Tag: Logan Rutledge

Panthers season ends with first-ever loss to Raiders

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Heber Springs senior Chris Edwards attempts to fight off a Riverview defender. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

SEARCY – The Heber Springs Panthers must wait for another year to participate in the Class 4A state football playoffs.

Riverview converted a third-quarter interception into the game’s only points and defeated the Panthers 7-0 in the season finale at Raider Stadium on Friday.

The win was the first ever for the Raiders against Heber Springs (1-5 in 2-4A Conference, 2-7 overall), which won the first six games of the series between the two teams.

Riverview’s Robert Lee III intercepted a Xander Lindley pass midway through the third quarter. The Raiders, aided by a personal foul and unsportsmanlike penalties against Heber Springs, capitalized by driving 51 yards on six plays for a touchdown.

On a fourth-and-goal play, Koby Teeter scored on a 5-yard run with 5:55 left in the third quarter. Jonny Montalvan kicked the extra point.

“Like I told the team after the game, it has been a rough two weeks,” said Heber Springs coach Todd Wood, referring to the loss of two more offensive starters on offense. “About 70 percent of our offensive production was not on the field. It forced us to play a lot of freshmen.”

Receivers Easton Cusick and Dalton Yancey joined running back Parker Brown on the injured list.

“We learned Yancey had a season-ending injury early in the week,” Wood said. “Easton injured his ankle last week and then came down with the flu. Only one of our receivers who was a starter from the beginning of the season was able to play. We had to look at other ways to make things happen on offense.”

Heber Springs outgained Riverview in total offense for the game — 186 yards to 160 yards. The Panthers rushed for 81 yards and passed for 105 yards. Riverview had 151 yards of its total offense on the ground.

Nick Franklin rushed 20 times for 78 yards to lead Raiders. Teeter had 35 yards on 11 carries and scored one touchdown. Charles Thompson ran seven times for 16 yards.

Freshman Bryce Siegrist, who replaced starter Lindley at quarterback in the second half, completed 4-of-8 passes for 51 yards. Siegrist had 28 yards rushing on nine attempts.

Lindley rushed 20 times for 64 yards and completed 4-of-15 passes for 54 yards with one interception. Sophomore Logan Rutridge caught two passes for 44 yards.

“Siegrist went into the game and tried to make things happen,” Wood said. “Xander was called to run more times than any other game this season because he gave us the best shot. He (Lindley) did that as long as he could, and we made the change.”

Wood said Siegrist’s performance is a sign of the program’s bright future.
“He had to use his feet sometimes to make things happen,” Wood said. “He showed a little of what he did during the junior high season, keeping plays alive and finding open receivers. That is what you have to do to be a playmaker.”

The other freshmen didn’t go without catching the coach’s eye.

“I give a lot of credit to the guys who had to come in and play,” Wood said. “They did the best that they could. They showed a lot about their character and kept battling until the end of the game.”

Wood said senior Chris Edwards, a starting linebacker all season, accepted more of a role on offense because of the injuries. Edwards caught four passes for 56 yards.

“Chris assumed the role of lead blocker at a position he normally doesn’t play,” Wood said. “He also played on defense and never asked at anytime to come out of the game. He was a warrior.”

The game was scoreless during the first half. Riverview reached the red zone once when it received the opening kickoff and drove to the Heber Springs 14-yard line. The Panthers held on a fourth-down play.

The Raiders committed their only turnover when Heber Springs junior Corbin Jones recovered a fumble during the first quarter.

But the Panthers didn’t go away easily.

Late in the third quarter, Siegrist’s 49-yard punt was downed inside the Riverview 1-yard line. The Panthers held and forced a punt, but Rutledge mishandled the punt on the return as Riverview recovered at the Heber Springs 41-yard line.

The Panthers again held the Raiders and regained possession following a punt at their 12-yard line.

Heber Springs started its final drive by overcoming overcame consecutive holding penalties. Siegrist scrambled for 15 yards on third down and ran four yards on fourth-and-one for the first down.

After a quarterback sack on first down, Siegrist connected on a 30-yard pass to Logan Rutledge to the Heber Springs 49-yard line. The Panthers converted their second fourth-down conversion of the drive on the next play when Edwards caught a 16-yard pass from Siegrist for a first down.

Siegrist connected on an 8-yard pass to freshman Emmett Dwyer with 1:10 left in the game. After a Heber Springs timeout, Siegrist tried to threw deep, but Riverview’s Matthew Jones leaped and intercepted at the 9-yard line with 1:04 to play.

“Bryce gave the team a spark on the final drive,” Wood said. “He kept things alive and found players open downfield, like Dwyer, who ran earlier in the day at the state cross country meet (in Hot Springs). He showed up right before gametime and made a big catch late in the game.”

Wood said the team will move forward and start preparing for next season.

“We learned that we have to hit the weightroom harder and get bigger bodies,” he said. “We dressed out 40 players and that is one of the keys to have a better team in the future. We got to keep all of them together.”

Riverview (2-4 in 2-4A Conference, 3-7 overall) earned the No. 4 seed while Bald Knob finished as the five seed from the conference. Harding Academy won the conference title, Stuttgart finished second while Lonoke finished third.

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Harding Academy disposes of Heber Springs

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Heber Springs’ Chandler Webber, left, and Jordan Tidwell bring down a Harding Academy player during 2-4A action Friday night at Panther Stadium. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

The Heber Springs Panthers will go into a season finale for the second straight year needing a win to earn a playoff berth.

Heber Springs finished the home football schedule by falling to Harding Academy 39-13 at Panther Stadium on Friday. The Wildcats (5-0 in 2-4A Conference, 9-0 overall) clinched at least a share of the 2-4A Conference championship and a No. 1 seed for the playoffs.

Heber Springs (1-4 in 2-4A Conference, 2-6 overall) will play at Riverview (1-4 in 2-4A Conference, 2-7 overall) on Friday, with the winner advancing to the playoffs.

With a win, the Panthers would play at 4-4A Conference champion Haskell Harmony Grove in the first round of the state playoffs on Nov. 11.

Harding Academy built a 21-0 lead against Heber Springs by the end of the first quarter and scored touchdowns on its first four possessions. The Wildcats added a field goal and a fumble return for a touchdown during the second quarter.

Heber Springs scored two second-half touchdowns against Harding Academy reserves.

“That’s right,” said Heber Springs coach Todd Wood when asked about playoff possibilities. “It was part of the decision-making with some players in this game. We need to get healthy. One of our goals is still in our hands. We need to go and win at Riverview. We will find a way to get into the playoffs.”

The Panthers were not at full strength against the Wildcats with running back Parker Brown held out because of a knee injury. Senior linebacker Kenan Sneed started and played one snap on senior night, but missed the rest of the game with a broken toe.

“Parker’s status is uncertain at this time,” Wood said. “Kenan played briefly to keep his streak of starting every game. We will try and figure everything out for the Riverview game.”

Harding Academy scored on drives of 60, 69 and 61 yards during the first quarter. Owen Miller threw for touchdowns of 20 and 16 yards to Landon Koch and a 5-yard shovel pass to Kyler Hoover. Kyle Ferrie, a Mississippi State commit, kicked the extra point following the scores.

Miller, who was 15-of-18 passing for 187 yards, completed his first nine passes of the first quarter for 144 yards. Koch caught six passes for 99 yards.
The Wildcats finished the first half with 209 yards of total offense and 14 first downs.

The Panthers had minus 8 yards of total offense and two first downs over the first two quarters against the Wildcat starters.

“Harding is ranked No. 1 in most state polls for Class 4A and an outstanding team,” Wood said. “They know what to do in big games and won the last three Class 3A state championships.”

For the game, Harding completed 15-of-19 passes for 187 yards and rushed for 78 yards on 23 attempts. Heber Springs connected on 7-of-12 passes for 53 yards and 87 yards rushing on 25 carries.

Gideon Tate rushed 11 times for 76 yards, while Easton Cusick had 43 yards on four attempts.

Xander Lindley completed 4-of-6 passes for 33 yards. Lindley, who was sacked twice, ran 13 times for a minus 41 yards. Logan Rutledge caught a 35-yard pass.

In the second quarter, Hoover caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Miller. Ferrie, who was seven-of-seven on touchbacks on kickoffs, kicked the extra point and later made a 29-yard field goal.

The Wildcats scored their final touchdown when a high snap over Lindley’s head was retrieved by Wyatt Simmons, the son of Harding University coach Paul Simmons, and returned 37 yards. Holder Jack Citty picked up a low snap and ran for a 2-point conversion.

“You have to be hitting on all cylinders when playing Harding,” Wood said. “It was all about execution, and we didn’t execute well in areas. We will keep working to improve and move to the next game.”

Heber Springs scored at the end of a 7-play, 95-yard drive late in the third quarter. Tate’s 39-yard run gave the Panthers working room on the first play of the series. Cusick, who moved to quarterback for the second half, rushed for 20 yards and a first down at the Harding Academy 36-yard line.
Staying with the running game, Tate gained 27 yards on the next three plays for a first-and-goal at the 9-yard line. Two plays later, Tate scored on a 6-yard carry. The kick for the conversion try was unsuccessful because of a bad snap.

Heber Springs converted a fumble recovery at the Wildcat 29-yard line that set up the second touchdown. Cusick ran for 17 yards and three more running plays set up a fourth-and-goal at the 3-yard line.

Cusick scored on the next play. Tate kicked the extra point.

“Easton is a guy who is ready to play every position,” Wood said. “He played well, and I was proud of how he moved the offense down the field. He was able to score a touchdown on senior night.”

Wood also liked Tate’s performance at running back.

“Tate is a hard runner,” Wood said. “He will spin and make good moves.”

Twenty-two freshmen joined the Panther roster after completion of the junior high school season.

Bryce Seigrist threw two passes to Eli Buffalo for 16 yards. Cooper Holmes contributed a 9-yard rushing carry.

“It was good to get the freshmen into the game,” Wood said. “That will benefit us not only for the rest of this season, but the future.”

Heber Springs leads late, falls to Bald Knob

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Bald Knob’s Samuel Brewer brings down Heber Springs running back Parker Brown during 2-4A action at Bald Knob on Friday. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

BALD KNOB – The Heber Springs Panthers appeared in position for their second 2-4A Conference football win against Bald Knob at Bulldog Stadium on Friday.

Heber Springs (1-1 in 2-4A Conference, 2-3 overall) led 21-12 early in the fourth quarter, but the Bulldogs (1-0 in 2-4A Conference, 2-3 overall), drove 63 yards on 10 plays for a touchdown.

Bald Knob’s Brady Johnson turned in the defensive play of the game by intercepting a Xander Lindley pass at the Panther 30-yard line and returned 10 yards.

Four plays later, quarterback Reece Moody scored on a 1-yard sneak as the Bulldogs upset Heber Springs, 26-21.

“Bald Knob moved the ball during the second half, and we didn’t,” Heber Springs coach Todd Wood said when asked the difference during the second half. “Bald Knob pushed our (offensive and defensive) lines around, and we didn’t have a response to them. We have a lot of work to do on our blocking.”

The Bulldogs finished with an advantage of 335 yards to 295 yards in total offense. One of the deciding factors was Bald Knob’s run game. The Bulldogs rushed for 203 yards on 43 attempts to Heber’s 102 yards on 21 carries.

Moody led Bald Knob’s ground game with 93 yards on 16 tries and scored two touchdowns. Bohn Hickman had 64 yards on 16 carries and scored one touchdown. Landon Gilmore ran nine times for 39 yards and one touchdown.

Moody, who compiled 225 total yards, completed 13-of-21 passes for 132 yards. Gilmore and Jamos Holder each caught five passes for 75 and 42 yards, respectively. Gilmore had 114 all-purpose yards.

Chris Roberts and Easton Cusick each intercepted passes for the Panthers.
Brown, who had 202 all-purpose yards, rushed for 77 yards on 13 carries, while Lindley ran eight times for 25 yards. Lindley, who compiled 218 yards of total offense, completed 14-of-27 passes for 193 yards and three touchdowns. Brown was 0-of-1 passing.

Brown also was the leading receiver with six catches for 128 yards and three touchdowns. Chris Edwards caught three passes for 18 yards. Dalton Yancey and Easton Cusick each had two catches for 19 and 18 yards, respectively. Logan Rutledge caught a 10-yard pass.

Johnson intercepted three passes, while Eric Williams had an interception to lead Bald Knob’s defense.

“We tried to get the ball on the edge to Parker because he can make things happen,” Wood said. “That is a coaching point, and we need to a better job doing that for the next game.”

After a scoreless first quarter, Bald Knob took a 6-0 lead by driving 58 yards on 10 plays. Moody broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage on fourth-and-1 and ran 21  yards for the touchdown with 8:57 left in the first half. The try for the 2-point conversion was unsuccessful.

Heber Springs needed one play following the ensuing kickoff to take the lead. Lindley passed to Brown, who slipped free down the sidelines on a 66-yard touchdown play. Gideon Tate kicked the extra point, giving the Panthers a 7-6 lead with 8:43 to go until halftime.

A fourth-down stop at the Heber Springs 48-yard line set up the next score. The Panthers, who overcame a holding penalty, needed eight plays on a 52-yard drive, capped by Brown’s 16-yard touchdown pass from Lindley. Tate’s successful kick increased the lead to 14-6 with 4:29 left in the first half.

Bald Knob pulled to within two points before halftime when Gilmore scored on a 5-yard run at the end of the 9-play, 65-yard drive with 1:23 remaining until intermission. The Panthers held again on the Bulldogs’ 2-point conversion try for a 14-12 halftime lead.

“The defense overall played well during the first half,” Wood said. “They were on the field too long during the second half. Our offense couldn’t move the ball because of a lack of execution.”

Roberts’ 40-yard interception return put Heber Springs in position to build a two-score advantage midway through the third quarter. The Panthers drove from their 43-yard line to the Bald Knob 14-yard line as the quarter ended.

Brown caught his third TD pass from Lindley, a 14-yard grab, on the first play of the fourth quarter. Tate kicked the extra point for a 21-12 lead.

Bald Knob drove 63 yards for the first of two touchdowns during the fourth quarter. Gilmore scored on a 4-yard carry with 6:30 left. The try for the 2-point conversion was unsuccessful as Heber Springs led, 21-18.

Next came Johnson’s interception and set up the winning touchdown.

Holder’s 9-yard reception and Moody’s 10-yard carry for a first-and-goal at the 1. Moody, who also ran for the 2-point conversion, scored on the next play with 3:36 left in the game.

“We had opportunity to win the game, leading by nine points, and couldn’t stop them,” Wood said. “Roberts made a good play on the interception. He jumped at the right time. That play shifted momentum to us.”

Heber Springs had a final opportunity for a comeback win. The Panthers drove to midfield when Lindley attempted to throw over the middle, but Williams intercepted at the Bulldog 43-yard line.

The Panthers will have a bye on Friday before returning to action at Lonoke on Oct. 14.

“We will have two weeks for some of our players to recover from illness and prepare for Lonoke,” Wood said. “We are 1-1 in conference and still have our goal of getting to the playoffs within reach.”

Panthers looking to claim another conference win

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From left, Parker Brown, Dalton Yancey, Xander Lindley and Easton Cusick. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

The Heber Springs Panthers started the 2-4A Conference schedule on a positive foot last Friday and defeated Cave City at Panther Stadium.

Heber Springs (1-0 in 2-4A Conference, 2-2 overall) hope for another fast start beginning at 7 p.m. Friday when the Panthers will meet the Bald Knob Bulldogs (1-3 overall) at Bulldog Stadium in Bald Knob.

Friday’s game will be the conference opener for the Bulldogs, who are coming off an 8-3 win at Magnet Cove, coached by former Panther Caleb Carmichael.

“It’s always good to get the first conference win,” Heber Springs coach Todd Wood said. “We now can focus on the things that matter the most, win the second conference game. We took our first step toward the playoffs, which is one of our season goals. We celebrated until Monday before starting preparation for the next game. We don’t want to take a step backwards, but a step forward.”

After playing run-dominated offenses for four weeks, Heber Springs switched gears in preparing to defend the spread. The Bulldogs, who converted 4-of-9 third-down plays into first downs, rushed for 162 yards and passed for 62 yards against Magnet Cove.

“The defense understands Bald Knob plays a different style of offense from what we saw in the first four games,” Wood said. “Bald Knob will run more than the typical spread team. We need to play aggressive on defense, stop the run and force them to pass. It’s going to be a new challenge for the defense.”

Bald Knob’s losses came to Southside Batesville (28-0), Melbourne (34-14) and Barton (32-24). Wood expects a competitive game, similar to last year’s 14-7 win by the Panthers.

“Bald Knob has a big offensive line that can push a defense,” Wood said. “The quarterback (Reece Moody) is a good runner and passer with size. We must key and keep him contained. They will try and get the run game going and then focus on the pass.”

Heber Springs quarterback Xander Lindley continues his week-to-week improvement. Lindley completed 13-of-15 passes for 179 yards and six touchdowns against Cave City. He had 58 yards rushing on seven attempts. Lindley is the first Panther to pass for six touchdowns in a single game since Brandon Loethen against Arkansas Baptist Prep in 2016.

Easton Cusick emerged as the team’s leading receiver by catching four passes for 76 yards, three for touchdowns. Dalton Yancey also had four catches for 34 yards and one touchdown.

Chris Edwards snagged three passes for 39 yards and one touchdown. Logan Rutledge caught a 20-yard touchdown pass and Parker Brown had one catch for 20 yards.

Wood said, like most games, the battle on the line will decide the outcome.

“Bald Knob’s defensive line will be a challenge for our offensive line,” he said. “We need to move them off the line of scrimmage. The outside linebackers play aggressively, but the focus will be on the guys up front.”
Wood said he liked his offense’s performance last week and looks for more improvement against the Bulldogs on Friday.

“We did a better job of maintaining drives against Cave City, except for the fumble at the 2-yard line before the end of the first half,” Wood said. “I liked our execution, and we did a good job of protecting Xander. Our line is improving every game.”

Another major improvement is the versality of the offense from last year. Brown remains important, but Wood said the development of other players is leading to more production.

Brown surpassed his season rushing total (37-179) from the first three games. He rushed 14 times for 191 yards and scored one touchdown.

“We were one dimensional with Parker last year,” Wood said. “We have guys, like Cusick, Yancey, Rutledge and Edwards, with a lot of catches and yards after the catch. The defense can’t just focus on stopping one player.”

Kenan Sneed and Edwards led the charge for the defense with 22 and 18 tackles, respectively, against Cave City. Edwards was credited with two tackles for a loss. But Wood said other players contributed.

“The only disappointment on defense was letting Cave City complete those passes (7-of-12 for 130 yards),” Wood said. “We were in position to make the play, but didn’t finish the job. We tightened up the defense and played well during the second half. I’m thrilled how Corbin Jones played (offensive and defensive lines). Parker came in when (linebacker Weston) Warden was injured and helped at linebacker.”

Weston’s injury will sideline him for the remainder of the season.

Heber Springs played three consecutive games at home, winning back-to-back games. The Panthers now look for success on the road.

“It’s time to go back on the road and show what we can do,” Wood said. “Our goal is the playoffs. We can’t look ahead, but only to the next game. We hope to be 2-0 in conference going into the bye week.”

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Panthers club Cavemen on homecoming

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Heber Springs’ Logan Rutledge and Dalton Yancey celebrate after Yancey’s third-quarter touchdown reception Friday night at Panther Stadium. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

Whatever, Heber Springs coach Todd Wood told the Panthers during halftime worked.

Heber Springs trailed Cave City 15-14 at halftime of Friday’s 2-4A Conference football opener and the homecoming game at Panther Stadium.

The Panthers (1-0 in 2-4A Conference, 2-2 overall) scored on their first play from scrimmage to begin the third quarter, plus three more touchdowns before the start of the fourth quarter and pulled away to a 50-22 win against the Cavemen (0-1 in 2-4A Conference, 0-5 overall).

A fourth-down stop deep in Cave City territory sent everything into motion and led to a two-touchdown advantage. Heber Springs then dominated the remainder of the game.

“We felt good about how the offense performed during the first half,” Wood said. “A lost fumble stopped us on one drive at the 2-yard line. We knew if we could control the ball, we could score. We had to fix the defense, made adjustments during halftime and it worked out well.”

The Panthers started the third quarter when the kickoff went out of bounds. Running back Parker Brown scootered to the outside, turned the corner and ran 60 yards untouched with 11:40 left. Quarterback Xander Lindley ran for the 2-point conversion as Heber Springs led, 22-15, and never trailed again.

Two penalties — personal foul and delay of game — pushed Cave City back toward the end zone at the start of the next series. The Cavemen stalled and decided to go for a first down on a fourth-down play at their 17-yard line.

Linebacker Kenan Sneed blitzed and tackled Cave City’s Shawn Walling in the backfield as the Panthers took possession at the 16-yard line.

“Cave City didn’t surprise me at all by going for a first down, even deep in its territory,” Wood said. “They appeared confident that they could run the ball on us and felt they could do that anywhere on the field. Once we got the stop and the momentum, we felt good about how the game was going.”

Heber Springs turned in increased production on offense for the fourth consecutive game. The Panthers had 460 total yards — 281 rushing and 179 passing.

Brown, who compiled 234 all-purpose yards, surpassed his season rushing total (37-179) from the first three games. He rushed 14 times for 191 yards and scored one touchdown.

“The game plan was to bounce out on the sweeps,” Brown said. “We kept doing those plays and it was working. I got good blocks from the receivers to get into the secondary and moved down the field.”Lindley gained 58 yards on seven rushing attempts. Backup running back Gideon Tate carried eight times for 50 yards during the fourth quarter.

Lindley, who was responsible for 237 yards of his team’s total, completed 13-of-15 passes for 179 yards and six touchdowns. He is the first Panther to pass for six touchdowns in a single game since Brandon Loethen against Baptist Prep in 2016.

“We were able to find their weaknesses and kept running those plays,” Lindley said. “We found out they couldn’t defend the sweeps or the screen passes. We hit the passes to Easton, who utilized his speed when getting to the open field and scored the touchdowns. We were trying to work the inside and then open the outside for the sweeps with Parker.”

Cusick caught four passes for 76 yards and three touchdowns, which matched Brown’s total in a single game against Dover last season.

“On my first touchdown, I got perfect blocking by the outside receiver, who sealed the guy off of me,” Cusick said. “The same thing on the second TD. I cut off the block to the inside, and it was a wide-open field to the end zone. Zander saw me in the corner of the end zone on the last TD and put the ball in the right place.”

Dalton Yancey also had four catches for 34 yards and one touchdown. Chris Edwards snagged three passes for 39 yards and one touchdown. Logan Rutledge caught a 20-yard touchdown pass and Brown had one catch for 20 yards.

“We put in a few new plays for Parker where he could get on the edge and into the open field,” Wood said. “Xander continues to execute better every game and getting more freedom to make more plays. He is gaining confidence in himself and executing better. He is throwing the ball better and making good decisions.”

Cave City had 376 yards of total offense — 246 rushing and 240 passing. Bryce Walling rushed for 113 yards on 20 carries and one touchdown. Shawn Walling gained 76 yards on 16 tries and had one touchdown. Kolbie Birdsong carried eight times for 61 yards.

Cavemen quarterback Jacob Moore completed 7-of-12 passes for 130 yards and one touchdown. Birdsong caught three passes for 44 yards, while Shawn Walling had two catches for 36 yards and one touchdown.

Cave City received the opening kickoff and drove 80 yards on 10 plays. Shawn Walling scored on a 7-yard carry with 6:04 left in the first quarter. Millie Beller kicked the extra point for the 7-0 lead.

Heber Springs tied the game at 7-7 by driving 72 yards on 11 plays. Rutledge caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Lindley with 1:57 remaining in the first quarter. Gideon Tate kicked the extra point.

The Panthers took the lead following a defensive stop. Lindley passed eight yards for a touchdown to Cusick and finished a 56-yard series with 11:28 to go in the first half. Tate’s successful kick increased Heber’s lead to 14-7.

Cave City had a second 80-yard scoring drive, this time needing 12 plays. Bryce Walling had a 3-yard scoring run with 5:39 left in the second quarter, and Shawn Walling ran for the 2-point conversion, giving the Caveman a 15-14 halftime lead.

Heber Springs took the lead for good on Brown’s touchdown run to start the third quarter. Following a defensive stop, Lindley connected on a 16-yard touchdown toss to Dalton Yancey. Tate’s kick gave the Panthers a 29-15 lead with 10:07 to go in the third quarter.

The Heber Springs offense scored two more touchdowns before the end of the quarter. Cusick caught touchdown passes of 43 and 10 yards. Tate kicked the extra points. Moore passed 18 yards to Shawn Walling for Cave City’s final touchdown with 29 seconds left in the third quarter. Beller kicked the extra point.

Heber Springs led 43-22 going into the fourth quarter.

Lindley connected with Edwards on a 23-yard touchdown with 9:25 to play, followed by Tate’s kick for the extra point.

“It’s a big deal winning the first conference game and my final homecoming game,” Cusick said. “It felt good leaving the field after winning.”

Lindley agreed.

“This win will give us a lot of momentum and carry over to the next game,” he said. “We came out for the second half and got the job done.”

Heber Springs will play the first of back-to-back conference road games at Bald Knob (0-0 in 2-4A Conference, 1-3 overall) on Friday. The Panthers will be open on Oct. 7 and then play at Lonoke on Oct. 14.

“I’m looking forward going to next week’s game,” Wood said. “It’s going to be a battle. I remember last year when Xander was injured, but we still pulled out the game. We want to put things together and be 2-0 going into the off week.”

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Momentum swing lifts Panthers to nonconference victory

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Heber Springs quarterback Xander Lindley fights for yards against a Jonesboro Westside defender Friday night at Panther Stadium. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

Two plays switched momentum from Jonesboro Westside to the Heber Springs Panthers during the second half of Friday’s nonconference football game at Panther Stadium.

Heber Springs linebacker Chris Edwards’ tackle knocked the ball loose from Westside’s Cameron Hedges, Carter Julian recovered, and then Easton Cusick caught a 43-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Xander Lindley sealed the deal.

The Panthers (1-2) finished the nonconference schedule with a 28-13 win against the Warriors (1-2).

Heber Springs will open the 2-4A Conference schedule by hosting Cave City (0-4) for homecoming on Friday.

“We got the turnover, went down the field and scored, and took control of the game,” Panther coach Todd Wood said. “Then, we got the stop and that is what you must do against teams like Westside, which likes to control the football with the running game.”

Edwards led the defense with 18 tackles and had an 11-yard quarterback sack. Kenan Sneed, who had 17 tackles, knocked a Westside blocker out of the play for Edwards, who made the defensive play of the game by forcing a fumble. Heber Springs held a 21-13 lead before Cusick’s touchdown.

“I had a wide-open run at him,” Edwards said. “I grabbed his arm and the ball came out. We recovered and the offense scored on the next play. We had been over pursuing early in the game, but adjusted. We played better during the second half.”

Sophomore Carter Julian, who started at cornerback for the first time this season, recovered the fumble.

“Chris had the guy, and I came to the ball,” Julian said. “I saw the ball lying on the ground and jumped on it.”

Julian began preseason practice at linebacker before his recent move to cornerback. Wood said he had a good week of practice and showed it against the Warriors.

“Carter is a physical player,” Wood said. “He had a good game. (Sophomore) Jacob (McMullen) also played well.”

Once Heber Spring corralled the Warriors’ running game, the game’s outcome was decided. Westside was ineffective with their passing game, 0-of-6.

“I challenged the defense before the game we needed three stops, so we could score two touchdowns and force Westside to play catchup,” Wood said. “We wanted to put them behind on the scoreboard.”

Wood immediately decided to go deep on the next play and put the game away.

“Easton runs that kind of route well,” he said. “We wanted to take a shot and go for the big play after the turnover. It worked perfectly.”

Heber Springs had 301 yards of total offense — 117 rushing and 184 pass. Lindley completed 12-of-23 passes for 184 yards, two interceptions and two touchdowns. The Panthers overcame three turnovers.

Dalton Yancey caught five passes for 72 yards and one touchdown. Parker Brown had four catches for 54 yards. Cusick snagged two passes for 46 yards and one touchdown. Logan Rutledge caught one pass for 12 yards.

Lindley, who was responsible for 254 yards of the team’s total offense, was the leading rusher with eight carries for 70 yards. Brown ran for 47 yards on 14 attempts and scored two touchdowns.

Brown gained 187 all-purpose yards, including three punt returns for 61 yards and two kickoff returns for 25 yards. Brown also had an apparent 72-yard punt return for a touchdown, but it was called back by a penalty during the second quarter.

Westside gained 320 yards of offense, all rushing. Hedges rushed 15 times for 103 yards and two touchdowns before leaving the game with an injury in the third quarter. Darvin Fowler had 100 yards on 14 carries.

The Warriors drove 57 yards on seven plays for the initial lead. Westside, who grounded out two first downs, took the 7-0 lead on Hedges’ 30-yard touchdown run with 4:53 remaining in the first quarter. Montana Neely kicked the extra point.

The Panthers tied the game late in the first half on a 7-play, 87-yard drive. Lindley kept the drive going by scrambling for 11 and 19 yards on third-down plays.

Lindley and Yancey hooked up on the next two plays.

He passed 20 yards to Yancey and then connected with Yancey on a 32-yard scoring toss with 2:26 left in the first half. Gideon Tate, who was a perfect 4-for-4 on extra-points on the night, converted the conversion kick to tie the game at 7-7.

“The pocket was collapsing, but I found running room,” said Lindley when asked about the two scrambles. “I threw to Dalton on the next play, then hit him on the slant for the touchdown.”

Wood said the momentum shift began late during the first quarter once the defense made its adjustments.

“We had to match the speed of the game,” he said. “We were having issues with our outside containment. Westside got two big plays against us. We finally got it going and scored before the end of the first half.”

The Warriors scored on their first second-half-possession and regained the lead. Hedges ran 35 yards for the touchdown with 9:43 to in the third quarter. Neely missed the conversion kick as Westside led, 13-7.

Heber Springs recovered an onside kickoff at the Panther 44-yard line and didn’t take long in reaching the end zone. Brown caught a 35-yard pass from Lindley and then he scored on an 18-yard run to tie the game with 8:21 remaining. Tate kicked the extra point for the 14-13 lead, Heber’s first lead of the season.

A mistake in the kicking game benefitted Heber Springs and set up the next touchdown. Westside punter Weston Watlington shanked the kick to the right side. Corbin Jones scooped up the ball off the side of his foot and returned 32 yards for a first-and-goal at the 5-yard line. Brown scored on the next play as Tate’s successful kick increased the margin to 21-13.

Heber Springs extended its lead 20 seconds later following Julian’s fumble recovery on Lindley’s touchdown pass to Cusick with 6:06 left in the third quarter.

“It was a good pass to Easton,” Lindley said. “It gave us even more momentum.”

The nonconference schedule is in the books for the Panthers, who will play Cave City at home on Friday.

“This win will give us confidence going into conference play,” Wood said. “Xander is getting more comfortable and improving every game. I challenged him to be more of a runner because that will make the defense respect that and also open up other plays for the offense. It’s homecoming and the players need to enjoy it, but our goal is to be 1-0 in conference after the game.”

NOTES: First downs — Jonesboro Westside 13, Heber Springs 11; Penalties — Jonesboro Westside 7-71, Heber Springs 9-75; Punts — Parker Brown, Heber Springs, 2-39.0; Quarterback sacks — Chris Edwards 1 (11-yard loss) and Parker Brown 1 (7-yard loss).

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Panthers open season with loss at Clinton

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Heber Springs’ Jacob McMullin, top, and Joenah Cordell, bottom, sack Clinton quarterback Jobe Chalk in the first half Friday night in Clinton. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

CLINTON – Missed opportunities forced the Heber Springs Panthers to play catch-up from the start of Friday’s football season opener against longtime rival Clinton at Jim Tumlinson Field.

The Yellowjackets built a 16-0 with 4:08 left in the first half before pulling away during the second half and won their seventh consecutive The Battle of the Little Red Trophy, 30-14.

Heber Springs reduced Clinton’s lead in half on Zach Parker’s fumble recovery at the Yellowjacket 19 late in the second quarter. The Panthers scored four plays later and with a successful 2-point conversion, trailed 16-8 at halftime.

Clinton scored twice during the third quarter, both after Heber Springs’ turnovers. The Panthers’ final touchdown came early during the fourth quarter.

“The first quarter was a battle between our defense and Clinton’s offense,” Heber Springs coach Todd Wood said. “It also was our inability of doing a better job of coaching, and that’s on me. I take full responsibility of what happened on offense. We will take care of all of that.”

Wood complemented the defense for hanging in there and keeping the team in the game. The Heber Springs defense, who spent 28 of 48 minutes on the field, gave up 241 yards rushing, but almost half of that came on two long Yellowjacket runs.

“I can’t say enough good things about our defense,” Wood said. “They did some great things on the field. We got the ball multiple stops on fourth down (2-of-5) and created a couple of turnovers. I can’t ask anything more from them. They will continue to grow and get better.”

Sophomore Jacob McMullin of the Panthers was credited with 1 1/2 quarterback sacks. Junior Joenah Cordell had a half sack.

Clinton’s Landon Rose did most of the damage on the ground with 109 yards on six attempts and scored two touchdowns. Brody Emberton ran five times for 70 yards and scored one touchdown. Emberton also caught a 74-yard touchdown pass.

Yellowjacket quarterback Jobe Chalk completed 8-of-12 passes for 96 yards.

Heber Springs gained 225 yards of total offense (121 rushing yards, 104 passing yards).

Heber Springs quarterback Xander Lindley led the Panthers with 51 yards rushing, followed by Parker Brown, who had 44 yards on nine carries and scored one touchdown. Logan Rutledge caught four passes for 46 yards and one touchdown.

Heber Springs converted 4-of-16 third-down situations and no conversions on seven fourth-down plays.

“We need to support our defense and keep the ball longer,” Wood said. “The defense spent too much time on the field. One of the issues of the offense was not maintaining possession in those situations.”

The opening kickoff was delayed 45 minutes because of a lightning delay. Clinton received the kickoff and drove 45 yards to the Heber Springs 24. On fourth-and-2, the Panthers held when Kenan Sneed tackled Spencer Bannister for a 2-yard loss.

The Yellowjackets took the lead with 11:19 left in the first half on a fourth-down play. Out of the Wildcat formation, Brody Emberton ran 12 yards for the game’s first score. Bryston Venable ran for the 2-point conversion and the 8-0 lead.

Clinton later regained possession on another fourth-down stop and began its next scoring drive at the Yellowjacket 25-yard line. Three plays later, Jobe Chalk passed to Emberton, who caught the ball near midfield and completed a 74-yard touchdown play with 4:08 remaining in the first half. Venable ran for a 2-point conversion.

Clinton had another fourth down stop at the Heber Springs 28. However, to plays later, the Panther defense forced Clinton’s first turnover on the next play when Parker’s fumble recovery at the 19 with 1:32 to go until halftime.

Lindley rushed for seven yards on first down and passed eight yards to Dalton Yancey two plays later for a first-and-goal at the 5-yard line. Logan Rutledge then snagged a touchdown pass from Lindley on the next play with 27 seconds left. Lindley passed to Yancey for the 2-point conversion as Heber Springs trailed 16-8 at halftime.

Momentum shifted back to Clinton on Dawson Maynard’s interception of a Lindley pass at the Yellowjacket 38-yard line and returned it 18 yards. Rose’s 34-yard touchdown run increased Clinton’s advantage to 24-8 with 3:47 left in the third quarter. Rose also ran for the 2-point conversion.

“We had a big momentum drive for the touchdown after the touchdown,” Wood said. “We needed to take the second-half kickoff, drive for a tying score and get back in the game. We didn’t and turned the ball over.”

Clinton put the game away late in the third quarter after a fourth-down stop. Rose broke loose on a 61-yard drive to finish a four-play, 80-yard drive with 19 seconds left in the third quarter. The try for a 2-point conversion was unsuccessful as the Yellowjackets led 30-8 going into the fourth quarter.

Chris Edwards returned a short kickoff 11 yards to give the Panthers good field position at the Clinton 47. Rutledge caught a 26-yard pass from Lindley to put the Panthers, and two plays later, Brown scored on an 18-yard run with 10:43 left in the game. The 2-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful.

Heber Springs will seek to bounce back against Southside Batesville at Panther Stadium on Friday.

“The loss to Clinton is a tough game to take,” Wood said. “We must move forward and prepare for Southside.”

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Heber Springs heads to Clinton to open ’22 season

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By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

While most eyes may be on the top running back for each offense, the winner of the battle on the line of scrimmage may determine the winner of Friday’s football game at Jim Tumlinson Field in Clinton.

Heber Springs will open its season against the Yellowjackets at 7 p.m. tonight.

“The players are at the point of being tired of hitting each other in practice and want to play a game,” Panther coach Todd Wood said. “We had two weeks to prepare for Clinton, correct our mistakes from the Beebe scrimmage and put in new plays for this game. We feel comfortable going into the game.

Yellowjacket junior running back Zane Widner and his counterpart from Heber Springs, will receive plenty of attention. Widner highlighted Clinton’s 35-20 win at Cave City last Friday by rushing for 168 yards and scored one touchdown. Widner also caught one pass for 22 yards.

Brown, who rushed for 834 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, will attract plenty of attention from the Clinton defense. Brown also caught 17 passes for 314 yards and five touchdowns.

But the battle on the line of scrimmage will influence the outcome more.

The Panthers have only one returning offensive starting lineman — junior Corbin Jones at left tackle. The other four starters will be limited or no high school game playing experience.

Junior Eli Presnull (5-11, 270), a transfer from Vilonia, will start at center. Sophomore Axley Davis (6-2, 270) and Junior Dustin Stone (6-0, 256) are the expected starters at right guard and right tackle, respectively. Freshman Cade James (6-0, 200) and sophomore Gauge Owens (5-9, 200) will split time at left guard.

“We made adjustments on the offensive line after the scrimmage at Beebe,” Wood said. “We need the offensive line to play well, secure their lanes and have a tight circle around our quarterback. We got to get our running game going, along with the passing game.”

The Yellowjackets scored five touchdowns on its seven possessions against Cave City. The Yellowjackets, who remain in the Wing-T, rushed for 334 yards and passed for 89 yards and one touchdown.

“Clinton is discipline at every position and knows how to play,” Wood said. “I was impressed with their offense that took advantage of what Cave City gave them. Clinton moved the ball when it mattered. I thought they made great adjustments at halftime for the second half.”

While Widner had the big stats, Wood said he was impressed with quarterback Jobe Chalk (4-of-6 passes for 89 yards and one touchdown), running back Spencer Bannister (7-46 rushing for one touchdown) and receiver Brody Emberton caught three passes for 67 yards and scored one touchdown.

“They are very good players,” Wood said. “I was impressed with their quarterback. He has a good arm and plays behind a very good offensive line. No. 7 (Bannister) impressed me. He ran hard in the open field and has good speed.”

Wood believes the Panthers can match Clinton’s firepower. Junior Xander Lindley returns at quarterback with three-year starter Easton Cusick leading the receivers. Junior Dalton Yancey started last season. Sophomore Logan Rutledge, and seniors Chris Edwards, Bauer Pruitt and Chandler Webber will provide options.

“Easton knows the ins and outs at receiver,” Wood said. “(Sophomore) Weston Warden will be a threat with (junior) Gideon Tate and (senior) Kenan Sneed.”

Wood liked the play by his defense at the scrimmage and expects steady improvement during the season.

“We had a lot of players getting to the ball carrier against Beebe and had few missed assignments,” he said. “Overall, we feel good about our starters and backups. We need to create turnovers, and the players went through drills during practices to do that better.”

Special-team play also count affect the outcome.

“I feel good about our kicking game,” Wood said. “Tate’s leg is getting stronger. We need more consistency kicking off into the end zone. But Clinton also has a good kicker.”

Finally, the Panthers have looked forward to this game since last year’s loss to the Yellowjackets at Panther Stadium. Wood challenged his team to stop the streak in the battle for the Battle of the Little Red Trophy.

Heber Springs has a long rivalry against Clinton through the years. The Yellowjackets have won their first six games for the trophy, as the Panthers seek to end that streak.

“I stressed the importance of the game and stopping the streak following the scrimmage,” he said. “We want to bring the trophy home. I know it has been in back of players’ minds. We want to be the team that stops the streak.”

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Final Heber Springs Junior High Football Stats

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Heber Springs’ Cooper Holmes picks up yards against Clinton in the Panthers final game of the season on Oct. 28. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO
TEAM STATS  
Total First Downs: Heber Springs 113, Opponent 92 
Penalties: Heber Springs 48/364, Opponent 34/256 
Fumbles: Heber Springs 2, Opponent 3
Rush/Yards/Avg/TD: Heber Springs186/1266/6.8/17, Opponent 248/1379/5.6/14
Rushing Yards Per Game: Heber Springs 140.7, Opponent 153.2
Passing (A/C-Yards-TD/Int): Heber Springs 82/147-1160-15/1, Opponent 37/81-514-4/6
Passing Yards Per Game: Heber Springs 128.9, Opponent 57.1
Total Offense: Heber Springs 2426, Opponent 1893
Total Offense Per Game: Heber Springs 269.6, Opponent 210.3 
Punts (Att/Yards/Avg/Blk): Heber Springs 11/381/38.1/1, Opponent 11/341/31.0/0

INDIVIDUAL STATS  
OFFENSE  
Rushing: Liam Buffalo 101/931/15, Weston Warden 48/247/2, Lucas Garcia 6/49, Cooper Holmes 11/45, Carter Julian 5/21, Logan Rutledge 7/19, Seth Dudeck 1/13, Team 8/(-58) 
Passing (Comp/Att-Yds-TDs/INT): Liam Buffalo 82/147-1160-15/1
Receiving: Weston Warden 30/655/7, Logan Rutledge 18/195/2, Carter Julian 12/125/3, Seth Dudeck 8/133/1, Cooper Holmes 7/23/1, Ty West 6/65/1
Kickoff Returns: Logan Rutledge 6/81, Cooper Holmes 3/25, Emmitt Dwyer 1/11, Weston Warden 1/2
Punt Returns: Weston Warden 1/19
Interception Returns: Liam Buffalo 2/17, Weston Warden 1/83/1, Logan Rutledge 1/45, Caleb Carr 1/29, Emmitt Dwyer 1/9
Total Offense: Liam Buffalo 2091, Weston Warden 247, Lucas Garcia 49, Cooper Holmes 45, Carter Julian 21, Logan Rutledge 19, Seth Dudeck 13
All-Purpose Yards: Weston Warden 976, Liam Buffalo 948, Logan Rutledge 340, Carter Julian 152, Seth Dudeck 146, Cooper Holmes 93, Ty West 65, Lucas Garcia 49, Caleb Carr 29, Emmitt Dwyer 20
DEFENSE    
Fumble Recoveries: Liam Buffalo, Jacob McMullin, Logan Rutledge
Punts: Liam Buffalo 10/381/38.1
SCORING (TD/2 PT-TOTAL): Liam Buffalo 15/5-100, Weston Warden 10/5-70, Carter Julian 3/4-26, Logan Rutledge 2/2-16, Ty West 1/1-8, Seth Dudeck 1/1-8, Cooper Holmes 1/0-6

Junior Panthers fall in final minute, finish 6-3

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Heber Springs quarterback Liam Buffalo breaks free from a Clinton defender and heads to the end zone Thursday night. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

CLINTON – Liam Buffalo finished with 246 yards of total offense but it was not enough as Clinton claimed a 24-22, 2-4A victory Thursday night.

Heber Springs finished the season with a 6-3 overall record and a 4-2 record in the 2-4A, a third-place finish.

Clinton took the opening kick and drove 57-yards on five plays capped by a Rylan Jones 23-yard run. Zack Hunt-Gonzalez added the 2-point conversion at the 5:51 mark.

Buffalo, who ran 19 times for 144 yards on the night, actually scored three times on the Panthers first possession with his third counting on 25-yard run. The ninth-grader had 50- and 12-yard touchdown runs called back with holding penalties. Buffalo completed the conversion pass to Weston Warden to tie things up at 8-8 with 3:35 left in the first quarter.

The Yellowjackets responded with a time-consuming 12-play, 65-yard drive that took more than six minutes off the first-half clock. Quarterback Brodie Dufrene capped the possession with a 2-yard run. Hunt-Gonzalez’ 2-point run made it 16-8 in favor of Clinton with 5:31 left in the half.

The two teams traded possession as the Panthers failed to convert on a fourth-and-13 play from the Clinton 47 while the Yellowjackets reached the Panther 25 right before the half — a 42-yard field goal attempt was no good.

Buffalo connected with Warden for 15-yard pass completion on the final play of the first half.

Heber Springs took the second-half kickoff as Buffalo ran three times for 33 yards to put the ball on the Clinton 33. Cooper Holmes ran for 6 before Buffalo scored on an 11-yard run. The 2-point pass attempt was no good as Clinton still led 16-14 at the 6:31 mark of the third quarter.

The Yellowjackets reached the Panther 24 on their next drive but the Heber Springs defense forced an incomplete pass on fourth down. From there, the Panthers would take the lead on an 11-play, 76-yard drive as Buffalo made an underhand pass to Holmes for a 1-yard touchdown. The big play on the drive was a 36-yard reception by Warden. Warden also caught the 2-point conversion to make it 22-18 with 7:01 left.

The Panther defense forced its only four-and-out of the night on Clinton’s next possession as pass attempt by Dufrene fell short for the Yellowjackets at the Clinton 47 with 5:40 left.

Heber Springs moved the ball to the Clinton 40 and fourth-and-3, Buffalo picked up five yards on the ground for a first down with just over three minutes to play. But the drive would fizzle following an incomplete pass, a run for no gain, a three-yard reception by Carter Julian and an incomplete pass on fourth down at the Clinton 32.

The Yellowjackets, with three timeouts, took over with 2:36 to play. A 16-yard run by Rope Williams gave Clinton a first down on their own 48. Four more running plays, including another first down, moved the ball to the Panther 32. On third-and-4, Dufrene pitched to Brayson Littell who hit Jones for a 32-yard touchdown pass to tie things up at 22-all with 51 seconds left. Jones would score the go-ahead points on the 2-point conversion make it 24-22.

The Panthers picked up a first down on a 12-yard reception by Warden, but three straight incomplete passes left Heber Springs with one final play. Buffalo hit Logan Rutledge, who only managed nine yards, before being brought down as the clock expired.

Warden finished the night with four receptions for 65 yards as Buffalo completed 10 passes for 102 yards.

HEBER SPRINGS AT CLINTON
OCTOBER 28, 2021 
Clinton                   8   8   0   8 - 24
Heber Springs             8   0   6   8 - 22
FIRST QUARTER 
C - Rylan Jones 23-yard run (Zack Hunt-Gonzalez run), 5:51
HS - Liam Buffalo 25-yard run (Buffalo to Weston Warden pass), 3:35
SECOND QUARTER 
C - Brodie Dufrene 2-yard run (Hunt-Gonzalez run), 5:31
THIRD QUARTER
HS - Buffalo 11-yard run (pass failed), 6:31
FOURTH QUARTER 
HS - Buffalo to Cooper Holmes 1-yard pass (Buffalo to Warden), 7:01
C - Brayson Littell to Jones (Jones run), :51
TEAM STATISTICS 
FIRST DOWNS: HS 14, C 13
RUSHES-YARDS: HS 25/164, C 34/219
PASSING YARDS: HS 102, C 42
TOTAL OFFENSE: HS 266, C 261
COMP-ATT-INT: HS 10-21-0, C 2-9-0
FUMBLES: HS 0, C 0
PENALITIES-YARDS: HS 4/33, C 3/15
PUNTS-AVERAGE: HS 0, C 0
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS 
RUSHING: HS, Liam Buffalo 19/144, Cooper Holmes 3/16, Carter Julian 1/4, Weston Warden 2/0. C, Rylan Jones 13/103, Zack Hunt-Gonzalez 11/66, Colton Warren 1/22, Rope Williams 4/18, Brayson Littell 3/9, Brodie Dufrene 2/1.
PASSING: HS, Buffalo 10/21-102-1/0. C, Dufrene 0/7-0-0/0, Littell 2/2-42-0/0
RECEVING: HS, Warden 4/65, Logan Rutledge 2/25, Holmes 2/4, Ty West 1/11, Julian 1/3. C, Jones 2/42.
KICKOFF RETURNS: HS, Rutledge 1/(-1). C, Holmes 1/24, Dufrene 1/16.
PUNT RETURNS: None
INT RETURNS: None
FUMBLE RETURNS: None
PUNTS: None

HEBER SPRINGS JUNIOR HIGH SCHEDULE

(Final Record: 6-3)

Aug. 26 – Heber Springs 32, Clinton 28

Sep. 09 – Harding Academy 36, Heber Springs 16

Sep. 16 – Heber Springs 26, Dover 12

Sep. 23 – Heber Springs 34, Lonoke 12 *

Sep. 28 – Heber Springs 42, Stuttgart 32 *

Oct. 07 – Central Arkansas Christian 30, Heber Springs 14 *

Oct. 14 – Heber Springs 26, Bald Knob 8 *

Oct. 21 – Heber Springs 22, Southside Batesville 14 *

Oct. 28 – Clinton 24, Heber Springs 22 *

(* – Denotes Conference Contest)

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