Conference 3A-4 football titles still go through Booneville.
For the second straight year Paris came into Week 9 sporting a perfect record. For the second straight year the Eagles ended the week in second place in Conference 3A-4.
The Bearcats (9-1, 6-0), behind 173 yards on 17 carries by quarterback Randon Ray and another 141 yards on 15 carries by fullback Rylen Ray, beat the Eagles 41-22 Friday night at Bearcat Stadium.
It is the 17th time Paris has lost at Bearcat Stadium.
The win also gave the Bearcats no less than a share of a fifth straight conference title. Perryville, the Bearcat opponent for the season finale, has a single loss, to Paris.
However, it was Paris (8-1, 5-1) who struck first, going up 3-0 on a 30-yard field goal at the 7:30 mark of the opening quarter.
The Eagles had reached the Bearcat 4 with a second-and-2 before consecutive negative yardage plays – one by Johnny Barnes and Mason Goers, and the other a sack by Cody Elliott and Dax Goff – brought on the field goal unit.
There would be nine tackles for a loss in the game by the Bearcat defense, including five sacks. Elliott had 1.5 sacks and Goff and Chase Plymale both had one.
The Bearcats took the lead driving 67 yards on their first possession. There were third-and-8 and third-and-9 converting runs by Randon Ray and Goff, respectively, on the drive on the way to a 4-yard touchdown run by Randon Ray.
Pablo Ferrer’s first of five point after kicks made it 7-3.
Paris was at the Bearcat 39 on the next possession before an illegal forward pass and another incomplete pass forced a punt.
With it’s second possession the Bearcats had a delay of game penalty slow them into a turnover on downs at the Eagle 30.
Plymale got a sack on a play that was initially ruled a backward pass and fumble recovery by the Bearcats but the call was overturned and the Eagles converted a third down and eventually punted into the end zone.
Starting from their 20, the Bearcats then went 80 yards in just six plays.
Brooks Herrera had a third down, 16-yard pickup to move the chains and, on another third down, Rocky Ross went 59 yards for a touchdown to make it 14-3 with 2:43 to play in the first half.
That started a 21-point flurry to end the half as Paris got a 72-yard pass play to get to the 2 – Herrera momentarily prevented the score – and scored from there and it was 14-10 with 1:52 left in the half.
Rayce Blansett took a short kickoff back to the Bearcat 45 and four plays later Blansett hauled in a 30-yard pass from Randon Ray to get the Bearcats to the Paris 4.
Randon Ray scored from the 1 with 24 seconds to go in the half and it was 21-10.
Taten Rice recovered an onside kick to start the second half but the Bearcats, after converting one fourth down, would punt with 8:16 left in the third quarter.
The Bearcat defense forced Paris to do the same and the Bearcats had the ball back at their 15 with 5:40 to go in the quarter.
Randon Ray bolted 85 yards on the next play and it was 28-10.
After three straight possessions ended in punts and the Bearcats had the ball at their 47, following a 16-yard return by Herrera, just 33 seconds before the final quarter began.
Rylen Ray started the fourth quarter – in which he had 105 yards – with a 40-yard effort to get the ball to the Eagle 10.
Goff then carried to the six but had the ball punched out, which flew into the hands of Goers at the 4, who carried it in for a touchdown and a 35-10 lead with 11:09 to play.
From there Paris went almost exclusively to the air and it was a 17-yard pass that made it 35-16 with 8:06 to play.
Cade Smith recovered an onside kick but a Bearcat fumble opened the door for the Eagles and, aided by a pass interference flag, scored again on a 24-yard pass with 2:55 left and it was 35-22 after a second missed PAT.
The Eagles actually recovered an onside kick and were in the process of a hook-and-lateral when the ball was dropped and scooped up by Dunn Daniel.
Daniel was run out of bounds and a collision between players resulted in a possible neck injury to an Eagle player, which delayed the game while he was treated and taken from the field.
Out of the stoppage, Rylen Ray, using a vicious stiff arm, bolted 55 yards for a touchdown to make it 41-22. A high PAT snap caused Herrera to try to hit Blansett for two points but the pass was incomplete.
Paris kept the ball the rest of the way but was unable to do further damage.
RAY RUNS FOR 173, BEARCATS DUMP EAGLES IN CONFERENCE DEFINING GAME
