Allowing 42 rushing yards while recording three quarterback sacks and three interceptions, it is conceivable the Booneville Bearcat defense could have carried the them to a Class 3A quarterfinal round win in Camden Friday night.
But the best defense at Bill Manning Field at Hornet Stadium was the Bearcat offense in a 44-16 win over Harmony Grove Ouachita County.
The win moves the Bearcats to 11-2 and into the Class 3A semifinals against Glen Rose at Bearcat Stadium next Friday.
The only time the Bearcat offense did not score occurred once the game was well in hand late in the final quarter.
Starting with Harmony Grove (9-3) winning the toss and deferring, there were four first half possessions and 24 points.
The first three second half possessions resulted in 20 more points and a running clock on the way to a running clock.
The opening drive took 10 plays but reached third down just once, which Rylen Ray converted with a 2-yard touchdown run and a 7-0 lead with Juan Moreno’s PAT.
Still playing one way since his return from a broken bone in week seven, Ray would log 25 carries for a season best 128 yards and would reach the end zone twice more.
Doing so exclusively through the air, Harmony Grove mounted a threat on its first possession – the only rush of the drive went for a yard loss thanks to Demari Poole and Dax Goff – ultimately reaching the Bearcat 7-yard line.
However a third down pass from the 7-yard line was picked off by Dylan Todd with 5:12 left in the opening quarter.
Todd got the ball back to the Bearcat 16 and the Bearcats marched 84 yards to make it 14-0.
But after three carries the Bearcats had managed just nine yards. Head Coach Doc Crowley never flinched and Goff got eight yards and a fresh set of downs on fourth down.
Goff ripped off 28 yards the next play and later scored from the 36 and, like Ray, would also find the end zone twice more while carrying 17 times for 209 yards.
Goff also had the first Bearcat sack of the night – a defensive hold had wiped out one by Farris Danes with the penalty getting the Hornets to the Bearcat 7 before Todd’s interception – on the first play of the second quarter.
Harmony Grove would turn it over on downs at their 48 a play after the sack.
The ensuing possession saw a holding penalty and a rare negative carry from Goff put the Bearcats in a fourth-and-9 situation at the Hornet 16.
Though well in Moreno’s range, the Bearcats instead picked up a first down on a completion from Jace Washburn to Poole, with Poole fighting his way past well past the sticks on what was his first reception of the season.
Goff would score from the 2 to make it 21-0 with 4:56 to play in the half.
With 2:42 to play in the half the Bearcats had the ball back – a Hunter Warren sack helped induce a Hornet punt – but it was at their 33.
Conner Lentz started the drive with 13 yards and although there would be two penalties once the Bearcats crossed into Hornet territory, Washburn took off for 17 yards to get the ball to the 19.
After an incomplete pass left just :02 on the clock, Crowley took his last time out and sent on the field goal unit. Moreno just cleared the crossbar from 36 yards out and it was 24-0 at the break.
Harmony Grove’s decision to wait until the second half to start on offense had already proven costly but would be even more so when Lentz picked off a pass three plays into the third quarter and took it back to the Hornet 15.
Ray scored from the 3 and it was 30-0 with 9:07 to go in the third quarter The Hornets blocked the PAT.
The Hornets tried to use the special teams play to shift momentum and were able to put together a quick three play drive after a kickoff return across midfield, and with a two-point conversion it was 30-8.
Another chunk play from Goff, this one 37 yards, got the Bearcats back in the red zone and Ray would score from the 6 to keep the scoring drive streak intact.
Moreno’s kick this time almost cleared the uprights and it was 37-8 with 7:16 still to play in the third quarter.
Harmony Grove had a third-and-1 at their 48 after the ensuing kickoff but Poole and Danes (30, 52 show) made a stop for a yard loss and after an incomplete pass the Bearcats had the ball and were a score away from the sportsmanship rule.
Goff went 29 yards to make that happen with still 2:31 left in the third quarter and it was 44-8.
Including a 10-yarder for a touchdown on the first play of the final quarter, Harmony Grove connected on three passes while the clock ran – they were 10-of-25 for the night – and, with another two-point conversion, made it 44-16.
With Warren taking over at fullback the Bearcats moved near midfield before a holding penalty helped force Dakota Mattson to punt giving the Hornets just under two minutes.
After a sack Danes got to keep, the Hornets would take a time out with :04 to go only to have Warren pick off a pass on the final play of the night.
OFFENSE BEST DEFENSE, BUT DEFENSE PRETTY GOOD TOO FRIDAY
