News-Times Staff
BENTON - Benton’s Zak Wallace rumbled for 289 yards and two touchdowns Friday to lead the Panthers past El Dorado 62-35 in 6A West action. The Wildcats dropped to 3-4, 2-2 while Benton improved to 6-1, 4-0.
El Dorado’s Alex Hicks scored on a 9-yard run with 9:33 left in the third to cut Benton’s lead to 28-21. Greysen Hubbard, who was good on all of his extra points, executed and recovered the ensuing onsides kick.
But, the Wildcats had a penalty and a three-and-out. The Panthers scored the next 21 points in a row to put the game out of reach.
“This Benton team is very good. We’ve got to get better defensively, obviously. But, they executed real well tonight and we did nothing to get them off the field,” El Dorado coach Scott Reed said after the game. “Even when we got into the game, the impressive thing about them was they were calm, continued to execute. They have some weapons and they played well. They were better than us tonight.”
The Wildcats opened the scoring when Shun Levingston finished off a drive with a 20-yard touchdown run. Hubbard added the PAT for a 7-0 lead with 9:47 left in the first.
Benton responded with a drive, capped by Wallace’s 36-yard TD run with 7:38 left in the opening quarter.
Garrett Brown swung a screen pass to Michael Allison, who toted it 46 yards for the touchdown with 10:14 left in the second quarter. On the Panthers’ next possession, Garrett Body got behind El Dorado’s secondary and scored on an 84-yard touchdown reception with 7:33 left in the second.
Benton went up 28-7 when Wallace’s 47-yard run set up a short scoring plunge with 1:42 left in the half.
But, the Wildcats mounted a drive of their own and found the end zone when Steven Tollette hauled in a 15-yard scoring toss from Hicks. The 65-yard drive was saved when Devunte Yarbrough converted on a fourth-and-3. Hubbard added the PAT, cutting the halftime lead to 28-14.
El Dorado’s defense stopped Benton on fourth-and-1 on the opening drive of the third. The Wildcats then marched 40 yards for the Hicks touchdown. It was set up by Levingston’s 22-yard reception.
El Dorado recovered the surprise onsides kick but was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after the play. Hicks was dropped for a loss and the Wildcats were forced to punt the ball back.
The Panthers reached back for their own trickery as Bradyn Hendrix caught a 39-yard touchdown pass off a lateral, pushing the lead to 35-21 with 5:48 left in the third.
Wallace’s 66-yard run set up Deanthony Harper’s 1-yard TD plunge with 3:34 left in the third. On Benton’s next possession, Harper’s 55-yard run set up a short TD pass from Brown to Gavin Wells. Alan Vargas’ kick extended the lead to 49-21 with 11:54 left in the fourth.
The Wildcats didn’t quit, however. On the next play from scrimmage, Hicks busted a 63-yard touchdown run. Hubbard’s kick cut the margin to 49-28 with 11:32 left.
But, Benton answered on Harper’s 1-yard run with 9:07 remaining. The Wildcats cut it back to 55-35 after Hicks’ 5-yard run with 5:16 left. The Panthers finished off the scoring on a 60-yard TD run by Wallace with 3:58 on the clock.