Panthers open junior high season with convincing win

Heber Springs’ Parker Brown fights for extra yards against Harding Academy Thursday night at Panther Stadium. Heber Springs’ Gideon Tate (1) and Xander Lindley (9) are also pictured. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

By PHILIP SEATON

Heber Springs took advantage of four Harding Academy turnovers and cruised to a 23-6 win over Harding Academy in junior high football action at Panther Stadium Thursday night.

Heber Springs junior high coach James Ortiz was concerned about Harding Academy after the Panthers “week zero” game at Clinton was canceled because of the remnants of Hurricane Laura.

“We didn’t have a game one like a lot of others did, I know other schools are in the same boat, but I can’t worry about them,” he said. “I worry about me. So that was one thing that I kind of worried about is that we didn’t have something to prepare us for Harding as much as I wanted us to.”

His worries were put to ease by ease by eighth-grader Liam Buffalo, who was 17 of 33 passing for 230 yards and two touchdowns, and ninth-grader Parker Brown, who had three receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown and also picked off two Wildcat passes — including returning one 46 yards for a score.

“He’s unbelievable,” Ortiz said of Brown who moved back into the district after spending the last two seasons in Texas. “He’s just an athlete. He has great hands, great feet. He can run and he’s a great kid. We are fortunate to have him. He definitely makes our team better.”

Heber Springs quarterback Liam Buffalo. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

Buffalo had a slow start, completing only three of his first 10 passes for 20 yards, as the game remained scoreless until late in the first quarter when Brown picked off the Miller Owen pass attempt and returned it for a score. Xander Lindley ran in the 2-point conversion to make it 8-0 in favor of Heber Springs with 2:13 to play. 

The Heber Springs defense held Harding Academy to 113 total yards of offense — with 52 of those coming on one pass play- and three first downs, and it was after a defensive stop that Buffalo found his rhythm completing three passes for 75 yards — including a 33-yarder to Hud Haggard and a 35-yard scoring strike to Brown — to make the score 14-0 in favor of the Panthers with 7:12 left in the first half.

“I can’t say enough good things about him,” Ortiz said of Buffalo. “I could be nit picky about one or two things … but overall I can’t ask for anything else for my quarterback.”

The Wildcats got on the board on their next possession as Owen connected with Kyler Hoover for a 52-yard scoring strike to make it 14-6 with 5:02 left in the first half. The 2-point conversion failed.

The score remained that way until the Panthers first possession of the second half. After Brown picked off an Owen pass attempt in the end zone, Heber Springs marched 72 yards on 12 plays before the 5:57 drive stalled at the Wildcat 8 on fourth down. Freshman Gideon Tate connected on the 25-yard field goal attempt to make it 17-6 in favor of the Panthers with 7:11 left in the contest.

Heber Springs added another score less than three minutes later. Haggard recovered a Wildcat fumble on the Harding Academy 19 and three plays later Buffalo connected with Haggard for the 4-yard touchdown to make it 23-6. The PAT was no good.

Haggard finished the night with six receptions for 65 yards for Heber Springs while Dalton Yancey (for 23 yards), Lindley (for 21 yards) and Ty West (for 3 yards) each had a pair of receptions.

The Panther defense limited Harding Academy to 21 yards rushing on 16 attempts. Heber Springs which finished with 279 yards of total offense and 14 first downs.

Heber Springs will look to improve to 2-0 on the season Thursday when they travel to Dover for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

Heber Springs‘ Hud Haggard looks to get past Harding Academy’s Jack Citty Thursday night. Haggard went 33-yards on the pass play to help set up a Panther score. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

Panther 7th-Graders fall in opener

Heber Springs’ Dyce Young (56) breaks off a long run against Harding Academy Thursday night in seventh-grade football action. Heber Springs’ Grady Turley (24) and Emmett Dwyer (34) and Harding Academy’s Catcher Smith (2) and Cam Pryor (19) also pictured. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

By PHILIP SEATON

The Heber Springs Panthers dropped a 22-14 decision to Harding Academy on Thursday in the season opener for the seventh-grade squad at Panther Stadium.

Heber Springs (0-1) led 14-6 after Seth Dudeck returned a Wildcat fumble 26 yards for touchdown with 12:42 to play in the contest, but Harding Academy scored 16 straight to pull out the win.

The Panthers struck first as Jacob Haskett scored on a 10-yard run with 11:29 to play in the first half. Dyce Young plunged over for the 2-point conversion and Heber Springs led 8-0.

Harding Academy answered at the 6:53 mark of the first stanza with a 53-yard run by quarterback Cam Pryor to make it 8-6, after the Panthers stopped the 2-point conversion.

Heber Springs’ Jacob Haskett attempts to avoid the tackle of Harding Academy’s Cam Pryor in seventh-grade football action Thursday night at Panther Stadium. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

Heber Springs moved the ball deep into Wildcat territory late in the first half as a 22-yard run by Young and a 41-yard pass play as Emmett Dwyer connected with Cooper Holmes, but the drive ended when Harding Academy’s Jack Roberts intercepted the Panthers pass attempt at the Wildcat 8 with 37 seconds left in the half.

Heber Springs’ first drive of the second half also got deep into Wildcat territory after a 28-yard run by Haskett and an 18-yard reception by Holmes, but another interception stopped the drive. A couple plays later, Dudeck picked up the loose Wildcat football and rushed in for what would be the Panthers final score.

Harding Academy would tie the game with 8:01 left to play on an 83-yard run by Roberts and the 2-point run by Pryor. 

The Wildcats would score the go-ahead touchdown with 1:55 to play on a 36-yard run by Pryor. Roberts added the 2-point run to set the final score. 

Heber Springs will return to action on Thursday when they travel to Dover.

Heber Springs’ Emmett Dwyer looks upfield against Harding Academy Thursday night at Panther Stadium. Heber Springs’ Gavin Widner (6) and Harding Academy’s Josiah Swindle (70), also pictured. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO


Game Stats: Harding Academy at Heber Springs Junior High

HARDING ACADEMY AT HEBER SPRINGS
Junior High Football
September 10, 2020
at Panther Stadium

Harding Academy   0   6   0   0 -  6
Heber Springs     8   6   3   6 - 23

FIRST QUARTER
Heber Springs, Parker Brown 46-yard interception return (Xander Lindley 2-point run), 2:13
SECOND QUARTER
Heber Springs, Liam Buffalo to Brown 35-yard pass (pass failed), 7:12 
Harding Academy, Owen Miller to Kyler Hoover 52-yard pass (pass failed), 5:02
FOURTH QUARTER
Heber Springs, Gideon Tate 25-yard field goal, 7:11
Heber Springs, Buffalo to Hud Haggard 4-yard pass (kick failed), 5:04

TEAM STATS
First Downs by Rush: Heber Springs 3, Harding Academy 1
First Downs by Pass: Heber Springs 11, Harding Academy 1
First Downs by Penalty: Heber Springs 0, Harding Academy 1
Total First Downs: Heber Springs 14, Harding Academy 3
Penalties: Heber Springs 6/61, Harding Academy 5/33
3rd-Down Conversions: Heber Springs 2/9, Harding Academy 0/6
4th-Down Conversions: Heber Springs 3/4, Harding Academy 1/2
Fumbles/Lost: Heber Springs 3/0, Harding Academy 2/1
Sacked/Yards Lost: Heber Springs 0/0, Harding Academy 1/10
Total Offense: Heber Springs 279, Harding Academy 113
Rush/Yards/Avg: Heber Springs 15/49/3.3, Harding Academy 12/21/1.7
Passing (A/C-Yards-TD/Int): Heber Springs 17/33-230-2/0, Harding Academy 8/17-92-1/3
Punts: Heber Springs 2/43/21.5, Harding Academy 1/42
INDIVIDUAL STATS
OFFENSE
Rushing: Heber Springs, Hayden Johnson 4/21, Hud Haggard 1/9, Gideon Tate 3/9, Xander Lindley 1/7, Parker Brown 1/6, Liam Buffalo 3/4, Team 2/(-11). Harding Academy, Kyler Hoover 5/28, Owen Miller 6/(-6), Jack Citty 1/(-1).
Passing: Heber Springs, Liam Buffalo 17/33-230-2/0. Harding Academy, Owen Miller 8/17-92-1/3.
Receiving: Heber Springs, Hud Haggard 6/65, Parker Brown 3/83, Dalton Yancey 3/30, Xander Lindley 2/21, Ty West 2/3, Chris Roberts 1/28. Harding Academy, Kyler Hoover 4/65, Endy McGalliard 3/21, Jack Citty 1/6.
Kickoff Returns: Heber Springs, Hud Haggard 1/0, Xander Lindley 1/0. Harding Academy, Kyler Hoover 2/37, Jack Citty 2/35, Kohl Griffin 1/(-2).
Interceptions: Heber Springs, Parker Brown 2/46, Liam Buffalo 1/0
Total Offense: Heber Springs, Liam Buffalo 234, Hayden Johnson 21, Hud Haggard 9, Gideon Tate 9, Xander Lindley 7, Parker Brown 6. Harding Academy, Owen Miller 86, Kyler Hoover 28, Jack Citty (-1).
All-Purpose Yards: Heber Springs, Parker Brown 135, Hud Haggard 74, Dalton Yancey 30, Xander Lindley 28, Chris Roberts 28, Hayden Johnson 21, Gideon Tate 9, Ty West 3. Harding Academy, Kyler Hoover 130, Jack Citty 40, Endy McGalliard 21, Kohl Griffin (-2), Owen Miller (-6)
DEFENSE
SACKS/YARDS LOST: Heber Springs, Chris Roberts 1/10.
PUNTS: Heber Springs, Liam Buffalo 2/43/21.5. Harding Academy, Owen Miller 1/42.
KICKING: Heber Springs, Gideon Tate (0/1 XP, FG: Made - 25)