BEARCATS, EAGLES NOT COMPLETELY UNFAMILIAR FOES

While they have not crossed paths with them as senior high athletes the Bearcats are not completely unfamiliar with this week’s opponent as Mayflower was a conference member in the COVID years of 2020 and 2021.

That means that this year’s seniors were freshmen for the 2021 junior high game and the juniors were in the eighth grade. The juniors also crossed paths with Mayflower as seventh graders in 2020 and the sophomores did as seventh graders in 2021.

Since then the Bearcats have moved westward and Mayflower spent a cycle in Class 4A before returning to 3A this cycle.

The Eagles began the 2024 season with eight straight wins before losing by one and in overtime the final two regular season games.

Because Mayflower drew Lavaca in the opening round, the teams have a common opponent, and one that played them in consecutive weeks losing be near identical scores of 49-6 to the Bearcats and 48-6 to the Eagles.

• Mascots: Booneville Bearcats; Mayflower Eagles
• When: 7 PM, November 22, at Doug Scheel Field at Bearcat Stadium
• Series: Booneville leads 2-0-0 (1.000).
• Streak: Booneville has won last 2.
• Last Meeting: Booneville 49 Mayflower 14 on October 8, 2021.
• First Meeting: Booneville 40 Mayflower 7 on October 9, 2020.
• Conference Affiliations: Booneville is 3A-1; Mayflower is 3A-2.

TODAY IN BEARCAT FOOTBALL HISTORY: The Bearcats are 7-7 in games documented to have been played on November 22. When those are playoff games the Bearcats are 3-2. In a non-playoff game on November 22, 1968 the Bearcats got a 38-yard fumble return from Joe Short and a 61-yard run from Clell Garman in a 26-20 win over Paris to close the season in a non-playoff age. In 1934 Junior Barlow scored four touchdowns, one on a 90-yard interception return in a 38-0 win over Danville. On November 22, 1991 in Gentry the Bearcats got 121 rushing yards from Eric McConnell and Justin Leftwich blocked a field goal to beat Gentry 14-12. In a playoff game in 1985 the Bearcats beat West Fork 35-7 behind 118 rushing yards from Rusty McDonald.

NOTES: The 618 total offensive yards gained by the Bearcats on Friday are the fourth most in a game ever, but it was the most ever in a playoff game. Rhett Nietert’s 95-yard run last week is the second longest playoff run in school history. It is tied for the fifth longest all time. Dakota Mattson’s touchdown catch last week was the 10th of his career, four of which have come in the playoffs. Mattson is just the sixth Bearcat with 10 career touchdown receptions and the four playoff touchdown receptions sets a new record. Since all four have come from Jace Washburn, Washburn also ties a career record for most playoff touchdown passes.

THE 3A-1: While the Bearcats were beating Magnet Cove 48-7 last week, Charleston was dismantling Melbourne 66-35 and Mansfield was eliminating Paris 42-7. Mayflower ended Lavaca’s season 48-6 and Salem sent West Fork into the offseason 46-7.

This week the Bearcats host Mayflower, the two seed out of the 3A-2, Charleston travels to 3A-3 champion Osceola, and Mansfield hosts 3A-3 three seed Newport.

THEME: The pep rally theme is Rock And Roll and the pep rally will be held on Thursday rather than Friday.