end of three quarters before finally getting on the board in the final stanza when Xander Lindley raced 60 yards for a Panther score. Conner Riddle completed a pass to Lindley for the 2-point conversion with 7:31 to play.
Lindley paced Heber Springs on the ground with 78 yards on four attempts. Ryan Bommarito ran the ball 12 times for 45 yards.
The Panthers finished their season with a 2-6 mark.
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