BEARCATS LOOKING TO NAIL DOWN TWO SEED

The Bearcats are in a position to wrap up a second place finish in Conference 3A-1 Friday night. So too is the opponent.

However, it is the Bearcats in much better shape to be the second seed and possibly home for two weeks of the Class 3A state playoffs that will get underway on November 8.

There are many avenues for the Bearcats to the two seed while only the combination of a Lavaca win and a Charleston loss is the only one in which Golden Arrows are the two seed.

Lavaca sits at 4-2 in 3A-1 play with losses to Mansfield and Charleston and with a win throws the standings into a tie with just the Bearcats if Charleston loses, but into a three-way tie if Charleston also closes with a win against Greenland.

In that scenario the three-way tie breaker point system comes into play. The Bearcats have 55 points, Charleston has 52 and can accumulate a possible 65. Lavaca has 32 and could earn as many as 45.

Consequently, a Charleston win against Greenland by any margin means the Bearcats are the two seed regardless of Friday’s game because in a three way tie the lowest point total becomes the four seed and the head-to-head matchup determines the two and three seeds.

A Bearcat win also sends the Golden Arrows to the four seed, regardless of the Charleston game, and in a spot where the teams could meet again on November 22.

That is because the four seed from Conference 3A-1 plays at the two seed from the 3A-2 while the two seed from the 3A-1 hosts the four seed from the 3A-4 with the two winners meeting the second week of the playoffs.

In, arguably, the least likely scenario of West Fork beating Mansfield the Bearcats could get a share of the conference title with a win, but will still be the two seed with a win of their own. A West Fork win and a Bearcat loss would still mean the two seed with Charleston the three with a win or loss, and Lavaca still being the four and West Fork the five seeds.

• Mascots: Booneville Bearcats; Lavaca Golden Arrows
• When: 7 PM, November 8, at Hobbs Memorial Stadium in Lavaca
• Series: Booneville leads 8-0-0 (1.000)
• Streak: Booneville has won last 8
• Last Meeting: Booneville 45 Lavaca 6 on October 27, 2023
• First Meeting: Booneville 53 Lavaca 0 on October 9, 1998
• Conference Affiliations: Both are 3A-1

TODAY IN BEARCAT FOOTBALL HISTORY: The Bearcats are 6-4 all time in games documented to have been played on November 8, including wins in the last three games on the date. On November 8, 1991 Randy May had two punt return touchdowns – both 65 yards – in a 41-3 win over Subiaco. In 1985 the Bearcats beat Paris 37-0 with Mike Standridge throwing a 56-yard touchdown pass to Gary Simpson and Robbie Jones running for 152 yards and kicking a 31-yard field goal. On November 8, 2002 Tim Tillery had two interceptions and Allen Welling and Tito Villarreal also had one in a 42-0 win, also over Paris. It came in a losing effort but Ronnie Apple and Ronnie West connected on an 80-yard touchdown pass against Mena on November 8, 1963. Finally, in 2013 Bryson May ran for 130 yards and four touchdowns and Dalton Gray returned a fumble for a touchdown in a conference title clinching 47-17 beat-down of Maumelle.

NOTES: Hunter Warren’s 301 rushing yards are the second most by a Bearcat, but he is the first 300-yard rusher from the fullback position. John Chase had 261 from the position in a game in 2000. Returning four kickoffs Friday freshman Hayden Daniel already has the second most by a Bearcat this season. He averaged 15 yards per return. The 93 combined points in Friday’s game is the ninth most in a game involving the Bearcats and the game is now one of 11 to see at least 90 points.

THE 3A-1: While the Bearcats were surviving a wild 48-45 win over Charleston last week, Lavaca was pounding Cedarville 39-8, West Fork was beating Hackett 36-22, and Mansfield was throttling Greenland 66-20.
Besides the Bearcats at Lavaca, the week 10 slate has Hackett at Cedarville where one team gets a conference win, and the aforementioned Greenland at Charleston, and West Fork at Mansfield games.

THEME: The pep rally theme is USA.