IT'S PLAYOFF GAME DAY

December football is reserved for the best of the best. At one time it meant a state championship and still does in Class 5A, 6A, and 7A.

In the smaller classes, other than the COVID season of 2020, it means no less than the semifinal round of the playoffs.

For Booneville this is 20th semifinal game in program history. The Bearcats are 9-10 in those games.

As stated when the playoffs began, the AAA programs at the state finals typically omit the 1947 and 1952 semifinal seasons which were eight school fields in which Booneville participated and won an opening round game to get to the round of four.

Of the appearances six were on neutral sites (3-3), seven were hosted by the opponent (4-3 though one was at UA Pine Bluff rather than Pine Bluff Dollarway), and six were at Bearcat Stadium (2-4). Three of the title teams – 1986, 2000, and 2013 – all won semifinal games on the road.

MASCOTS: Booneville Bearcats; Harding Academy Wildcats
WHEN: 7 p.m., December 3, at First Security Bank Stadium in Searcy
SERIES: Harding leads 2-0
LAST MEETING: Harding 52 Booneville 21 on December 11, 2020
STREAK: Harding has won the last 2
FIRST MEETING: Harding 53 Booneville 21 on November 13, 2015
CONFERENCE AFFILIATIONS: Booneville is 3A-4; Harding is 3A-2
NOTES: Randon Ray is 52 yards from tying his father as the all time rushing leader at Booneville High School.
Linebacker Dax Goff has taken over the lead in both tackles and tackles for a loss on the season.
Kicker Pablo Ferrer’s consecutive PAT streak is now at 44. He has not missed in Arkansas.

THIS DATE IN BEARCAT FOOTBALL HISTORY: The Bearcats are 0-3 in games documented to have been played on December 3. The program did however, beat those schools (McGehee, Nashville, Pine Bluff Dollarway) in later meetings.
The 1999 game with Nashville saw Allen Ray run for 121 yards and Brandon Rowland add 97. Les Nuckolls also recovered two fumbles that night. The 2004 game in Pine Bluff featured three Daniel Shaw touchdowns.