BENTON 55, JONESBORO 24

The PDC made it rough on the Jonesboro run game Friday night, limiting the Hurricane to just 22 yards rushing

The Benton Panthers scored 27 unanswered points Friday night to coast to a 55-24 win at Jonesboro in the Class 6-A East conference opener. Jonesboro scored on the opening possession of the second half to trim Benton’s lead to 28-24. From that point on, it was all Panthers as Benton improves to 3-1 overall, 1-0 in conference.

Benton wasted no time in getting in the end zone on its first possession. After the opening kickoff, Drew Davis found Karson Collatt on a 60 yard pass to set up Gunner Deaton’s two-yard scoring plunge and a 7-0 lead just 12 seconds into the game.

The Hurricane answered with a 24 yard Alex Glomski field goal on their opening possession but the Panthers responded on their next drive of 5 plays, 62 yards as Davis found paydirt on a two-yard run for a 14-3 lead.

Jonesboro cut the lead to 14-10 at the 3:14 mark of the first quarter on a 24 yard touchdown pass from Asa Meyers to Kam Davis, but again, the Panthers answered right back on a seven-play, 69 yard drive that ended in the end zone on a five-yard Davis run and a 21-10 Panther lead at the end of the first quarter.

The teams traded second quarter scores with T.J. Brown scoring on a 15 yard run for Jonesboro while Davis and Jon Curtis Barger hooked up on a 32 yard touchdown pass for the Panthers and a 28-17 Benton lead at halftime.

Jonesboro opened the second half with a five play, 99 yard drive aided by 30 yards in penalties against the PDC. Meyers and Kam Davis connected for their second touchdown pass, this one for 30 yards and a 28-24 game at the 10:11 mark of the third quarter.

That’s when Benton took over and put the game away.

Drew Davis ran 69 yards for a touchdown with 6:56 left in the third then hit a wide open Collatt on a 58 yard touchdown pass on the third play of the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 45-24. The Panther drive between the big, one-play scoring drives saw a 10-play, 48 yard drive that ended with a 22 yard field goal by Gabe Wilbur.

Davis capped another good scoring drive by the Panthers with 7:03 in the fourth quarter on a five-yard run to conclude a five-play, 58 yard march.

Wilbur drove the nail in the coffin with 1:09 left in the game when he drilled a 49 yard field goal to set the final margin at 55-24. Wilbur continues to be an explosive weapon for the Panthers with his leg, converting a perfect 7 of 7 on PATs and 2 for 2 on FGs. In addition, he boomed 6 of 9 kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks.

The Panthers outgained Jonesboro 527 to 282 in total offense. And the PDC limited a Hurricane offense that came into the game averaging 244 yards rushing per game to just 22 yards on 33 carries.

The Panthers had their best night of the season rushing with 158 yards on 44 carries. Davis led the ground game with 96 yards on 16 carries and four touchdowns. Gunner Deaton added 48 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown.

Davis was excellent in the aerial attack, completing 21 of 32 passes for 350 yards and two touchdowns. Collatt, in his first game since the Salt Bowl, hauled in seven passes for 148 yards. Corey Anderson had six catches for 97 yards while Jon Curtis Barger contributed five catches for 92 yards.

Defensively, Weston Monson led the PDC with eight tackles, including a big tackle-for-loss on a fourth down attempt by Jonesboro in Benton territory in the third quarter. Antonio Shelton had seven tackled while sophomore Drake Woodard pitched in five tackles.

Shelton (2), Avian Beard, Bryson Matyja, and Konnor Stephens each recorded sacks for the Benton defense.

The convincing road victory to open conference play sets up a confident Panther squad for next Friday’s homecoming date with the upstart Sylvan Hills Bears (3-1, 0-1). The Bears swept through non-conference play unbeaten before suffering their first loss at home on Friday, 46-43 to Marion.