The 1986 Bearcat football team was recognized prior to Friday's second round playoff game against Manila and those in attendance served as honorary game captains.
An old adage holds that offense wins games, defense wins championships. Exhibit 1 to back up that claim might be the 1986 Booneville Bearcats. It was 35 years ago this season that Bearcats team won the first state title in school history.
Going into their game on October 10, the 1986 the Booneville Bearcats had lost two straight and were 3-2. At one point the Bearcats were locked in a 14-14 tie with Mansfield that October 10th.
The Bearcats scored the next 28 points and won 42-20.
A week later Rusty McDonald returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in a 22-15 win over Greenwood.
There would not be many chances for kickoff returns after that game because the Bearcat defense featuring Ernie Thornell, Paul Smith, Barry Catlett, Tony Travis, Gary Simpson, Frank Johnson, and McDonald posted three straight shutouts on the way to the playoffs.
The shutout streak continued in the playoffs as the Bearcats blanked Berryville without allowing the Bobcats to penetrate as far as the Bearcat 30-yard line.
A week later Junction City was at the Home of Champions and brought a sophomore running back with 1,827 yards in 11 games.
He, nor any other Dragon would score as the shutout streak reached 23 quarters with key interceptions from Clint Watson and, on the final play, by Eric Jones.
The game has been named the greatest game ever at Bearcat Stadium and was won 6-0 when Paul Smith took an option pitch from Frank Johnson and went 59 yards for the game’s only points.
Prescott, a team the Bearcats had beaten 10-9 in 1985, would manage to snap the scoreless quarter streak with a field goal for the game’s first points.
It was all Bearcats after that. Prescott had a minus 14 yards of offense in the second half while the Bearcat offense was assaulting the Curly Wolves to the tune of a 30-3 win that punched their ticket for War Memorial Stadium.
In Little Rock the Bearcats encountered Lake Village and the Single Wing.
The Bearcats drew first blood on offense as Frank Johnson hooked up with White for a 51-yard touchdown pass and it was 8-0.
Then came that defense. Simpson provided the highlight reel play with an 86-yard scoop and score fumble recovery and the Bearcats led 16-0.
At 16-7 the Bearcats got an interception from Barry Catlett and used it to go up 22-7 on a touchdown run by Johnson. It was Catlett’s second takeaway of the game.
After the Beavers cut it to 22-13, a 75-yard drive that ended with Ricky May running 9 yards for a touchdown made it 28-13.
A fourth down stop by Jones preceded a McDonald touchdown run and Smith scored again before it ended with the Bearcats first state title and a 42-13 final.
The 1986 Bearcat coaching staff was Doug Scheel, Ted Cook, John McGowan, and David Beckham.
35 YEARS AGO BEARCATS BROUGHT HOME SCHOOL'S FIRST TITLE
