The history between Booneville and Harmony Grove Ouachita County is a single 2018 when the Hornets were still going by Camden Harmony Grove.
One of two football playing Harmony Grove High Schools in the state the school near Benton has opted to go by Haskell and earlier this year Harmony Grove in Camden opted to drop the city in favor of its home county.
Atop the bracket the Hornets have had to win just one game to get to Thanksgiving weekend and they left no doubt in that one, beating Newport 56-0 last Friday.
The Bearcats meanwhile won an opening round game over Drew Central, who is a member of Harmony Grove’s conference, and a second round game over Osceola last week, both in convincing fashion.
Besides Drew Central the Bearcats and Hornets have both encountered Harding Academy.
• Mascots: Booneville Bearcats; Harmony Grove OC Hornets
• When: 7 p.m., November 24 at Hornet Stadium in Camden
• Series: Booneville leads 1-0 (1.000)
• Last Meeting: Booneville 43 Harmony Grove 22 on November 23, 2018
• Streak: Booneville has won last
• First Meeting: Booneville 43 Harmony Grove 22 on November 23, 2018
• Conference Affiliations: Booneville is 3A-1, Harmony Grove is 3A-6
THIS DATE IN BEARCAT FOOTBALL HISTORY: The Bearcats are 9-5-1 all time in games documented to have been played on November 24. Included in that is a 3-1 mark in the playoffs. Oddly the three wins are away from home – on neutral fields in Conway and Van Buren, and at De Queen.
At Conway High School on November 24, 1978 the Bearcats won a playoff semifinal game for the first time, beating Nashville 12-0 behind 219 yards from Ronnie Littleton and another 95 from Roy Stiles.
On November 24, 1989 in Van Buren it was James Lee kicking a game winning field goal of 18 yards to beat Farmington in the semifinals, 20-17. Lee’s other field goal on a cold, misty, icy night was from 29 yards out. Joel McDonald returned a kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown – it was the longest playoff return until Rocky Ross went 95 at Harding Academy in 2021. McDonald also ran for 95 yards.
On November 24, 2000 Brad West scored four touchdown – in the first quarter – and the Bearcats pounded De Queen 41-0 at Leopard Stadium. West ran for 119 yards in the game and John Chase added 80. After the game West told a newspaper reporter that a certain team up north could have the conference title because he wanted a state title – that certain team had lost in Nashville the same night and West and the Bearcats would indeed win a state title 15 days later.
NOTES: The 576 passing yards by Jace Washburn are the most by a Bearcat since Brandon Ulmer threw for 810 as a junior in 2017. The eight combined touchdowns passing (seven by Washburn and one by Dax Goff) are the most since Evan Schlinker threw 14 in 2018. The Bearcats have reached the 50 PAT mark with Juan Moreno converting 46-of-55 and Oliver Loaeza 4-of-5.
