Junior Panthers tripped up in home-opener

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Heber Springs’ Josiah Riggs fights for extra yards against Southside Batesville Thursday night at Panther Stadium. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

By PHILIP SEATON
MarkedTime.com Publisher

Two big plays in a just over four-minute span cost the Heber Springs Junior Panthers a chance of a season-opening victory Thursday night at Panther Stadium.

Southside Batesville broke a 6-all halftime tie with a pair of late third-quarter and early fourth-quarters touchdowns to claim an 18-6 victory.

Heber Springs took the opening kick-off but couldn’t move the chains as Aiden Isom was stopped for a no gain on a fourth-and-4 play from the Panther 37.

The Panther defense appeared to have stiffened forcing a pair of short runs after Rhett Herring threw Southside’s Karsen McSpadden for a four-yard loss on first down. But with the Southerners facing a fourth-and-8 from the Heber Springs 35, Hanlee Cartmill got behind the Panther secondary and McSpadden connected with him for a 35-yard touchdown. The 2-point conversion failed after Southside picked up three penalties on the attempt with 3:28 left in the first quarter.

Five straight fullback runs up the middle by Brody Loethen killed the rest of the first quarter and gave the Panthers a pair of first downs at the Southerner 42. But Heber Springs lost three yards over the next four plays forcing a turnover on downs.

The Southerners then drove to the Panther 17, before a high snap was recovered by Heber Springs’ Landon Brown.

The Panthers managed a first down on a seven-yard run by Landen Peterson, but a fourth-down run by Tanner Graham was stopped two-yards short with 2:03 left before the half.

Heber Springs got another chance before the break on the next play as another snap by Southerner was recovered by Cade Williams at the Southerner 30.

After a loss of a yard on first down, Isom broke free for a 31-yard touchdown run diving for the corner pylon to get the Panthers on the board with 1:07 left in the half. The 2-point conversion leaving the score at 6-all at the break.

The Southerners finished with 13 penalties on the night and on their first possession of the second half four flags frustrated a six-play drive that took 4:43 off the third-quarter clock. That drive only netted two yards and after a 13-yard punt, Heber Springs had the ball at the Southerner 30.

But on the first play of the drive, a Panther fumble was scooped up by Southside’s Cole Vaughn and returned 67 yards for a score with 3:01 left in the stanza. The 2-point conversion was again stopped by the Heber Springs defense.

The Panthers managed a pair of first downs pushing into Southerner territory, but Josiah Riggs was stopped a yard short on fourth down on the first play of the fourth quarter.

On second down, Bryson VanWinkle broke free for a 64-yard touchdown run. The 2-point conversion was again stopped with 6:48 left.

Isom paced Heber Springs with 51 yards on nine carries and his 10-yard carry gave the Panthers their final first down of the night at the Southerner 33. Two plays later an interception ended Heber Springs’ hope of comeback as Southside killed the clock to end the game.

The start time of the game was pushed back due to an excessive heat warning and a seventh-grade game was changed to intra-squad scrimmage. The game was the first one on the new artificial playing surface that was installed this summer replacing the old turf.

Heber Springs will travel to Clinton Thursday night with a scheduled 6:30 p.m. kick-off. The Panther seventh-grade team will open their season at 5:30 p.m. against Clinton.

SOUTHSIDE BATESVILLE AT HEBER SPRINGS
JUNIOR HIGH
August 25, 2023
TEAM STATS

TIME OF POSSESSION: Heber Springs 16:25, Southside 15:35
TOTAL FIRST DOWNS: Heber Springs 7, Southside 7
BY RUSH: Heber Springs 6, Southside 6
BY PASS: Heber Springs 0, Southside 1
BY PENALTY: Heber Springs 1, Southside 0
TEAM RUSHING: Heber Springs 32/101/3.2, Southside 29/115/4.0
TEAM PASSING: Heber Springs 0/2-0-0/1, Southside 1/3-35-1/0
TOTAL OFFENSE: Heber Springs 34/101/3.0, Southside 32/150/4.7
3RD CONVERSION: Heber Springs 1/6, Southside 0/4
4TH CONVERSION: Heber Springs 0/4, Southside 1/2
TURNOVERS: Heber Springs 2, Southside 2
FUMBLES/LOST: Heber Springs 1/1, Southside 2/2
PENALTIES: Heber Springs 2/10, Southside 13/81
RETURNS: Heber Springs 2/10, Southside 3/93
PUNTS: Heber Springs 0/0, Southside 1/13
SACKS: Heber Springs 1/14, Southside 0/0
TACKLES FOR LOSS: Heber Springs 9/66, Southside 8/20
INDIVIDUAL STATS
RUSHING: Heber Springs, Brody Loethen 11/27, Aiden Isom 9/51/1, Landen Peterson 4/2, Landon Brown 3/9, Josiah Riggs 3/13, Tanner Graham 2/(-1). Southside, Karsen McSpadden 10/49, Bryson VanWinkle 9/91/1, Jake Roberts 5/16, Korbin Foster 3/(-8), Team 2/(-33).
PASSING: Heber Springs, Landen Peterson 0/2-0-0/1. Southside, Karsen McSpadden 1/1-35-1/0, Korbin Foster 0/2-0-0/0
RECEIVING: Southside, Hanlee Cartmill 1/35/1.
KICKOFF RETURNS: Heber Springs, Rhett Herring 2/10. Southside, Juju Brooks 1/6.
FUMBLE RETURNS: Southside, Cole Vaughn 1/67/1.
INTERCEPTION RETURNS: Southside, Karsen McSpadden 1/20

Panther Cubs remain perfect with win over Subiaco Academy

HEBER SPRINGS – Heber Springs led 22-0 at the half and cruised to a 24-10 victory over Subiaco Academy in seventh-grade boys action at the Panther Den.

The improved Heber Springs to 8-0 on the season.

HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (24): Rhett Herring 4, Samuel Bush 1, Lachlan Tubbs 2, Tanner Graham 3, Landon Brown 4, Josiah Riggs 7, Bryson O’Neill 3

HEBER SPRINGS 7TH-GRADE BOYS
2021-2022 SCHEDULE AND RESULTS
(Click on each game for details)
RECORD: 8-0
Nov. 11   Heber Springs 21, Mount Vernon-Enola 3
Nov. 20   Tuckerman (win) at Tuckerman Jamboree
Nov. 20   Cedar Ridge (win) at Tuckerman Jamboree 
Nov. 30   at Southside Batesville (win)
Dec. 01   Heber Springs 13, Pangburn 9
Dec. 06   Heber Springs 40, Cedar Ridge 23
Dec. 09   Heber Springs 30, Rose Bud 22
Dec. 10   Heber Springs 24, Subiaco Academy 10
Jan. 06   at South Side Bee Branch, 5 p.m.
Jan. 13   White County Central, 4:30 p.m.
Jan. 20   Riverview, 5 p.m.
Jan. 24   at Mayflower, 4:30 p.m.
Jan. 27   Bradford, 4:30 p.m.
Jan. 29   at Bauxite Jamboree
(* - results unavailable)

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Heber Springs tops Cedar Ridge in seventh-grade action

NEWARK – Three Heber Springs players finished in double figures as the Panthers downed Cedar Ridge, 40-23, in seventh-grade action.

Josiah Riggs paced Heber Springs with 13 points while Rhett Herring added 12 and Samuel Bush 10.

Heber Springs led 19-8 at the half.

HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (40): Rhett Herring 12, Samuel Bush 10, Tanner Graham 7, Landon Brown 2, Josiah Riggs 13, Christian Gaddy 2.

Heber Springs improves to 5-0 with win over Pangburn

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Heber Springs’ Rhett Herring looks to get past Pangburn defender Justise Bell in seventh-grade boys basketball action at the Panther Den. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

HEBER SPRINGS – Josiah Riggs finished with 15 points as Heber Springs improved to 5-0 on the season with a 27-9 win over Pangburn in seventh-grade boys basketball action at the Panther Den.

Heber Springs led 18-2 at the half.

HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (27): Rhett Herring 4, Tanner Graham 4, Landon Brown 2, Josiah Riggs 15, Christian Gaddy 2.

PANGBURN SCORING (9): Carson Waire 4, Ethan Ramsey 2, Brody Woods 3,

HEBER SPRINGS 7TH-GRADE BOYS
2021-2022 SCHEDULE AND RESULTS
(Click on each game for details)
RECORD: 5-0
Nov. 11   Heber Springs 21, Mount Vernon-Enola 3
Nov. 20   Tuckerman (win) at Tuckerman Jamboree
Nov. 20   Cedar Ridge (win) at Tuckerman Jamboree 
Nov. 30   at Southside Batesville (win)
Dec. 01   Heber Springs 13, Pangburn 9
Dec. 06   at Cedar Ridge, 5 p.m.
Dec. 09   at Rose Bud, 4:30 p.m.
Jan. 06   at South Side Bee Branch, 5 p.m.
Jan. 13   White County Central, 4:30 p.m.
Jan. 20   Riverview, 5 p.m.
Jan. 24   at Mayflower, 4:30 p.m.
Jan. 27   Bradford, 4:30 p.m.
Jan. 29   at Bauxite Jamboree
(* - results unavailable)

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Heber Springs opens seventh-grade season with win

HEBER SPRINGS – The Heber Springs seventh-grade boys basketball team opened its season with a 21-3 victory over Mount Vernon-Enola.

Heber Springs led 17-3 at the half and were paced by Josiah Riggs’ 9 points.

HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (21): Samuel Bush 8, Josiah Riggs 9, Tanner Graham 1, Landon Brown 2, Bryson O’Neill 1.

MOUNT VERNON-ENOLA SCORING (3): Simpson 1, Loyd 2

Panther Cubs sink Pirates

Heber Springs’ Rhett Herring looks for running against Dover Thursday night at Panther Stadium. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

The Heber Springs 7th-Grade Panthers claimed their first win of the season with a 16-6 victory over Dover Thursday night at Panther Stadium.

Heber Springs (1-1) started the scoring with a 22-yard touchdown run by Tanner Graham with 15:06 to play in the first half. Lachlan Tubbs connected with Rhett Herring for the 2-point conversion. The scoring drive was set-up by a 30-yard interception return by Herring.

The Panthers tacked on another score almost seven minutes later when Samuel Bush scored on a 34-yard run with 8:24 left in the first half. Tubbs against connected with Herring for the 2-point conversion to make it 16-0.

The score would remain that way until late in the contest when Dover’s Matthew Krantz scored on a 54-yard touchdown run with 6:34 to play. The 2-point conversion was no good.

HEBER SPRINGS 7TH-GRADE SCHEDULE

(All Game Times are 5:30 p.m.)

Aug. 26 – Clinton 16, Heber Springs 14

Sep. 09 – at Harding Academy (Canceled)

Sep. 16 – Heber Springs 16, Dover 6

Sep. 23 – at Lonoke

Sep. 30 – Stuttgart

Oct. 07 – at Central Arkansas Christian

Oct. 14 – Bald Knob

Oct. 21 – at Southside Batesville

Oct. 28 – at Clinton

Panther 7th-graders fall in opener

Heber Springs’ Samuel Bush attempts to get a pass over a trio of Clinton defenders Thursday night at Panther Stadium. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

HEBER SPRINGS – The Heber Springs seventh-grade Panthers came up short as Clinton defeated the Cubs, 16-14.

Heber Springs struck first with Samuel Bush touchdown, but Clinton responded on a Dereck Infante touchdown run and a Keegan Rose 2-point conversion to lead 8-6 with just over seven minutes to play in the first half.

The Panthers moved the ball deep into Clinton territory before halftime after a long run by Landon Brown, a Lachlan Tubbs to Rhett Herring pass and a nice run by Bush, but Heber Springs couldn’t push the ball in the end zone and turned the ball over on downs. The Panthers trailed 8-6 at the break.

Clinton took a a 16-6 advantage after another Infante touchdown run and successful 2-point conversion.

Heber Springs pulled to within two late in the contest when Tubbs connected with Josiah Riggs for the score. Bush added the 2-point conversion to make it 16-14 in favor of Clinton.

The Panthers wouldn’t get the ball back as Clinton ran out the clock to end the game and earn the win. The two teams will meet again in Clinton in the season finalee.

Heber Springs will return to action on Sept. 9 at Harding Academy.

HEBER SPRINGS 7TH-GRADE SCHEDULE

(All Game Times are 5:30 p.m.)

Aug. 26 – Clinton 16, Heber Springs 14

Sep. 09 – at Harding Academy (Searcy)

Sep. 16 – Dover

Sep. 23 – at Lonoke

Sep. 30 – Stuttgart

Oct. 07 – at Central Arkansas Christian

Oct. 14 – Bald Knob

Oct. 21 – at Southside Batesville

Oct. 28 – at Clinton

HEBER SPRINGS 7TH-GRADE ROSTER

Coaches: Drew Lawrence, Jeff Bise and Hunter Davis

Players (in jersey number order)

Conner Underwood

Cade Burger

Jayden James

Tanner Graham

Samuel Bush

Lachlan Tubbs

Kayden Rimmer

Hayden Williams

Tripp Johnston

Rhett Herring

Landon Brown

Brayden Inman

Josiah Riggs

Walker Robinson

Carson Robitaille

Kayd Williams

Casey Pearce

Brody Loethen

Gavin Willis

Hayden Andrews