.JPG)
Senior Night: Austin Winchester
Tag: Austin Winchester
Panthers lead late, fall to Searcy
By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY
Ready or not, the Heber Springs Panthers will begin the
4-4A Conference basketball schedule at Subiaco Academy on Friday.
In a final tune-up, the Panthers (1-7) led 40-39 going into the fourth quarter against Class 6A Searcy at the Panther Den Tuesday before dropping a 60-55 decision to the Lions in a nonconference game.
“The guys competed hard,” Heber Springs coach Dusty West said. “We made a lot of big shots during the first half and cooled off in the second half. Our defense was scrambling, and we were out of position at times, but the players gave great effort.”
Sophomore Conner Riddle scored a game-high 24 points for the Panthers. Braden Watson led Searcy with 16 points. Cameron Hicks contributed 14 points.
West said Riddle continues in his development not only as a scorer, but running the team’s offense.
“Conner had another great game,” West said. “He is handling the pressure of running the offense. He generated a lot of offense not only with his scoring, but getting the ball to other players for open shots.”
Ryan Crocker had one of his best performances this season by scoring 20 points.
“I challenged Ryan to be that type of player before the game,” West said. “He handled the pressure, did a good job of rebounding, utilized his size on defense and gave the other team a lot of trouble. He also did a good job of driving to the basket. We need to get that every game from him to do well in conference.”
After a 12-12 tie at the end of the first quarter, Heber Springs pulled ahead by scoring scoring quickly during the next two minutes. Logan Monahan made a 3-pointer and Riddle’s basket built the lead to 17-12.
Searcy responded with three unanswered baskets, but the Panthers regained the lead on a 3-pointer by Riddle, 20-18.
Searcy rallied for a 23-18 lead, but the Panthers finished the second quarter strong, outscoring the Lions 9-1 and led 29-24 at halftime.
Heber Springs survived a charge by the Lions during the third quarter. Crocker scored at the buzzer, giving the Panthers a 40-39 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Searcy took the lead midway through the fourth quarter and held off Heber Springs’ late challenge.
“Searcy switched from a zone to a man-to-man defense in the second half,” West said. “That was the difference in the game. I told the players before the game that the pressure was not on us to win because Searcy is a 6A school. The games that matter are conference games. We just need to go out there and give it our best shot, and we did that.”
Five nonconference games remain, but West said the team’s focus will be to become successful during conference play and make a run for the regional tournament.
“Games like against Searcy will help get us ready for conference play,” West said. “Our last two games (Riverview and Searcy) are similar teams in playing style of most of the conference teams. We are excited about Friday’s game.”
Searcy 12 12 15 21–60
Heber Springs 12 17 11 15–55
Searcy scorers — Braden Watson 16, Cameron Hicks 14, Ckyler Tenger 7, Jack Stafford 6, A’mariyon Briscoe 5, Willie Bowser 4, Landon Hambrick 2, Daniel Perry 2, Zyron Williams 2, Eli Wilson 2.
Heber Springs scorers — Conner Riddle 24, Ryan Crocker 20, Logan Monahan 7, Gus Hannah 2, Austin Winchester 2.
Heber Springs claims first win of the season
By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY
The season’s first win didn’t come easy for the Heber Springs Panthers.
Heber Springs went on a 19-4 third-quarter scoring run and pulled away with a 55-41 nonconference basketball win against the Shirley Blue Devils at the Panther Den Tuesday.
The Panthers trailed late in the second quarter, but Bauer Pruitt’s 3-pointer with seconds left sent the team into the dressing room with a 28-27 halftime lead. Heber Springs led 47-31 going into the fourth quarter.
Heber Springs ended a 24-game losing streak. The last win came at Dover (37-32) on Dec. 10, 2019.
“These guys have been through so much for the past two weeks,” coach Dusty West said. “The players kept fighting after they played three tough opponents (Batesville, Greenbrier and Guy-Perkins). We took our licks in those games. The players showed their maturity and composure.”
Ryan Crocker led a balanced scoring attack with 11 points for the Panthers. Conner Riddle and Gus Hannah each had eight points. Nash Little scored a game-high 17 points for Shirley. Arrick Nowell contributed nine points.
“It was a fun night, and they deserved this win,” West said. “The players refused to lose. Before the game, I drew a line on the board and told the players we will do what is needed to get across this line.”
Heber Springs held a four-point for most of the first quarter. Shirley tied the game at 7-7 midway through the quarter before back-to-back 3-pointers by Crocker and Zach Thomas broke the deadlock. Shirley pulled to within 13-12, but the Panthers answered and held an 18-13 lead going into the second quarter.
The Blue Devils remained close and took their first lead on Little’s 3-pointer, 26-25, with 1:30 left in the first half. Little made 1-of-2 free throws before Pruitt’s 3-pointer gave Heber Springs a 28-27 halftime lead.
“Our depth was a factor in the second half,” West said. “Shirley had two good shooters, and we did a good job defending them. This was a good way to go into Thanksgiving.”
Heber Springs (1-4) will return to action by hosting Conway St. Joseph at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
“It will be a challenge and a tough matchup,” West said. “The players are hungry after getting that first win.”
Shirley 13 14 4 10–41
Heber Springs 18 10 19 8–55
Shirley scorers — Nash Little 17, Arrick Nowell 9, Hunter Bradford 8, Alex Eoff 5, Trey Mattison 2.
Heber Springs scorers — Ryan Crocker 11, Conner Riddle 8, Gus Hannah 8, Logan Monahan 6, J.T. Spears 5, Austin Winchester 5, Dakota Farmer 4, Zach Thomas 3, Bauer Pruitt 3, Harley Breshanan 2.
Panthers’ season ends in northeast Arkansas
By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY
TRUMANN – Heber Springs beat the threat of COVID-19 and completed the 2020 football season, but the conclusion didn’t go as planned.
Heber Springs (2-9) finished the year with a 43-14 loss to Trumann at RMC Stadium in the opening round of the Class 4A football playoffs Friday.
“If you had told me nine weeks ago we would play 11 games, I would have said you were crazy,” Heber Springs coach Todd Wood said. “We were blessed to play 11 games. A lot of players who were inexperienced before the start of the season gained experience, and they will be coming back next year. I’m proud of the players for never giving up at any time during the season.”
Trumann followed a similar script of previous Heber Springs’ opponents by converting turnovers into touchdowns. The Wildcats scored two of their three first-half touchdowns following an interception and a fumble recovery.
The Panthers held a 7-6 advantage in first downs during the first half. But Trumann had 154 yards of offense, 127 coming on the ground, to 89 for Heber Springs. The Wildcats had three quarterback sacks for a minus 18 yards.
Trumann scored touchdowns on its first two possession of the second half.
Overall, Trumann outgained Heber Springs 348-198. The Wildcats compiled 305 of their 348 yards on the ground, but only held the ball five more minutes than the Panthers (26:43-21:17). Trumann finished by sacking HSHS quarterbacks seven times for a minus 45 yards.
“It was the same story from most of the season, when we hang onto the ball, we did well,” Wood said. “When we didn’t, teams took advantage and put us in a hole. That happened again. You can’t do that against a playoff team.”
Senior quarterback Matthew Cook led the Panthers by completing 14-of-24 passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns. Cook rushed nine times for a minus 6 yards, including sacks.
Senior running back Diego Rubio rushed for 65 yards on seven carries. Junior Jackson West ran for 50 yards on five attempts. Senior Nathan McKee caught seven passes for 63 yards and one touchdown. Freshman Parker Brown had 57 all-purpose yards and caught his first high school touchdown pass.
Rian King led Trumann with 109 yards rushing and scored three touchdowns. Milton Lewis ran for 78 yards and two touchdowns. Gavin Morgan also had 78 yards and scored one touchdown.
King’s interception put Trumann in position for the game’s first touchdown. The Wildcats drove 53 yards on six plays with King scoring on a 2-yard carry with 5:13 left in the first quarter. Efrain Garcia kicked the extra point for the 7-0 lead.
Trumann recovered a fumble at the Heber Springs 13 to set up its second touchdown. Two plays later, Lewis ran six yards for a touchdown with 11:56 left in the first half. Garcia kicked the extra point for the 14-0 lead.
Heber Springs answered with an 8-play, 54-yard drive following the kickoff. Cook passed 10 yards to McKee and Rubio broke loose on a 16-yard run to get the drive moving. Later, Rubio’s 11-yard run gave the Panthers a first-and-goal at the Trumann 1.
Two plays later, Cook rolled out and flipped a 3-yard touchdown pass to Brown with 8:31 remaining in the first half. A 2-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful as Heber Springs trailed, 14-6.
“We felt good after getting it to 14-6,” Wood said. “We had a good offensive drive and gained some momentum. I thought we could piece things together, get a defensive stop and get the ball back. Credit Trumann for coming out and doing some things different than we saw on film.”
Trumann regained a two-score lead before halftime by driving 54 yards on 12 plays. King scored on a 14-yard run with 1:56 to go for a 20-6 lead.
“I challenged the players at halftime to get a defensive start at the beginning of the third quarter,” Wood said. “We needed a defensive stop. Unfortunately, we were not healthy and had other players unable to play. We were just outmatched.”
Trumann began the third quarter on a 5-play, 58-yard drive. King broke free and ran 46 yards for the touchdown with 9:45 left. McClain ran for a 2-point conversion and increased the lead to 28-6.
The Wildcats held on downs and drove 59 yards on 11 plays. King capped the drive by scoring on a 9-yard run with 10:49 left in the game. Garcia kicked the extra point for the 35-6 lead.
Heber Springs’ second touchdown came on a 5-play, 61-yard drive. Cook connected on a 31-yard scoring pass to McKee with 8:44 left. Cook ran for the 2-point conversion as the Panthers trailed, 35-14.
Trumann recovered the attempted onside kickoff and scored two plays later. Morgan had a 46-yard touchdown run with 8:26 remaining. Lewis ran for the 2-point conversion.
Heber Springs (2-9) 0 6 0 8 - 14 Trumann (6-5) 7 13 8 15 - 43 FIRST QUARTER Trumann, Rian King 2-yard run (Efrain Garcia kick), 5:13 SECOND QUARTER Trumann, Milton Lewis 7-yard run (Garcia kick), 11:56 Heber Springs, Matthew Cook to Parker Brown 3-yard pass (pass failed), 8:31 Trumann, Lewis 14-yard run (kick failed), 1:50 THIRD QUARTER Trumann, King 46-yard run (Connor McClain run), 9:43 FOURTH QUARTER Trumann, King 9-yard run (Garcia kick), 10:49 Heber Springs, Cook to Nathan McKee 2-yard pass (Cook run), 8:44 Trumann, Gavin Morgan 46-yard run (Lewis run), 8:26 TEAM STATS First Downs by Rush: Heber Springs 6, Trumann 13 First Downs by Pass: Heber Springs 5, Trumann 1 First Downs by Penalty: Heber Springs 1, Trumann 0 Total First Downs: Heber Springs 12, Trumann 14 Third-Down Conversions: Heber Springs 5/10, Trumann 3/7 Fourth-Down Conversions: Heber Springs 1/3, Trumann 3/3 Red-Zone Conversions: Heber Springs 2/1, Trumann 4/4 Time of Possession: Heber Springs 21:17, Trumann 26:43 Fumbles/Lost: Heber Springs 2/1, Trumann 1/1 Turnovers: Heber Springs 2, Trumann 1 Points Off Turnovers: Heber Springs 0, Trumann 14 Penalties: Heber Springs 6/30, Trumann 6/52 Rushing: Heber Springs 26/83/3.2, Trumann 44/305/6.9 Passing: Heber Springs 16/27-115-2/1, Trumann 6/7-43-0/0 Plays/Total Offense/YPP: Heber Springs 53/198/3.7, Trumann 51/348/6.8 Sacks/Yards Lost: Heber Springs 0/0, Mills 7/45 Punts: Heber Springs 0, Trumann 1/41 Inside 20: Trumann 1 INDIVIDUAL STATS OFFENSE RUSHING: Heber Springs, Diego Rubio 7/65, Jackson West 5/50, Nathan McKee 2/(-3), Matthew Cook 9/(-6), John McBroome 3/(-23). Trumann, Rian King 14/109/3, Milton Lewis 13/78/2, Gavin Morgan 7/78/1, Murphy Williams 3/33, Parks McNair 1/13, Connor McClain 1/4, Team 1/(-4), Garner Henderson 1/(-6). PASSING: Heber Springs, Matthew Cook 14/24-105-2/1, John McBroome 2/3-10-0/0. Trumann, Connor McClain 6/7-43-0/0. RECEIVING: Heber Springs, Nathan McKee 7/63/1, Diego Rubio 2/8, Gus Hannah 1/25, Jackson West 1/5, Isaac King 1/8, Austin Winchester 1/8, Parker Brown 1/3/1, Chris Roberts 1/2, Easton Cusick 1/(-1). Trumann, Parks McNair 4/22, Gavin Morgan 1/11, Rian King 1/1. TOTAL OFFENSE: Heber Springs, Matthew Cook 99, Diego Rubio 65, Jackson West 50, Nathan McKee (-3), John McBroome (-13). Trumann, Rian King 109, Milton Lewis 78, Gavin Morgan 78, Connor McClain 47, Murphy Williams 33, Parks McNair 13, Garner Henderson (-6). PUNT RETURNS: None KICK RETURNS: Heber Springs, Parker Brown 3/54, Kenan Sneed 1/0, Austin Winchester 1/0. Trumann, Murphy Williams 1/0. FUMBLE RETURNS: None INTERCEPTION RETURNS: Trumann, Rian King 1/22 ALL-PURPOSE YARDS: Heber Springs, Diego Rubio 73, Nathan McKee 60, Parker Brown 57, Jackson West 55, Gus Hannah 25, Isaac King 8, Austin Winchester 8, Chris Roberts 2, Easton Cusick (-1), Matthew Cook (-6), John McBroome (-23). Trumann, Rian King 132, Gavin Morgan 89, Milton Lewis 78, Parks McNair 35, Murphy Williams 33, Connor McClain 4, Garner Henderson (-6). SCORING: Heber Springs, Parker Brown 6, Nathan McKee 6, Matthew Cook 2. Trumann, Rian King 18, Milton Lewis 14, Gavin Morgan 6, Efrain Garcia 3 (3/4 XPA), Connor McClain 2. DEFENSE PUNTS/YARDS/AVERAGE/INSIDE THE 20/BLOCKED: Trumann, Connor McClain 1/41/1 SACKS/YARDS LOST: Trumann, Garen Smithson 2/9, Garner Henderson 2/15, Eli Evett 1/10, Connor McClain 1/5, Desmond Langston 1/7
Panthers fall to Comets, head to playoffs
By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY
The Entrance of a new quarterback helped Little Rock Mills University Studies to turn the tide during the third quarter against the Heber Springs Panthers at Panther Stadium on Friday.
Freshman Achilles Ringo completed 8-of-10 passes for 105 yards and one touchdown and led the Comets to a 34-24 win against the Panthers in a 2-4A Conference game. Mills earned a No. 5 seed for the Class 4A football playoffs.
Ringo replaced sophomore starter Q.J. King, who completed 4-of-5 passes for 84 yards and rushed for 44 yards on eight attempts during the first half. King moved to receiver during the second half and caught four passes for 58 yards and one touchdown.
“He (Ringo) is Mills’ all-everything quarterback,” Heber Springs coach Todd Wood said. “He has a better arm than the other quarterback (King) and was more accurate. We knew when he came into the game, Mills was going to throw the ball more, take advantage of its speed and try and spread the field. That was the difference in the game.”
Wood said Ringo forced the Heber Springs defense to alter its game plan during the second half.
“Mills put us in a situation of defending the entire field and tackling in open spaces,” Wood said. “That made it difficult on us.”
The running game also was another difference in the game. Heber Springs had 25 yards to 185 yards for Mills. The Panthers reached the red zone six times, scoring a touchdown and kicking a field goal.
Keilon Dais rushed for 94 of his 117 yards during the second half for the Comets. Heber Springs quarterback Matthew Cook was held to 13 yards rushing, including three quarterback sacks. Mills converted 6-of-11 third-down plays, 5-of-7 in the first half. The Panthers were 2-of-10 on third down. Mills held a 374-309 advantage in total offense.
The loss ended Heber Springs’ bid to qualify for the playoffs. However, the Panthers will participate because of the Arkansas Activities Association allowing all teams into the playoffs because of COVID-19.
Heber Springs (1-6 conference, 2-8 overall) will play a play-in game at Trumann (3-4 3-4A Conference, 5-5 overall) starting at 7 p.m. Friday. The winner will advance to play Malvern in the first round.
Heber Springs controlled the first half thanks to quarterback Matthew Cook’s pin-point passing. Cook completed 15-of-21 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns during the first half and 23-of-37 for 211 yards with one interception. Nathan McKee completed 2-of-2 passes for 71 yards, including a 29-yard touchdown pass to Gus Hannah in the first half.
McKee was the leading receiver with nine catches for 69 yards, followed by Easton Cusick, who caught five passes for 49 yards. Hannah had four receptions for 120 yards and two touchdowns. Jackson West caught four passes for 28 yards and one touchdown.
Heber Springs received the opening kickoff and drove 62 yards on seven plays to take the initial lead. On the second play of the game, Hannah caught a pass from Cook and ran for a 26-yard gain and a first down at the Mills 20-yard line. Cook rushed for 16 yards for a first-and-goal at the 4-yard line.
The Panthers netted a minus four yards on the next three plays, but they decided to go for the touchdown on fourth-and-goal at the 8-yard line.
Cook passed to West for the touchdown with 9:51 left in the first quarter. Heber Springs failed on a 2-point conversion and led, 6-0.
Heber Springs scored again before the end of the quarter. After holding on downs at the Mills 29-yard line, the Panthers increased their lead when McKee passed to Hannah with 1:17 remaining. Diego Rubio ran for a 2-point conversion and the 14-0 lead.
Mills reduced the Heber Springs lead in half on a five-play, 52-yard drive. King connected with freshman Kylon Deadman on a 49-yard touchdown pass with 9:48 left in the first half. The Comets’ 2-point conversion attempt failed.
Heber Springs responded with a four-play, 40-yard drive. Cook passed 37 yards to Hannah for the score with 8:12 left in the first half. Hannah kicked the extra point for the 21-6 lead.
Mills scored before halftime on Keilon Davis’ 2-yard run with 4:12 remaining. The 2-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful as the Panthers led 21-12 at halftime.
“It felt good going into halftime leading by nine points,” Wood said. “We were scoreboard watching because we needed Clinton to lose and win by eight points against Mills. We led by 12 points later and felt good about everything. Unfortunately, we stalled on a couple of drives and then came the turnovers.”
Heber Springs increased its lead to 24-12 on Hannah’s 22-yard field goal with 7:26 left in the third quarter.
A shift of momentum began on the next series when Mills needed eight plays during a 60-yard drive. Ringo finished by scoring on a 3-yard run with 4:27 left in the third quarter. The Comets’ 2-point conversion failed as the Panthers’ lead was reduced to 24-18.
Mills took the lead with 1:14 to go in the third quarter. Davis broke free at the line of scrimmage and scored on a 64-yard run. He also ran for the 2-point conversion, giving Mills a 26-24 lead going into the fourth quarter.
The Comets scored an insurance touchdown with 11:26 left in the game when Ringo passed 33 yards to King. Davis ran for a 2-point conversion.
“The players showed a lot of fight, like that they did in previous games,” Wood said. “Since Aug. 3, I watched the players improve every day in practice and in games. That is a tribute to the players. I could not ask any more from them.”
GAME STATS
SCORING Little Rock Mills (3-4, 4-6) 0 12 14 8 - 34 Heber Springs (1-6, 2-8) 14 7 3 0 - 24 FIRST QUARTER Heber Springs, Matthew Cook to Jackson West 8-yard pass (run failed), 9:51 Heber Springs, Nathan McKee to Gus Hannah 29-yard pass (Diego Rubio run), 1:17 SECOND QUARTER Mills, Q.J. King to Kylan Deadmon 49-yard pass (run failed), 9:47 Heber Springs, Cook to Hannah 37-yard pass (Hannah kick), 8:12 Mills, Keilon Davis 2-yard (run failed), 4:12 THIRD QUARTER Heber Springs, Hannah 22-yard kick, 7:26 Mills, Achilles Ringo 3-yard pass (pass failed), 4:27 Mills, Davis 64-yard run (Davis run), 1:14 FOURTH QUARTER Mills, Ringo to King 33-yard pass (Davis run), 11:36 TEAM STATS First Downs by Rush: Heber Springs 3, Mills 5 First Downs by Pass: Heber Springs 7, Mills 8 First Downs by Penalty: Heber Springs 3, Mills 0 Total First Downs: Heber Springs 13, Mills 13 Third-Down Conversions: Heber Springs 2/10, Mills 6/11 Fourth-Down Conversions: Heber Springs 2/6, Mills 2/4 Red-Zone Conversions: Heber Springs 7/3, Mills 3/2 Time of Possession: Heber Springs 23:26, Mills 24:34 Fumbles/Lost: Heber Springs 3/2, Mills 5/3 Turnovers: Heber Springs 3, Mills 3 Points Off Turnovers: Heber Springs 0, Mills 8 Penalties: Heber Springs 8/59, Mills 14/119 Rushing: Heber Springs 15/25/1.7, Mills 37/185/5 Passing: Heber Springs 25/39-283-3/1, Mills 12/16-189-2/0 Plays/Total Offense/YPP: Heber Springs 54/308/5.7, Mills 53/374/7.1 Sacks/Yards Lost: Heber Springs 0/0, Mills 3/24 Punts: Heber Springs 1/36, Mills 0 Inside 20: Heber Springs 1 INDIVIDUAL STATS OFFENSE RUSHING: Heber Springs, Matthew Cook 10/18, Diego Rubio 4/11, Nathan McKee 1/(-4). Mills, Keilon Davis 18/117/2, Q.J. King 9/62, Achilles Ringo 3/(-2), Nikolas Watson 2/12, Team 2/(-4), Carlos Deadmon 1/(-2). PASSING: Heber Springs, Matthew Cook 23/37-211-2/1, Nathan McKee 2/2-71-1/0. Mills, Achilles Ringo 8/10-105-1/0, Q.J. King 4/6-84-1/0. RECEIVING: Heber Springs, Nathan McKee 9/69, Easton Cusick 5/49, Gus Hannah 4/120/2, Jackson West 4/28/1, Diego Rubio 2/9, Austin Winchester 1/7. Mills, Keilon Davis 6/66, Q.J. King 4/58/1, Kylan Deadmon 1/49/1, Jalon Davis 1/16. TOTAL OFFENSE: Heber Springs, Matthew Cook 229, Nathan McKee 77, Diego Rubio 11. Mills, Q.J. King 142, Keilon Davis 117, Achilles Ringo 103, Nikolas Watson 12. PUNT RETURNS: Clinton, none KICK RETURNS: Heber Springs, Jackson West 2/3, Nathan McKee 1/23, Diego Rubio 1/6. Mills, none. FUMBLE RETURNS: Mills, Wesley Guy 1/8 INTERCEPTION RETURNS: Mills, Dylan Parks 1/15 ALL-PURPOSE YARDS: Heber Springs, Gus Hannah 120, Nathan McKee 88, Easton Cusick 49, Jackson West 31, Diego Rubio 26, Matthew Cook 18, Austin Winchester 7. Mills, Keilon Davis 183, Q.J. King 120, Kylan Deadmon 49, Jalon Davis 16, Dylan Parks 15, Nikolas Watson 12, Wesley Guy 8, Achilles Ringo (-2), SCORING: Heber Springs, Gus Hannah 16 (1/1 XP/XPA, 1/1 FGA. Made: 22-yards), Jackson West 6, Diego Rubio 2. Mills, Keilon Davis 16, Kylan Deadmon 6, Achilles Ringo 6, Q.J. King 6. DEFENSE PUNTS/YARDS/AVERAGE/INSIDE THE 20/BLOCKED: Heber Springs, Matthew Cook 1/36/36/1/0. SACKS/YARDS LOST: Mills, Wesley Guy 1/11, Hunter Lowery 1/8, Nikolas Watson 1/4. FUMBLE RECOVERIES: Heber Springs, Kenan Sneed, Diego Rubio (onside kick), Chris Edwards (onside kick). Mills, Wesley Guy. INTERCEPTIONS: Mills, Carlos Deadmon
Heber Springs comes up short against Clinton
By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY
CLINTON — Time ran out on the Heber Springs Panthers to win their first Battle of the Little Red trophy at Jim Tumlison Field Friday.
Quarterback Matthew Cook’s pass for Diego Rubio was batted away by Clinton defenders Spencer Banister and Harley Tobin at the goal-line as the Panthers lost to the Yellowjackets 32-26 in a 2-4A Conference football game.
Clinton’s Nick Epley scored the winning touchdown on a 52-yard run with 50 seconds left in the game.
Cook started Heber Springs’ final drive with a 14-yard completion to Easton Cusick for a first down at the Clinton 47-yard line., Parker Brown, who was playing his first high school game, caught a 16-yard pass, advancing the ball to the 31. A five-yard penalty against Clinton set up the game’s final play.
“We were able to move down the field on the drive with different guys at receiver,” Heber Springs coach Todd Wood said. “We had a shot on the final play and that is all you can ask of your team. I told Matthew before the play to throw into the end zone.”
Brown was referring to Nathan McKee, the leading receiver for the Panthers, who was injured during the third quarter and unable to return.
Clinton forced a punt and drove 71 yards for the winning touchdown with 1:33 left in the game. Nick Epley caught a 13-yard pass from Harley Tobin for a first down at the Yellowjacket 45-yard line. Tobin kept the ball for three years before and threw an incomplete pass before Epley’s touchdown run on third-and-seven.
“We knew they could pass or run well,” Wood said. “Clinton has a good quarterback who can run or pass and a lot of speed in the backfield. It was a great call by them with less than a minute left. We were anticipating a pass. You have to make the tackle in that situation and we didn’t do it on that play.”
The teams played nose-to-nose during the first half with Clinton gaining one more yard (163-162) than Heber Springs. The Panthers rushed for 88 yards and passed for 74, while the Yellowjackets had 92 yards rushing and 71 passing.
For the game, Clinton outgained the Panthers 425-354 yards in total offense and held a 23-18 advantage in first downs. Heber Springs rushed for 201 yards and passed for 153. The Yellowjackets had 277 yards on the ground and 148 passing.
Heber Springs converted 1-of-10 opportunities on third down and 4-of-6 on fourth down. Clinton was 6-of-10 on third down and 1-of-2 on fourth down.
Cook completed 15-of-32 passes for 153 yards and one touchdown, and rushed 17 times for 167 yards and one touchdown. He accounted for 320 all-purpose yards. Rubio had 28 yards rushing and scored two touchdowns. McKee caught eight passes for 91 yards. Cusick had three catches for 39 yards and one touchdown. Parker Brown caught two passes for 18 yards.
Tobin completed 8-of-15 passes for 148 yards and one touchdown for Clinton. Epley rushed 18 times for 149 yards and one touchdown.
Clinton received the opening kickoff and marched 59 yards on seven plays for the early lead. Jacob Hutto capped the drive by scoring on a 5-yard run with 9:06 in the first quarter. Aldrick Infante kicked the extra point for the 7-0 lead.
Heber Springs tied the game on a 10-play, 57-yard drive in the second quarter. Cook’s 30-yard carry put the Panthers in scoring position at the Clinton 15-yard line.
The Panthers needed a fourth-down conversion to keep the drive alive. McKee caught a 7-yard pass from Cook for a first-and-goal at the 3-yard line. Two plays later, Rubio dove into the end zone from one yard out with 8:43 left in the first half. Gus Hannah kicked the extra point for the 7-7 tie.
Clinton regained the advantage on its next possession when Infante kicked a 32-yard field goal with 4:07 to go for a 10-7 lead.
But the Panthers didn’t wait long to respond. Heber Springs drove 62 yards on 10 plays, with Cook connecting on a 20-yard touchdown pass to Cusick. Hannah kicked the extra point for the 14-10 lead with 38 seconds remaining until halftime.
Clinton pulled to within one point on Infante’s 40-yard field game with two seconds left as Heber Springs led 14-13 at halftime.
Heber Springs started the second half at its 48 thanks to McKee’s kickoff return. Cook passed twice to McKee for a first-and-goal at the 4. Two plays later, Rubio scored from the 1, increasing the lead to 20-13. The 2-point conversion was no good.
Clinton pulled to within one point before the end of the third quarter. Tobin capped a six-play, 35-yard drive by scoring on a 1-yard sneak. The Panthers kept their 20-19 lead on Clinton’s bad snap on the try for the extra point.
Heber Springs increased its lead when Thad Bray recovered a Clinton fumble at the Panther 10-yard line. The Yellowjackets held on the next three plays as the Panthers faced a fourth-and-eight at the 12.
A fourth-down conversion helped Heber Springs to increase its lead. The Panthers elected to go for the first down. Cook took the snap, went to his left and broke to the outside. He outran the Yellowjacket defense and scored on an 88-yard run with 7:16 left in the game. After a failed 2-point play, the Panthers led, 26-19.
“We had two choices,” Wood said. “We could keep moving the ball down the field or give it back Clinton on a short field where it probably would score quickly. It was not a tough decision.”
Clinton tied the game when Brody Emberton caught a 21-yard touchdown pass from Tobin with 3:48 left. Infante kicked the extra point to tie the game at 26-26.
Epley scored the winning touchdown with 50 seconds left, and Clinton held the Panthers out of the end zone on the game’s final series.
Heber Springs (1-5 conference, 2-7 overall) will host Little Rock Mills in the final regular season game on Friday.
“Mills will be big and physical,” Wood said. “The game will show how much character that we have. We have to come back with our heads high and finish the regular season strong.”
GAME STATS
SCORING Heber Springs (1-5, 2-7) 0 14 6 6 - 26 Clinton (2-4, 2-7) 7 6 6 13 - 32 FIRST QUARTER Clinton, Jacob Hutto 5-yard run (Aldrick Infante kick), 9:06 SECOND QUARTER Heber Springs, Diego Rubio 1-yard run (Gus Hannah kick), 8:43 Clinton, Infante 32-yard field goal, 4:07 Heber Springs, Matthew Cook to Easton Cusick 20-yard pass (Hannah kick), :38 Clinton, Infante 40-yard field goal, :02 THIRD QUARTER Heber Springs, Diego Rubio 1-yard run (pass failed), 10:24 Clinton, Harley Tobin 1-yard run (run failed), :02 FOURTH QUARTER Heber Springs, Cook 88-yard run (run failed), 5:30 Clinton, Tobin to Brody Emberton 21-yard pass (Infante kick), 3:48 Clinton, Nick Epley 52-yard run (kick failed), :50 TEAM STATS First Downs by Rush: Heber Springs 8, Clinton 14 First Downs by Pass: Heber Springs 8, Clinton 8 First Downs by Penalty: Heber Springs 2, Clinton 1 Total First Downs: Heber Springs 18, Clinton 23 Third-Down Conversions: Heber Springs 1/10, Clinton 6/10 Fourth-Down Conversions: Heber Springs 4/6, Clinton 1/2 Red-Zone Conversions: Heber Springs 5/3, Southside 1/0 Time of Possession: Heber Springs 22:02, Clinton 25:58 Fumbles/Lost: Heber Springs 2/1, Clinton 2/2 Turnovers: Heber Springs 1, Clinton 2 Points Off Turnovers: Heber Springs 6, Clinton 0 Penalties: Heber Springs 4/40, Clinton 4/41 Rushing: Heber Springs 27/201/7.4, Clinton 47/277/5.9 Passing: Heber Springs 15/32-153-1/0, Clinton 8/15-148-1/0 Plays/Total Offense/YPP: Heber Springs 59/354/6, Clinton 62/425/6.9 Sacks/Yards Lost: Heber Springs 0/0, Clinton 2/11 Punts: Heber Springs 2/60, Clinton 1/34 Inside 20: None INDIVIDUAL STATS OFFENSE RUSHING: Heber Springs, Matthew Cook 17/167/1, Diego Rubio 9/28/2, Nathan McKee 1/6. Clinton, Nick Epley 18/149/1, Jacob Hutto 15/64/1, Brody Emberton 4/33, Harley Tobin 10/29/1, Cody Davis 1/2. PASSING: Heber Springs, Matthew Cook 15/32-153-1/0. Clinton, Harley Tobin 8/15-148-1/0. RECEIVING: Heber Springs, Nathan McKee 8/91, Easton Cusick 3/39, Parker Brown 2/18, Jackson West 1/3, Diego Rubio 1/2. Clinton, Brody Emberton 3/65/1, Nick Epley 3/43, Jasper Burgess 1/28, Blaine Emberton 1/12. TOTAL OFFENSE: Heber Springs, Matthew Cook 320, Diego Rubio 28, Nathan McKee 6. Clinton, Harley Tobin 182, Nick Epley 149, Jacob Hutto 64, Brody Emberton 33, Cody Davis 2. PUNT RETURNS: Clinton, Jacob Hutto 1/4 KICK RETURNS: Heber Springs, Diego Rubio 2/33, Nathan McKee 1/38, Parker Brown 1/4, Gus Hannah 1/0, Austin Winchester 1/0. Clinton, Cody Davis 2/31, Nick Epley 2/21, Brody Emberton 1/11. FUMBLE RETURNS: None INTERCEPTION RETURNS: None ALL-PURPOSE YARDS: Heber Springs, Matthew Cook 167, Nathan McKee 135, Diego Rubio 53, Easton Cusick 39, Parker Brown 22, Jackson West 3. Clinton, Nick Epley 213, Brody Emberton 109, Jacob Hutto 68, Cody Davis 33, Jasper Burgess 28, Blaine Emberton 12. SCORING: Heber Springs, Diego Rubio 12, Matthew Cook 6, Easton Cusick 6, Gus Hannah 2 (2/2 XPA). Clinton, Aldrick Infante 8 (2/3 XPA, 2/2 FGA. Made: 32, 40), Nick Epley 6, Jacob Hutto 6, Harley Tobin 6, Brody Emberton 6. DEFENSE PUNTS/YARDS/AVERAGE/INSIDE THE 20/BLOCKED: Heber Springs, Matthew Cook 2/60/30/0/0. Clinton, Aldrick Infante 1/34/34/0/0 SACKS/YARDS LOST: Clinton, Jasper Burgess 1/8, Josh Witt 1/6 FUMBLE RECOVERIES: Heber Springs, Isaac King, Thad Bray. Clinton, Ashton Hoyle. INTERCEPTIONS: None
Panthers claim conference win at Southside
By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY
SOUTHSIDE — The Heber Springs Panther defense demonstrated a new step of maturity against Southside Batesville late in the fourth quarter at Stewart Field Friday night.
After a questionable fumble call at the goal-line, the Panthers forced the Southside into a three-and-out and maintained possession during the final 3:37 for a 22-17 road win.
Heber Springs (1-4 2-4A Conference, 2-6 overall) won its first conference game for coach Todd Wood and moved into fifth-place tie with Little Rock Mills and Southside with two weeks remaining in the regular season.
“We talked about responding to quick-turnovers all season,” Wood said. “They wanted to go out there and do something about it this time. The players seemed to play with more energy on that series than other series in the game. We had a lot of big plays by a lot of players. Jayden Bremmon made two big plays. Preston Roberson moved back to linebacker and also made a lot of big plays.”
Wood noticed a different attitude among players. Instead of talking about the questionable fumble play, the defense made its biggest stand of the season yet.
“They played like their backs were against the wall and didn’t want to give Southside anything,” he said. “They had something to prove. I told the players after the game that they always were capable of playing that way and finally did it.”
Wood also had praise for the play of his linemen.
“It starts up front and I can’t say enough good things about all of those guys on the offensive line,” he said.
Big plays happened throughout the game, but Wood said one of the most important came on the final play of the third quarter. Heber Springs faced a fourth-and-10 at the Southside 34 when quarterback Matthew Cook connected on a 32-pass completion to Easton Cusick for a first down at the Southerner 7.
“We (coaching staff) noticed Cusick was open when we tried that play earlier in the game,” Wood said. “I told Matthew to watch for Easton. Matthew was throwing against the wind. Easton bobbled the ball a bit, but he brought the ball back to his chest and caught it.”
Cusick described the play.
“As soon as I saw the safety come up, the ball was there right in my hands,” he said. “Matthew passed the ball perfect to me. It was a great fourth-down play.”
Cook, who completed 9-of-12 passes for 159 yards and and rushed for 85 yards, said Wood told him before the play that Cusick might be open.
“He (Cusick) was open and I threw it to him,” Cook said. “We need those fourth-down conversions.”
Two plays later, Diego Rubio scored from the 1.
Southside controlled the first half, outgaining Heber Springs. The Southerners rushed for 131 yards, 81 coming on Brendan Frazier’s touchdown run. The Panthers were held to 53 yards — 10 yards rushing and 43 passing. Southside sacked Cook and John McBroome four times for losses of 28 yards.
Frazier’s scoring run and Skyler Anorve’s extra point kick gave Southside a 7-0 lead with 4:39 left in the first quarter. Frazier finished with 120 yards on 13 carries.
Heber Springs led for the first time in the game when Nathan McKee scored on a 2-yard carry, and Cook passed to Gus Hannah for the 2-point conversion. The Panthers led 8-7 with 11:56 to go in the first half.
Southside regained the lead with 4:14 left until halftime. The Panthers held on downs at the 2, but the Southerners’ Jamie Riggs scooped up a Diego Rubio fumble and scored. Anorve kicked the extra point for the 14-8 lead.
Heber Springs reached the goal line in the closing seconds, but the drive ended on a Cook interception in the end zone.
The second half became a different game. Heber Springs rushed for 106 yards and passed for 114 yards. Southside was held to 64 yards
Thad Bray set up the first touchdown of the third quarter when he blocked a punt. Bremmon recovered the ball at the Southside 20-yard line. Four plays later, Rubio scored on a 1-yard dive with 8:39 left in the third quarter. Jackson West caught a 3-yard pass from Cook for the 2-point conversion, giving the Panthers a 16-14 lead.
The Southerners regained the lead for the final time when Anorve kicked a 33-yard field. Southside led 17-16 with 4:31 remaining in the third quarter.
Heber Springs started its 11-play, 79-yard drive for the eventual winning score late in the third quarter. Cusick’s fourth-down catch put the Panthers in scoring position. Rubio scored from two yards out with 11:14 to play. The 2-point conversion try failed as Heber Springs led, 22-17.
McKee’s 55-yard catch of a Cook pass put the Panthers in position to increase the lead. McKee caught three passes in all for 81 yards on the night.
“I made a move to the outside and turned upfield.” McKee said. “Matthew saw I was open and put the ball where I could go and catch it.”
Cook said the play worked like Wood told him while on the sidelines earlier.
“Nathan was open, and I threw the ball to him,” Cook said. “The ball went right in his hands like it is suppose to.”
Heber Springs reached the Southside 7 when McKee apparently scored, but officials ruled he fumbled before crossing the goal line.
Heber Springs held on downs the next series and then maintained possession for the rest of the game.
“It was a good feeling after so much disappointment,” Cook said. “We’ve been through a lot of things this year. It felt great and it was against Southside. It was a relief. I had a big smile for the win with my teammates after the final play.”
Heber Springs will play at Clinton Friday in the fifth annual Battle of the Little Red.
“This was a great victory,” Wood said. “We will start preparing for the Clinton game. We have two more games to to take care of before looking at the playoffs.”
The Panthers will conclude the regular season by hosting Little Rock Mills.
GAME STATS
SCORING Heber Springs (1-4, 2-6) 0 8 8 6 - 22 Southside Batesville (1-4, 2-6) 7 7 3 0 - 17 FIRST QUARTER Southside Batesville, Brendan Frazier 81-yard run (Skyler Anorve kick), 4:39 SECOND QUARTER Heber Springs, Nathan McKee 2-yard run (Matthew Cook to Gus Hannah pass), 11:56 Southside Batesville, Jamie Riggs 2-yard fumble return (Anorve kick), 4:15 THIRD QUARTER Heber Springs, Diego Rubio 1-yard run (Cook to Jackson West pass), 8:39 Southside Batesville, Anorve 33-yard field goal, 4:22 FOURTH QUARTER Heber Springs, Rubio 1-yard run (pass failed), 11:14 TEAM STATS First Downs by Rush: Heber Springs 4, Southside 4 First Downs by Pass: Heber Springs 6, Southside 2 First Downs by Penalty: Heber Springs 3, Southside 0 Total First Downs: Heber Springs 13, Southside 6 Third-Down Conversions: Heber Springs 5/10, Southside 1/8 Fourth-Down Conversions: Heber Springs 1/2, Southside 0/2 Red-Zone Conversions: Heber Springs 5/3, Southside 1/0 Time of Possession: Heber Springs 28:55, Southside 19:05 Fumbles/Lost: Heber Springs 3/2, Southside 1/1 Turnovers: Heber Springs 3, Southside 2 Points Off Turnovers: Heber Springs 8, Southside 7 Penalties: Heber Springs 7/43, Southside 8/75 Rushing: Heber Springs 43/126/2.9, Southside 30/172/5.7 Passing: Heber Springs 10/14-157-0/1, Southside 4/7-23-0/1 Plays/Total Offense/YPP: Heber Springs 57/283/5.0, Bald Knob 37/195/5.1 Sacks/Yards Lost: Heber Springs 0/0, Southside 5/29 Punts: Heber Springs 4/107/26.8, Southside 3/61/20.3 Inside 20: Heber Springs 1, Southside 1 Blocked Punts: Heber Springs 1, Southside 0 INDIVIDUAL STATS OFFENSE RUSHING: Heber Springs, Matthew Cook 21/85, Diego Rubio 13/26/2, Nathan McKee 5/24/1, Jackson West 1/4, Team 1/(-3), John McBroome 2/(-10). Southside Batesville, Brendan Frazier 13/120/1, Brycen Sutton 12/39, Jacob Dunne 3/29, Chase Duncan 1/1, Team 1/(-17). PASSING: Heber Springs, Matthew Cook 9/12-159-0/1, John McBroome 1/2- (-2)-0/0. Bald Knob, Chase Duncan 4/7-23-0/0 RECEIVING: Heber Springs, Nathan McKee 3/81, Jackson West 3/27, Easton Cusick 2/50, Diego Rubio 1/1, Matthew Cook 1/(-2). Southside Batesville, Bo Trucks 2/19, Jacob Dunne 1/4, Isaac Smith 1/0. TOTAL OFFENSE: Heber Springs, Matthew Cook 244, Diego Rubio 26, Nathan McKee 24, Jackson West 4, John McBroome (-12). Southside Batesville, Brendan Frazier 120, Brycen Sutton 39, Jacob Dunne 29, Chase Duncan 24. PUNT RETURNS: Southside Batesville, Isaac Smith 1/12 KICK RETURNS: Heber Springs, Austin Winchester 2/0 FUMBLE RETURNS: Southside Batesville, Jamie Riggs 1/2 INTERCEPTION RETURNS: None OTHER RETURNS: Jayden Bremmon 1/18 ALL-PURPOSE YARDS: Heber Springs, Nathan McKee 105, Matthew Cook 83, Easton Cusick 50, Jackson West 31, Diego Rubio 27, Jayden Bremmon 18. Southside Batesville, Brendan Frazier 120, Brycen Sutton 39, Jacob Dunne 33, Chase Duncan 24, Bo Trucks 14, Isaac Smith 12, Jamie Riggs 2. SCORING: Heber Springs, Diego Rubio 12, Nathan McKee 6, Gus Hannah 2, Jackson West 2. Southside Batesville, Brendan Frazier 6, Jamie Riggs 6, Skyler Anorve 5 (2/2 XPA, 1/1 FG - Made: 33). DEFENSE PUNTS/YARDS/AVERAGE/INSIDE THE 20/BLOCKED: Heber Springs, Matthew Cook 3/50/16.6, John McBroome 1/57/1/0. Southside Batesville, Blayne Warden 2/61/30.5/1, Team 1/0/0/1. SACKS/YARDS LOST: Southside Batesville, Vern Deering 2/13, Lincoln Fair 1/9, Ricky Vickers 1/6, Alex Allen 1/1 FUMBLE RECOVERIES: Southside Batesville, Jamie Riggs BLOCKED PUNTS: Heber Springs, Thad Bray BLOCKED PUNT RECOVERIES: Heber Springs, Jayden Bremmmon INTERCEPTIONS: Heber Springs, Nathan McKee. Southside Batesville, Justin Vannattan
Fast start, slow finish for Panthers
By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY
A tale of two halves best described Friday’s 2-4A Conference football game between Bald Knob and Heber Springs at Panther Stadium.
The Panthers (0-4 conference, 1-6 overall) led 7-0 at halftime, but the Bulldogs (2-2 conference, 5-3 overall) dominated the second half for a 35-15 win and spoiled Heber Springs’ homecoming.
Bald Knob scored touchdowns after four Heber Springs turnovers and outgained the Panthers, 238-92 in the second half. The Panthers compiled 61 of their 92 yards during the second half on the final possession, which ended with a touchdown.
Heber Springs had six turnovers for the game — four interceptions and two fumbles, including an onside kickoff. The Bulldogs finished with a 341-203 advantage in total offense.
“Bald Knob beat us on the line of scrimmage,” Heber Springs coach Todd Wood said. “They knew that they could run the ball against us, which opened up their passing game. We couldn’t move the ball in the second half.”
Bald Knob quarterback Leason Pierce completed 13-of-23 passes for 156 yards and three touchdowns. Pierce was only 2-of-6 passing for 24 yards in the first half.
“The defense played well in the first half,” Wood said. “Bald Knob’s size on the line wore us down in the second half.”
Heber Springs held Bald Knob to 1-of-6 third-down conversions in the first half. The Bulldogs turned the tables in the final two quarters by converting 5-of-7 third-down plays.
The Panthers had 3-of-6 third down conversions in the first half and 3-of-5 in the second half. Heber Springs was 2-of-2 during its final scoring drive.
Bald Knob was successful on 2-of-8 fourth down plays, while the Panthers were 0-of-4.
“Our guys were still trying to keep battling,” Wood said. “The big issue were the turnovers and not adjusting to quick changes. We must learn how to fight through that. You can’t win games with that many turnovers.”
Heber Springs quarterback Matthew Cook completed 13-of-27 passes for 91 yards with four interceptions. Nathan McKee caught seven passes for 38 yards. Diego Rubio had 35 yards rushing on eight carries and scored one touchdown.
“We had a good drive on our first possession of the game,” Wood said. “Cook was playing with a lot of confident, but all of the sudden, he gets pressured by Bald Knob’s defense. Matthew looked at things he didn’t need to be looking at. We got to help him correct that. I need to figure out what we need to do to help him do his job better. The first drive was nice, but we didn’t have much success for the rest of the game.”
Heber Springs drove 51 yards on nine plays following the opening kickoff. Cook connected on a 16-yard pass to Easton Cusick, Rubio ran for 10 yards and McKee caught a 13-yard pass for a first-and-goal at the Bald Knob 8-yard line.
Two plays later, Cook scored on a 2-yard carry with 8:51 left in the first quarter. Gus Hannah kicked the extra point for the 7-0 lead.
Bald Knob’s only first-half scoring threat came on its final possession. The Bulldogs drove from their 31 to the Panther 20-yard line. Bald Knob’s Marcus McGahee missed a 37-yard field goal on the final play as Heber Springs led 7-0 at halftime.
Michael Wingo intercepted a Cook pass and set up Bald Knob’s first touchdown during the third quarter. The Bulldogs needed six plays to go 39 yards with Wingo scoring on a 24-yard run. McGahee kicked the extra point to tie the game at 7-7 with 5:23 left.
Bald Knob regained possession on a sack of Cook, who fumbled, and the Bulldogs recovered at the Heber Springs 20-yard line. Pierce completed the short drive by passing 13 yards to Wingo for the touchdown. McGahee added the conversion for the 14-7 lead.
The Bulldogs recovered an onside kickoff and later scored their third touchdown of the third quarter. Dane Lindsey caught a 19-yard pass from Pierce, increasing the lead to 20-7 going into the fourth quarter.
“We knew the onside kick was coming and practiced on it during the week,” Wood said. “You have to be aware where you are on the field and what you need to do in that situation. Bald Knob executed, and we didn’t.”
Bald Knob scored two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Pierce passed 38 yards to Josh Clark for a score with 10:46 to go. Clark had a 6-yard touchdown run with 4:27 left.
McGahee ran for a 2-point conversion and then kicked an extra point, increasing Bald Knob’s lead to 35-7.
Jackson West capped a 10-play, 59-yard drive for the Panthers scoring on a 3-yard carry with 24 seconds to play. Hannah ran for the 2-point conversion.
Heber Springs will seek to rebound at Southside Batesville on Friday.
“Southside is another good team that has a big line and likes to runs the ball,” Wood said. “We must find a way to keep our defense from playing most of the time on the field and get the offense going. We took a step backwards against Bald Knob. We need to find out what we did wrong and fix it by Friday.”
GAME STATS
SCORING Bald Knob (4-3, 2-2) 0 0 20 15 - 35 Heber Springs (1-6, 0-4) 7 0 0 8 - 15 FIRST QUARTER Heber Springs, Matthew Cook 2-yard run (Gus Hannah kick), 8:57 THIRD QUARTER Bald Knob, Michael Wingo 3-yard (Marcus McGahee kick), 5:22 Bald Knob, Leason Pierce to Wingo 13-yard pass (McGahee kick), 3:20 Bald Knob, Pierce to Dane Lindsey 19-yard pass (kick failed), 1:06 FOURTH QUARTER Bald Knob, Pierce to Josh Clark 38-yard pass (McGahee run), 10:46 Bald Knob, Clark 6-yard run (McGahee kick), 4:27 Heber Springs, Jackson West 3-yard run (Hannah run), 28.4 TEAM STATS First Downs by Rush: Heber Springs 5, Bald Knob 11 First Downs by Pass: Heber Springs 8, Bald Knob 5 First Downs by Penalty: Heber Springs 0, Bald Knob 1 Total First Downs: Heber Springs 13, Bald Knob 17 Third-Down Conversions: Heber Springs 6/11, Bald Knob 6/13 Fourth-Down Conversions: Heber Springs 0/4, Bald Knob 1/6 Red-Zone Conversions: Heber Springs 2/2, Bald Knob 4/5 Time of Possession: Heber Springs 18:21, Bald Knob 29:39 Fumbles/Lost: Heber Springs 3/2, Bald Knob 0/0 Turnovers: Heber Springs 6, Bald Knob 0 Points Off Turnovers: Heber Springs 0, Bald Knob 27 Penalties: Heber Springs 4/53, Bald Knob 5/34 Rushing: Heber Springs 24/67/2.8, Bald Knob 43/185/4.3 Passing: Heber Springs 17/31-136-0/4, Bald Knob 13/23-156-3/0 Plays/Total Offense/YPP: Heber Springs 41/203/5.0, Bald Knob 66/341/5.2 Sacks/Yards Lost: Heber Springs 1/8, Bald Knob 2/7 Punts: Heber Springs 2/43/21.5, Bald Knob 0/0 Inside 20: Heber Springs 0, CAC 0 INDIVIDUAL STATS OFFENSE RUSHING: Heber Springs, Diego Rubio 8/35, Jackson West 6/16/1, Matthew Cook 8/11/1, Easton Cusick 2/5. Bald Knob, Bradyn Cline 14/90, Josh Clark 10/62/1, Leason Pierce 8/25, Michael Wingo 6/14/1, Marcus McGahee 4/14, Team 1/(-6). PASSING: Heber Springs, Matthew Cook 13/27-91-0/4, John McBroome 4/4-45-0/0. Bald Knob, Leason Pierce 13/23-156-3/0. RECEIVING: Heber Springs, Nathan McKee 7/42, Easton Cusick 2/32, Austin Winchester 2/26, Dakota Farmer 2/19, Diego Rubio 2/5, Gus Hannah 1/11, Jackson West 1/1. Bald Knob, Dane Lindsey 5/36/1, Michael Wingo 3/17/1, Matthew Smith 2/32/1, Josh Clark 1/38/1, Gage Dismuke 1/24, Elijah Bradley 1/9. TOTAL OFFENSE: Heber Springs, Matthew Cook 102, John McBroome 45, Diego Rubio 35, Jackson West 16, Easton Cusick 5. Bald Knob, Leason Pierce 181, Bradyn Cline 90, Josh Clark 62, Michael Wingo 14, Marcus McGahee 14, Team (-6). PUNT RETURNS: None KICK RETURNS: Heber Springs, Nathan McKee 2/45, Diego Rubio 1/17. Bald Knob, Dane Lindsey 1/7, Hayden McAnelly 1/0. FUMBLE RETURNS: Bald Knob, Travis Kersey 1/15 INTERCEPTION RETURNS: Bald Knob, Michael Wingo 2/24, Matthew Smith 1/21 ALL-PURPOSE YARDS: Heber Springs, Nathan McKee 87, Diego Rubio 57, Easton Cusick 37, Austin Winchester 26, Dakota Farmer 19, Jackson West 17, Matthew Cook 11, Gus Hannah 11. Bald Knob, Josh Clarke 100, Bradyn Cline 90, Michael Wingo 55, Matthew Smith 53, Dane Lindsey 43, Leason Pierce 25, Gage Dismuke 24, Marcus McGahee 14, Elijah Bradley 9. SCORING: Heber Springs, Matthew Cook 6, Jackson West 6, Gus Hannah 3 (1/1 XPA). Bald Knob, Michael Wingo 12, Josh Clark 12, Dane Lindsey 6, Marcus McGahee 5 (4/5 XPA, 0/1 FGA. Missed 37). DEFENSE PUNTS/YARDS/AVERAGE/INSIDE THE 20: Heber Springs, Matthew Cook 2/43/21.5 SACKS/YARDS LOST: Heber Springs, Preston Roberson/Matthew Cook 1/8. Bald Knob, Travis Kersey 2/7 FUMBLE RECOVERIES: Bald Knob, Travis Kersey, Marcus McGahee INTERCEPTIONS: Bald Knob, Michael Wingo 2, Matthew Smith 1, Josh Clark 1
Mustangs pull away late from Panthers
By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY
NORTH LITTLE ROCK – Sometimes statistics don’t tell the entire story of a football game.
It happened when the Heber Springs Panthers lost to 2-4A Conference co-leader Central Arkansas Christian 35-14 at Mustang Mountain Friday.
CAC (3-0 conference, 6-0 overall) held a 13-yard advantage in total offense, but the Panthers (0-3 conference, 1-5 overall) averaged more per play, 5.7 to 5.6 yards. The Mustangs ran 60 plays from scrimmage to 57 for Heber Springs.
Diego Rubio became the first Panther to rush for 100 yards in a single game this season with 10 carries for 143 yards and scored one touchdown.
The passing game was effective as Heber Springs quarterback Matthew Cook completed 19-of-29 passes for 149 yards. Nathan McKee caught eight passes for 65 yards, while Jackson West had 46 yards on four receptions. CAC sacked Cook five times for a minus 24 yards.
“We had some success on offense, and the guys. executed well, but the problem was we didn’t do it for the entire game,” Heber Springs coach Todd Wood said. “We have to count on everyone to execute every play. Sometimes we were not focused on what to do mentally. That is a failure on the coaches’ part, and we need to do a better job of getting the players prepared for games.”
CAC running back Tyler Williams was a one-player show, rushing for 148 yards and scoring three touchdowns, and catching five passes for 63 yards.
Mustang quarterback Palmer Gilbrech completed 15-of-22 passes for 194 yards and one touchdown. Jackson Richmond caught four passes for 61 yards.
Wood said momentum shifted to the Mustangs late in the first half. The game was tied 7-7 before CAC scored two touchdowns for the 21-7 halftime lead.
“They were rolling down the field with No. 5 (Williams) running,” Wood said. “We had a chance to make tackles and hit him high. When you try and tackle him high, you are not going to come out well. If we could have kept it at 14-7 going into halftime, it might have been different in the second half.”
CAC took the lead after recovering a McKee fumble, who caught an 8-yard pass from Cook, fumble at the Mustang 35-yard line after it appeared the ball went out of bounds. Williams rushed on 8-of-9 plays during the drive, scoring on a 2-yard carry with 31 seconds left in the first quarter. Isaac Rine kicked the extra point for the 7-0 lead.
Heber Springs answered with a 10-play, 50-yard drive following the kickoff. McKee’s 17-yard reception and Rubio rushed for 11 yards to start the drive. Cook finished the series by scoring on a 10-yard run on fourth-and-goal. Chandler Webber kicked the extra point to tie the game at 7-7 with 9:23 left in the first half.
CAC regained the lead by driving 53 yards after the ensuing kickoff. Williams scored on a 2-yard carry and capped the 10-play drive with 5:10 remaining in the first half. Rine kicked the extra point for the 14-7 lead.
Heber Springs threatened to tie the score when it had a first down at the CAC 30-yard line. Four plays later, the Mustangs held on downs at the 22-yard line.
CAC needed eight plays on the 78-yard drive, with Williams scoring on a 25-yard run with 23 seconds left. Rine kicked the extra point for the 21-7 halftime lead.
“If we had been down 14-7 going into the half, it might have been different in the second half,” Wood said. “We had the ball at the beginning of the third quarter, but we didn’t execute well.”
Heber Springs drove to the CAC 17 in the third quarter. A holding penalty moved the Panthers back as the Mustangs held on downs at the 10-yard line.
After two defensive stops, Heber Springs pulled to within a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Cook connected on a 17-yard pass to McKee before Rubio broke into the clear, ran around a defender and scored on a 58-yard run. Webber kicked the extra point, reducing CAC’s lead to 21-14 with 8:14 left in the game.
“Diego is a warrior for the team,” Wood said. “He keeps going and going and makes things happen. Diego is only 5-feet-4, but he plays with a big heart.”
CAC regained a two-touchdown lead on an 8-play, 57-yard drive, all runs by Williams. The Mustangs had a first-and-goal at the 10-yard line, but the Heber Springs defense stiffened on the next three plays and forced fourth-and-goal at the 1.
Williams plunged into the end zone with 4:38 remaining in the game. Rine kicked the extra point, increasing CAC’s lead to 28-14.
“We needed a stop on defense,” Wood said. “We knew No. 5 would get the ball. I told the guys on fourth-and-goal they needed to get into the backfield and tackle him. He just wanted it more than we did.”
CAC’s Jake Sheehy’s 82-yard interception return wrapped up the scoring.
Heber Springs will host Bald Knob for homecoming on Friday.
GAME STATS
SCORING Heber Springs (1-5, 0-3) 0 7 0 7 - 14 Central Arkansas Christian (6-0, 3-0) 7 14 0 14 - 35 FIRST QUARTER CAC, Tyler Williams 2-yard run (Isaac Rine kick), :31 SECOND QUARTER Heber Springs, Matthew Cook 10-yard run (Chandler Webber kick), 9:28 CAC, Williams 1-yard run (Rine Kick), 5:18 CAC, Palmer Gilbrech to Williams 25-yard pass (Rine kick), :23 FOURTH QUARTER Heber Springs, Diego Rubio 58-yard run (Webber kick), 8:14 CAC, Williams 1-yard run (Rine kick), 4:38 CAC, Payton Talbert 82-yard interception return (Rine kick), 1:41 TEAM STATS First Downs by Rush: Heber Springs 11, CAC 8 First Downs by Pass: Heber Springs 4, CAC 8 First Downs by Penalty: Heber Springs 2, CAC 2 Total First Downs: Heber Springs 17, CAC 18 Third-Down Conversions: Heber Springs 4/10, CAC 2/11 Fourth-Down Conversions: Heber Springs 2/5, CAC 4/5 Red-Zone Conversions: Heber Springs 1/2, CAC 3/4 Time of Possession: Heber Springs 23:32, CAC 24:28 Fumbles/Lost: Heber Springs 3/1, CAC 1/0 Turnovers: Heber Springs 3, CAC 0 Points Off Turnovers: Heber Springs 0, CAC 14 Penalties: Heber Springs 10/87, CAC 9/73 Plays/Total Offense/YPP: Heber Springs 57/325/5.7, CAC 60/338/5.6 Rushing: Heber Springs 28/176/6.3, CAC 38/144/3.8 Passing: Heber Springs 19/29-149-0/2, CAC 15/22-194-1/0 Sacks/Yards Lost: Heber Springs 1/4, CAC 5/24 Punts: Heber Springs 1/36/36, CAC 3/117/39 Inside 20: Heber Springs 0, CAC 0 INDIVIDUAL STATS OFFENSE RUSHING: Heber Springs, Diego Rubio 10/143/1, Matthew Cook 16/25/1, Nathan McKee 2/8. CAC, Tyler Williams 27/148/3, Ethan Demarco 1/4, Palmer Gilbrech 7/4, Team 3/(-12). PASSING: Heber Springs, Matthew Cook 19/29-149-0/2. CAC, Palmer Gilbrech 15/22-194-1/0. RECEIVING: Heber Springs, Nathan McKee 8/65, Jackson West 4/46, Easton Cusick 3/7, Isaac King 2/5, Austin Winchester 1/13, Diego Rubio 1/3. CAC, Tyler Williams 5/63/1, Jackson Richmond 4/61, Jackson Morse 2/42, Carlito London 2/8, Cauy Blevins 1/12, Jake Sheehy 1/8. TOTAL OFFENSE: Heber Springs, Matthew Cook 174, Diego Rubio 143, Nathan McKee 8. CAC, Palmer Gilbrech 198, Tyler Williams 148, Ethan Demarco 4, Team (-12). PUNT RETURNS: None KICK RETURNS: Heber Springs, Jackson West 3/41, Isaac King 1/0. CAC, Carlito London 1/31, Tyler Williams 1/26. FUMBLE RETURNS: Heber Springs, Thad Bray 1/5. CAC, Carlito London 1/(-3). INTERCEPTION RETURNS: CAC, Jake Sheehy 1/81/1, Palmer Gilbrech 1/38 ALL-PURPOSE YARDS: Heber Springs, Diego Rubio 146, Jackson West 87, Nathan McKee 73, Matthew Cook 25, Austin Winchester 13, Easton Cusick 7, Isaac King 5, Thad Bray 5. CAC, Tyler Williams 237, Jake Sheehy 89, Jackson Richmond 61, Jackson Morse 42, Palmer Gilbrech 42, Carlito London 36, Cauy Blevins 12, Ethan Demarco 4, SCORING: Heber Springs, Matthew Cook 6, Diego Rubio 6, Chandler Webber (2/2 XPA). Lonoke, Tyler Williams 24, Jake Sheehy 6, Isaac Rine 5 (5/5 XPA). DEFENSE PUNTS/YARDS/AVERAGE/INSIDE THE 20: Heber Springs, Matthew Cook 1/36/36/0. CAC, Palmer Gilbrech 3/117/39/0. SACKS/YARDS LOST: Heber Springs, Preston Roberson/Thad Bray 1/4. CAC, Jake Sheehy 2/8, Cole Shoemaker 1/6, Henry Handley 1/5, Jeremiah Wingfield 1/5 FUMBLE RECOVERIES: CAC, Ty Bahnks INTERCEPTIONS: CAC, Jake Sheehy, Palmer Gilbrech
Hounds top Panthers in opener
September 4, 2020
By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY
First-half turnovers quickly put the Heber Springs Panthers in a bind during Friday’s football season opener against Newport at Panther Stadium.
Newport turned two interceptions and two fumble recoveries into touchdowns, drove for three more scores and defeated the Panthers 45-6, spoiling the coaching debut of new head coach Todd Wood.
The Greyhounds, who held a 321-121 advantage in total offense, built a 19-0 lead by the end of the first quarter. Newport increased its advantage to 45-0 by halftime.
“Newport is a very good team with a lot of speed and size,” Wood said. “That is the kind of a team I want o play early in the season because it will help prepare us for conference play.”
Heber Springs received the opening kickoff and lost possession on the game’s second play on an interception, giving Newport a first down at the Panther 20. Tharon Davis scored on a 2-yard carry, putting the Greyhounds ahead 6-0 with 10:04 left in the opening quarter.
Newport didn’t wait long to regain possession and extend the lead. Newport recovered a fumble at the Panther 10 and Chris Reynolds caught a touchdown pass from Dejai Marshall with 9:02 left in the quarter.
The Greyhounds didn’t let up. After a short punt, Newport drove 65 yards on six plays with Davis scoring on a 6-yard run for an 19-0 lead with 3:23 remaining in the first quarter. Mark Chavez kicked the extra point.
“You don’t want to give a lot of gifts to a team like Newport early in the game,” Wood said. “They scored after two turnovers and then scored again before the end of the quarter. We looked at the scoreboard and saw we trailed 19-0.”
Newport added four touchdowns during the second quarter with two scores set up by turnovers.
Jamarriel Balentine finished a 5-play, 31-yard drive following a short punt by scoring on a 2-yard run with 11:12 left in the first half. Marshall ran for a 2-point conversion, increasing Newport’s lead to 27-0.
Turnovers set up the Greyhounds’ next two touchdowns. Davis broke free and rushed 41 yards for a touchdown. Marshall connected on a 10-yard scoring pass to Reynold with 9:13 left in the first half.
Marshall threw his third touchdown pass of the opening half, a 39-yard strike to Tristan Griffen, late in the second quarter for the 45-0 halftime lead.
Davis finished the night with 114 yards rushing and three touchdown on nine carries for Newport, all coming in the first half.
“Newport played good defense,” Wood said. “We must recognize what they are doing and find a way to overcome it. The game snowballed on us and it’s hard to dig out of a hole like we had in the first half.”
Heber Springs began the second half by forcing a Newport punt and drove 76 yards on eight plays for its touchdown. Matthew Cook, who moved to quarterback, dashed into the clear and ran 62 yards for a first-and-goal at the Greyhound 1-yard line. Newport pushed the Panthers back to a fourth-and-goal at the 4 when Cook connected with Hunter Kent on a touchdown pass in the back of the end zone.
“We did better in the second half and moved the ball at times, but Newport was playing backups,” Wood said. “We need to fix everything for next week’s game and move forward.”
Wood said the players, especially the underclassmen, learned during the second half and that will benefit the team in the future.
“We have only eight seniors on a 38-player roster and our inexperience shows,” he said. “Some of the young guys learned new things and by the time we get to conference play. Those players will be more seasoned and that will help us out in the long run”
Heber Springs will play Harding Academy at First Security Stadium in Searcy starting at 7 p.m. Friday.
STATS
SCORING Newport (2-0) 19 26 0 0 - 45 Heber Springs (0-1) 0 0 6 0 - 6 FIRST QUARTER Newport - Tharon Davis 2-yard run (kick failed), 10:04 Newport - Dejai Marshall to Chris Reynolds 10-yard pass (kick failed), 9:02 Newport - Davis 6-yard run (Mark Chavez kick), 3:26 SECOND QUARTER Newport - Jamarriel Balentine 2-yard run (Marshall run), 11:12 Newport - Davis 41-yard run (run failed), 10:42 Newport - Marshall to Isiah Kendall 10-yard pass (kick failed), 9:13 Newport - Marshall to Tristan Griffen 39-yard pass (run failed), 1:14 THIRD QUARTER Heber Springs - Matthew Cook to Hunter Kent 1-yard pass (pass failed), 4:36 TEAM STATS First Downs by Rush: Heber Springs 4, Newport 6 First Downs by Pass: Heber Springs 2, Newport 8 First Downs by Penalty: Heber Springs 0, Newport 0 Total First Downs: Heber Springs 6, Newport 14 Third-Down Conversions: Heber Springs 3/11, Newport 3/6 Fourth-Down Conversions: Heber Springs 2/5, Newport 3/6 Red-Zone Conversions: Heber Springs 2/5, Newport 0/0 Time of Possession: Heber Springs 23:24, Newport 24:36 Fumbles/Lost: Heber Springs 2/2, Newport 1/1 Turnovers: Heber Springs 4, Newport 1 Points Off Turnovers: Heber Springs 0, Newport 25 Penalties: Heber Springs 2/10, Newport 3/25 Plays/Total Offense/YPP: Heber Springs 48/121/2.5, Newport 41/321/7.8 Rushing: Heber Springs 26/68/2.6, Newport 26/185/7.1 Passing: Heber Springs 10/22-53-1/2, Newport 12/15-136-3/0 Sacks/Yards Lost: Heber Springs 0/0, Newport 4/22 Punts: Heber Springs 3/63/21, Newport 3/108/36 Inside 20: Heber Springs 0, Newport 1
INDIVIDUAL STATS OFFENSE RUSHING: Heber Springs, Matthew Cook 9/48/5.3, Diego Rubio 10/36/3.6, Gus Hannah 1/8, Nathan McKee 1/2, Hunter Kent 1/(-4), John McBroome 4/(-22)/(-5.5). Newport, Tharon Davis 9/114/12.7, Keyron Childress 2/49, Jamarriel Balentine 9/43/4.8, Devin Braxton 1/6, Team 1/(-3), Cayden Johnson 3/(-12)/(-4), Dejai Marshall 1/(-12). RUSHING RUNS OF 50+: Heber Springs, Matthew Cook (1). Newport, Keyron Childress (1). RUSHING RUNS OF 40+: Newport, Tharon Davis (1). RUSHING RUNS OF 20+: Newport, Tharon Davis (2). RUSHING RUNS OF 10+: Heber Springs, Diego Rubio (1). Newport, Jamarriel Balentine (2), Tharon Davis (1). PASSING: Heber Springs, John McBroome 7/14-43-0/2, Matthew Cook 3/8-10-1/0. Newport, Dejai Marshall 12/12-136-3/0, Isiah Kendall 0/3-0-0/0. RECEIVING: Heber Springs, Hunter Kent 3/6, Austin Winchester 2/10, Diego Rubio 2/5, Nathan McKee 1/17, Gus Hannah 1/8, Kenan Sneed 1/7. Newport, Isiah Kendall 3/41, Tristan Griffen 3/37, Chris Reynolds 3/32, Jadarius Reed 1/11, Tharon Davis 1/10, Cayden Johnson 1/5. TOTAL OFFENSE: Heber Springs, Matthew Cook 58, Diego Rubio 36, John McBroome 21, Gus Hannah 8, Nathan McKee 2, Hunter Kent (-4). Newport, Dejai Marshall 124, Tharon Davis 114, Keyron Childress 49, Jamarriel Balentine 43, Devin Braxton 6, Team (-3), Cayden Johnson (-12), PUNT RETURNS: None. KICK RETURNS: Heber Springs, Diego Rubio 3/42, Matthew Cook 3/15. Newport, Chris Reynolds 1/2. FUMBLE RETURNS: None INTERCEPTION RETURNS: Newport, Chris Reynolds 1/5, Kiland Ellis 1/0. ALL-PURPOSE YARDS: Heber Springs, Matthew Cook 106, Diego Rubio 83, Nathan McKee 19, Gus Hannah 16, Austin Winchester 10, Kenan Sneed 7, Hunter Kent 2, John McBroome (-22). Newport, Tharon Davis 124, Keyron Childress 49, Jamarriel Balentine 43, Chris Reynolds 42, Isiah Kendall 41, Tristan Griffen 37, Jadarius Reed 11, Devin Braxton 6, Team (-3), Cayden Johnson (-7), Dejai Marshall (-12). SCORING: Heber Springs, Hunter Kent 6. Newport, Tharon Davis 18, Jamarriel Balentine 6, Chris Reynolds 6, Isiah Kendall 6, Tristan Griffen 6, Dajai Marshall 2, Mark Chavez 1 (1-4 PAT kicks). DEFENSE INTERCEPTIONS: Newport, Chris Reynolds 1/5, Kiland Ellis 1/0. FUMBLE RECOVERIES: Heber Springs, Kenan Sneed 1. Newport, Tristan Griffen 1, Jaden Godair 1. SACKS/YARDS LOST: Newport, Aabel Robinson 2/11, Jaden Godair 1/6, Tyler Johnson 1/5. PUNTS/YARDS/AVERAGE/INSIDE THE 20: Heber Springs, John McBroome 2/39/19.5/0, Matthew Cook 1/24/24/0. Newport, Dejai Marshall 3/108/36/1 (Stats compiled by Philip Seaton)