Benton 31, Parkview 14

In a game full of interesting storylines, the most intriguing began at the 1:15 mark of the third quarter and didn’t end until the horn sounded on the Benton Panthers 31-14 over the Parkview Patriots on Friday night at the Palace.

Following a a 69-yard touchdown run by the Patriots’ Dallas Bledsoe to trim the Panther lead to 28-14 with 1:15 left in the third quarter, Benton took possession of the football and never gave it back.

In fact, Parkview didn’t snap the ball in the entire fourth quarter. Not once.

An 18-play, 55-yard drive that consumed 10:31 off the game clock – termed the “Mega-march” by Sam Lane in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette ended with a 42-yard field goal by Gabe Wilbur to extend Benton’s lead to 31-14.

On the ensuing kickoff, Antonio Shelton forced a fumble that sophomore Ayden Bateman recovered at the Patriot 19-yard line. It took the Panthers just four plays – two runs by Brenden Murdock and two knee downs in the victory formation by Chase Cobb to exhaust the game clock and secure the win over the three-time defending Class 5-A State Champions.

Benton was 5 of 7 on third down and 1 of 1 on fourth down in the 10:31 mega-march.

“I told Drew (Harris), ‘Hey, let’s chew some clock. We’re tired on defense.’ And then on the kickoff fumble, Antonio Shelton played every down for us on defense and we ask him to play on kickoff coverage and he’s the first one down the field. That’s a senior that it means something to. He goes down, causes the fumble and we get the football back to ice the game. “

As emphatic as the finish to the game was, the start was equally impressive as Benton raced out to a 28-0 halftime lead.

The return of Will Carter after missing the North Little Rock game with an injury was vital. Carter hauled in four passes for 90 yards, including touchdown catches of 37 and 10 yards in the first quarter.

Panther quarterback found two other receivers in the second quarter on touchdown passes, Jon Curtis Barger for 31 yards and Corey Anderson for 14 yards. Wilbur was a perfect 4-for-4 on PATs for the 28-0 halftime lead.

Davis completed 18 of 28 passes for 248 yards and the four touchdowns, giving him 85 TD passes as a Panther, a school record and just 15 shy of 100. The Panthers were able to grind out 77 rushing yards against a stiff Parkview box and were led by Gunner Deaton (13-41) and Murdock (8-28). Barger led the Panthers in catches with five for 67 yards. Easton Snellings (4-17) and Corey Anderson (3-32).

Defensively, the PDC limited a potent Parkview offense that came into the game averaging 402 yards of total offense (211 passing, 191 rushing) to just 190 total yards (106 rushing, 84 passing). In fact, 189 of those yards came on three snaps (a 66-yard pass and runs of 69 and 54 yards). On the Patriots’ other 36 snaps, they totaled just one yard of offense.

Unofficially, Shelton recorded eight tackles to lead the PDC with 1.5 sacks. Cordell Payne and Weston Monson had seven tackles while Logan Hipskind and Drake Woodward added five tackles. Major Holloway recovered a Patriot fumble.

The loss was Parkview’s first since September, 2022 to a team other than the Bryant Hornets and drops the Patriots to 1-2 on the season.

The Panthers, 2-1 in non-conference play, will open the 6-A East Conference schedule next Friday at Jonesboro. The Golden Hurricane are 1-2 on the season, but their two losses were to 7-A Central power Conway and the top-ranked team in Class 5-A, the Joe T. Robinson Senators. Their win came last week over DeSoto, Mississippi. Next Friday’s game at Jonesboro will kickoff at 7:00.

Go Panthers!