Bentonville holds off Har-Ber, wins 23rd straight

Henry Apple
November 4, 2011

BENTONVILLE — Desmond Smith refused to be denied, even if there was a Springdale Har-Ber defender hanging onto him.

Bentonville’s senior receiver barely crossed the goal line, then waited for Dallas Hardison’s pass to arrive. The ball was right on the mark, and Smith made the 3-yard touchdown catch as the Tigers took a 28-14 victory in a hard-fought 7A-West Conference slugfest Friday in Tiger Stadium.

“That’s a 7A-West, hard-nosed championship football game,” said Bentonville coach Barry Lunney, whose team was pushed for the full 48 minutes for the first time this season.

The victory gave Bentonville (10-0, 7-0) the outright 7A-West title and the league’s No. 1 seed in the Class 7A State Playoffs. It also extended the Tigers’ winning streak to 23 games, but it didn’t come easy.

Evan Johnson’s 2-yard touchdown run pulled Har-Ber (7-3, 5-2) within 21-14 on the opening play of the fourth quarter. Bentonville then had to start on its 9 after a holding call negated what would have been a 98-yard kickoff return by Mason Snow.

Bentonville put the game in the hands of Hardison — who set the state’s single-season pass completion percentage record last year — and he went to work. He completed 7 of 8 passes on the ensuing drive, including a 25-yard pass to Smith that put the ball on the Har-Ber 3.

“Our receivers made some plays,” Bentonville receivers coach Kevin York said. “They rose to the occasion, just like we expected them to. It was a big-time effort.”

Two plays later, Hardison and Smith connected again for a third touchdown of the game. Smith went to his spot — in a corner of the end zone, barely across the goal line on the left sideline — and Hardison rocketed the ball into his hands, even though a Wildcat defensive back was holding Smith on the play.

“I just acted like I was going on a fade route, then stopped,” he said. “It was a nice play, and good placement by Dallas Hardison.

“You’ve got to make plays. When they come your way, you’ve got to make them. I had a feeling that it was going to be close.”

Smith finished with seven receptions for 103 yards. That included touchdown catches of 8 and 13 yards in the first quarter as Bentonville jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the opening period.

“I think he’s a phenomenal player and he played it tonight,” Har-Ber coach Chris Wood said. “He made big play after big play.

“I thought we had some good coverage on him at times. He brought the ball down. Big-time players make big-time plays in big games, and he did that.”

The loss drops Har-Ber into the 7A-West’s No. 3 seed, meaning the Wildcats will host the 7A-Central’s No. 6 team, Little Rock Central, in a first-round playoff game next week. Bentonville earns a first-round bye and will play again at home Nov. 18.

Gamebreaker

Bentonville 28 Springdale Har-Ber 14

WHY THE TIGERS WON

Dallas Hardison and Desmond Smith connected for a trio of touchdown passes, including a 3-yard toss that closed out the scoring midway in the fourth quarter.

WHY THE WILDCATS LOST

Har-Ber turned the ball over three times — twice in Bentonville territory. Bentonville cornerback Chris Mizelle also broke up a deep pass to Evan Johnson on a fourth-and-1 play at the Tigers 38 with just over 5 minutes left.