The Booneville Junior High Bearcats built a 28-0 halftime lead over Hackett Thursday night at Bearcat Stadium and although Conner Lentz led the team in rushing, he hadn’t participated in the scoring.
Despite the Bearcats being held to negative yards in the second half, Lentz would get into the end zone and the Bearcats (4-0, 1-0 Conference 3A1) went on to close out a 36-8 win over the Hornets.
Hackett had deferred their option until the second half and took the ball to start the third quarter.
Aided by a personal foul penalty, the Hornets moved from their 14-yard line to the Bearcat 29 before a false start, a zero yardage stop by Rhett Nietert, and a 3-yard tackle for a loss by Hunter Warren and Michael Nichols had the Hornets at the 36.
Lentz then intercepted a pass and took it back 75 yards for a touchdown. Warren ran for his second two-point conversion of the night and it was 36-0 with 3:56 left in the third quarter.
With the sportsmanship – mercy – rule in effect, Hackett kept the ball the rest of the quarter and was inside the Bearcat 5 when the final quarter began.
Nichols and Jeremiah Shaw made a stop for a loss on the first play of the final quarter but Hackett scored on the next play.
The Hornets then used an onside kick to get the ball back and moved to the Bearcat 38 only to turn the ball over on downs with under three minutes to play.
That meant the Bearcat offense would get only three snaps before the clock expired with Brody Chambers carrying twice and Oliver Loaeza recovering a fumbled pitch.
With the game’s first possession the Bearcats needed a couple of plays to get untracked – Nietert was sacked on the second play – but it was Lentz who ripped off a 25-yard gain to get it going.
Warren had a 23-yard effort in the drive but it was Nietert who got the touchdown from the 3 with 4:49 to play in the quarter. Conner Droemer ran for a two-point conversion and an 8-0 lead.
It was the quarterback’s first touchdown of the year to compliment a defensive game in which he blanketed Hackett’s outside receivers.
Hackett got one first down on their first possession but turned the ball over on downs at midfield after a third-and-2 was a negative yardage stop by Zaine Penny and a fourth down pass fell incomplete.
From there the Bearcats needed three plays to score with Droemer going 32 yards for the touchdown to make it 14-0.
Hackett got a 28-yard run to get into Bearcat territory on the ensuing possession but Penny and Warren made stops in the Hornet backfield and Seth Wilson tracked down a runner well short on a fourth down to end the threat.
It took the Bearcats just five plays to cover 65 yards to increase the lead to 20-0.
Lentz had a 38-yard run and caught a 12-yard pass from Nietert but it was Warren scoring from the 7 with 4:37 left in the half.
After forcing the Hornets to punt the Bearcats had 3:02 with which to work and with Shelton getting 19 yards on one play, Warren offsetting an illegal block call with a 16-yard run, and Lentz getting loose for 25 the Bearcats were at the Hackett 8.
Nietert executed the read and pitch flawlessly and Droemer scored his second touchdown from there. Warren ran for the two-point conversion and it was 28-0 with 0:10 left in the half.
The Bearcats will next play on Thursday when they travel to West Fork. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
LENTZ SCORES DEFENSIVE TD IN JUNIOR HIGH BEARCAT WIN
