IT'S GAME DAY

The Booneville Bearcats were idle last week, the so-called Week 0, while a big portion of the state started the 2023 season, mostly at delayed kickoff times due to the heat.

The Bearcats had been contracted to be at home last Friday to face Dollarway (Pine Bluff) but the once proud Cardinal program has closed its doors. To replace the game head coach Doc Crowley added Camden Fairview to the schedule for Week 2 making tonight’s game in Ozark the season opener.

Heat isn’t expected to be as much of a factor for the Week 1 games, at least not in terms of temperature.

The Bearcats and Hillbillies are meeting for the 86th time and as noted below, the Bearcats own a commanding lead in the series and have won 14 of the last 21 meetings, over the last two decades.

That includes the last three under Crowley, and eight of the last 11 after Ozark had run off three in a row in just two season, with that coming after the Bearcats won six of seven.

• Mascots: Booneville Bearcats; Ozark Hillbillies
• When: 7 pm, September 1, at Hillbilly stadium
• Series: Booneville leads 54-27-4 (0.659)
• Last Meeting: Bearcats 35 Ozark 7 on September 2, 2022
• Streak: Booneville has won last 3
• First Meeting: Bearcats 45 Ozark 0 on November 6, 1924
• Conference Affiliations: Bearcats are 3A-1, Ozark is 4A-1

Today in Bearcat football history: The Bearcats are 8-2 all time in games documented to have been played on September 1. There are a couple of unique notes about the date including rushing touchdowns by brothers John and Erik Chase. Erik ran 66 yards for a touchdown on September 1, 1995 against Charleston (36-14) and John went 80 against Yellville-Summit on September 1, 2000 (42-0). The other notable is a 91-yard kickoff return by Talor Tatterson to open a Hootens.com game against Mena in Van Buren on September 1, 2009 in what would be a 35-7 win.

Elsewhere in Conference 3A-1 tonight Elkins (1-0) is at Charleston, who is opening its season; Paris (1-0) is at Mansfield (1-0) , who beat Magazine 56-0 last week; Magazine is at Lavaca, who is opening its season; Hackett (1-0) is at Pocola, Okla, after opening the year with a 53-6 win over Centerpoint; Greenland (0-1) is at Green Forest after opening with a 47-12 loss to Lincoln; and West Fork (0-1) is at Berryville after opening its season with a 20-8 win over Green Forest. Cedarville is open after a 41-0 loss to Perryville last week.