DANIEL, SHAFFER LEAD JUNIOR BEARCATS IN SCRIMMAGE WIN

The Booneville Junior High Bearcats got 120 yards and a touchdown from Hayden Daniel in a scrimmage win over Dardanelle Tuesday.

The scoreboard read 22-14 and included a first quarter touchdown by the Sand Lizards in a junior varsity setting.

After that period the Bearcat regulars took the field and covered 73 yards in eight plays with Cooper Smithson scoring his first of two touchdowns from the 16, and Callen Montalvo adding the first of two two-point conversions for an 8-7 lead.

Five plays into the second half the Bearcats had moved 29 yards to their 49-yard line with a second-and-7 but a pair of false start penalties made it second-and-17.

Daniel took it from there for a 61-yard score and Montalvo’s second conversion made it 16-7.

A Drake Brackney interception gave the Bearcats a chance to do further damage but a pair of negative yardage plays and a punt that bounded backward gave the Sand Lizards good field position with 6:41 to play.

After a tackle by Daniel on fourth down gave the Bearcats the ball back at their 39, Daniel ripped off 50 yards to set up a 7-yard touchdown run by Smithson to make it 22-7 with 3:14 remaining.

Dardanelle hit on three passes for 63 yards on the ensuing possession to score with 54 seconds to go.

Prior to that 65-yard drive the Sand Lizards had been held to under 100 yards by the Bearcat defense with 67 of those coming in the opening quarter.

Lathen Shaffer (shown, 52) led the defense with three solo stops and an assist.

The Bearcats will open their 2024 season at Prairie Grove next Thursday, August 29. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and will follow a game between the two schools' seventh grade teams.