SAME SONG, NEXT (MAYBE A LITTLE DIFFERENT) VERSE

In some regards Friday night was another verse of a well-known song. But in others it was more than unique, even borderline groundbreaking lyrics.

The Booneville Bearcats will spend Thanksgiving Day together again for the fourth straight year. They will because they reached the double digit win level, also for the fourth straight year.

Becoming victim 10 on Friday night at Bearcat Stadium was Osceola – the Bearcats (10-2) beat the Seminoles the day after Thanksgiving last year – who was handed a 52-20 loss.

The unique, for instance, would be that both teams lost possessions on muffed kicks accounting for two of the five total turnovers.

Another of those giveaways came two plays into the game when the Bearcats fumbled at midfield.

Starting from the Bearcat 31 after a penalty on the fumble return, the Seminoles had two false starts, a negative yardage play courtesy of Hunter Warren, a couple of incomplete passes and punted.

The Bearcats moved from their 11 to midfield after the punt and on a third-and-11 Jace Washburn hit Dakota Mattson for a touchdown.

If a passing touchdown of half the field was not rare enough, the conversion attempt had almost everyone to the left of a stationary center, who pitched the ball to Dax Goff who then carried for a two-point conversion and an 8-0 lead.

If that was not rare enough Washburn and Mattson would connect again in the first quarter. This one for 24 yards and a touchdown to complete a 5:30 drive that covered 77 yards and took 14 plays.

Mattson was covered and caught a tipped ball on the way to the east end zone turf. The typical PAT team came onto the field this time and Juan Moreno made it 15-0.

Osceola answered by driving into Bearcat territory and had a first down at the 36 when Matt O’Bar forced a fumble that Demari Poole picked up and took to the Seminole 47.

The Bearcats capitalized on the turnover when Conner Lentz went 13 yards for a touchdown to convert another third down.

When Osceola jumped offside on the PAT, Rylen Ray (shown) ran for a two-point conversion and a 23-0 lead.

While it is not unusual for a player with the Ray surname to find a Bearcat Stadium end zone, the last of the Rays had not been in uniform since week seven before gaining clearance for limited duty Friday.

Limited would translate into offense only and 18 carries and 101 yards.

Back to the atypical, the next Bearcat possession would be a third Washburn to Mattson touchdown pass on a play covering 52 yards and it was 30-0 with 4:04 left in the half.

It is only the second time that a Bearcat quarterback has thrown three touchdown passes in a playoff game, and the second time a receiver caught three passes for scores, but the first time it happened at Bearcat Stadium.

The Bearcats actually got two more possessions before the half, one of which featured the rather odd first-and-41 and the second after Washburn recovered a muffed punt as a result as that unforgiving down and distance situation.

An interception ended the gift possession and Goff batted down a pass on the final play of the half.

The Seminoles started the second half with a 12-play drive to get on the scoreboard, doing so on a fourth down run from the 2 after having had a first-and-goal at the 1.

A two-point conversion try was disrupted by Poole keeping it 30-6.

From the completely typical, the Bearcats ran for 323 yards with, also not shocking, Goff leading the way with 197 yards on 19 carries.

Goff scored only once, that touchdown coming on a run of 80 yards, on the Bearcats first offensive snap of the second half answering the Osceola score to make it 37-6.

Goff also did not lose one or more touchdowns to a penalty which has become the norm of late.

Not that there were not plenty of flags. The Bearcats were penalized 11 times for 131 yards while Osceola had 12 markoffs go for 80 yards, which does not take into consideration three declined penalties.

Osceola started its next possession on the 20 after a touchback and lost 10 to a blindside block, then 10 more when, with Seth Wilson bearing down, the Seminole quarterback was flagged for intentional grounding in the end zone for a safety and it was 39-7.

But the Bearcats muffed the kickoff and Osceola scored on four downs later on a 32-yard pass and it was 39-12.

The Bearcats answered that score as well with Lentz getting his second touchdown of the night on a carry of 11 yards to make it 45-12.

A try for two to reach the sportsmanship – mercy – rule margin of 35 to run the clock was unsuccessful.

Clayton Loftin and Clayton Green stopped the Seminole returner at the Seminole 16 on the ensuing kickoff and again the Bearcat defense would be turned loose.

A second intentional grounding flag pushed the Seminoles back to their 3 and a fumbled pitch was covered up by Farris Danes for a touchdown and the second defensive score to make it 52-12 with 1:57 still remaining in the third quarter.

Warren recorded a sack on the final play of the third quarter – the sophomore had 11 solo tackles on the night – and Rhett Nietert picked off a deflected pass to start the final quarter.

The Bearcats were unable to move the chains after the interception and punted.

Osceola was able to add a touchdown and two-point conversion with less than four minutes to go to set the final at 52-20.

The Bearcats will now travel to Camden to face Harmony Grove Ouachita County. The Hornets won the 3A-6, had a first round bye and beat Newport 56-0 last Friday to reach the quarterfinals.

The Bearcat and Hornets also had common opponents in Harding Academy and Drew Central.