The Booneville Junior High Bearcats used a stingy second half defense to shut down Class 6A Russellville in a 24-9 win at Cyclone Stadium Thursday night.
The Bearcats (3-0) held a 16-9 halftime lead on the strength of two Conner Lentz (shown) touchdown runs – Lentz ran seven times for 126 yards on the night – and were due to get the football to start the second half.
A holding penalty started the second half – there would be seven second half penalties assessed against the Bearcats – and the Bearcats ultimately punted.
A short punt gave Russellville the ball at their 48-yard line and after moving the chains twice the Whirlwinds were at the Bearcat 29.
Three plays later a penalty backed Russellville up to its 33.
A Whirlwind receiver curled around at the Bearcat 29 on a third-and-14 and Conner Droemer read the play perfectly.
Droemer had narrowly missed picking off a pass on the same play in the first quarter but this time he did not miss, picking off the throw and returning it 71 yards for a touchdown.
Droemer also bulled his way across the goal line on a two-point conversion attempt to make it 24-9 with 1:12 left in the third quarter.
The ensuing Whirlwind possession saw a negative yardage play by Cody Smith and Caleb Richardson, an incomplete pass, a sack by Hunter Warren, and a pass break up by Chase Shelton and the Bearcats had the ball back at the Russellville 37 with 7:48 to play.
It would be a long fourth quarter.
The ensuing series saw an illegal shift, a fumble that fortunately bounced back to Lentz, and a penalty, before a false start in punt formation.
Russellville ultimately got the ball back at their 8 – Lentz delivered a 38-yard punt – with 6:18 to play.
Two plays later the Whirlwinds were at their 34 but a tackle for a 4-yard loss by Clint Osborne slowed the Whirlwinds momentarily.
Russellville eventually converted a third-and-2 then a third-and-1 and were at the Bearcat 31 with under four minutes to play.
Shelton broke up another pass, Osborne made another stop for a short gain, and two more incomplete passes, the later broken up by Warren, gave the Bearcats the ball back with 3:05 to go.
After Russellville used its first time out Warren rumbled for 13 yards to move the chains but Warren lost a yard on the next play and another holding penalty was apparently declined and it was third-and-9 at the Bearcat 39.
Still another holding penalty pushed the Bearcats back and one more flag wiped out what would have been a 69-yard Warren touchdown run, shortening it to just 28 yards and it was still third-and-6 at the Bearcat 44.
A forthcoming punt was muffed and Droemer was there to record his second takeaway of the half, leaving the Bearcats just 40 seconds away from victory.
Russellville began the game with the football and, after converting a fourth-and-3 were at the Bearcat 9.
A second down sack by Zaine Penny played into Russellville eventually settling for a 31-yard field goal and a 3-0 lead.
The initial Bearcat possession saw Rhett Nietert direct a drive to the Whirlwind 11 but Russellville's defense would stiffen and force a turnover on downs.
Two plays later the Whirlwinds were at their 48, but a fumble was recovered by Osborne and the Bearcats had the ball at their 49.
From there the Bearcats converted a fourth-and-2 – Nietert had run for 10 yards on third-and-12 – but a sack pushed them back to the Whirlwind 47.
Lentz took a pitch from Nietert on the next play and broke free for a go-ahead touchdown. Lentz also ran for a two-point conversion to make it 8-3 with 2:37 left in the first half.
It took Russellville three plays to answer. A 25-yard touchdown run made it 9-8.
Warren blocked the extra point and there was still 1:49 to play in the half.
That was more than enough for the Bearcats. Almost too much.
After Tayden Washburn smothered the kickoff at the Bearcat 38, Lentz took another pitch from Nietert and went 62 yards for a touchdown.
Shelton ran for a two-point conversion to make it 16-9 but there was still 1:18 on the first half clock.
Russellville overcame a holding penalty when a fourth down pass drew a pass interference flag for an untimed down from the Bearcat 23 and the half finally ended with an incomplete pass.
The Bearcats are open next week and will open Conference 3A-1 play at Hackett on September 22.
