BENTONVILLE -- There's just something about the regular season where Bentonville High's football team has the upper hand on Fayetteville.
The Tigers, however, couldn't breathe easy about their 12th consecutive regular-season win over their 7A-West Conference rival until Ryley Martin recovered a Darius Bowers fumble with 12 seconds and preserved Bentonville's 32-27 decision during the league opener for both teams at Tiger Stadium on Friday.
Fayetteville^0^10^10^7^—^27
Bentonville^3^14^15^0^—^32
First quarter
Bent — FG Younger 23, 8:50.
Second quarter
Fay — FG Richardson 47, 9:50.
Fay — Bowers 12 run (Richardson kick), 5:56.
Bent — Mays-Hunt 40 pass from Lyons (Younger kick), 3:15.
Bent — Miller 3 run (Younger kick), 0:24.
Third quarter
Fay — Bowers 1 run (Richardson kick), 8:27.
Bent — Johnson 47 pass from Lyons (Lyons run), 6:59.
Fay — FG Richardson 22, 2:31
Bent — Miller 5 run (Younger kick), 2:10
Fourth quarter
Fay — Mulinga 38 pass from Bowers (Richardson kick), 4:55
"Normally I would follow the tackle out, but I saw the fumbled snap -- I couldn't really see what was going on," Martin said. "All I saw was the ball on the ground.
"I was like 'Should I be humble and just fall on it or should I take it up and score?' I just ended up falling on it. Man, the feeling -- I can't explain it. It was crazy."
Each time Fayetteville (1-3, 0-1) scored in the second half, Bentonville (2-2, 1-0) found a way for a quick response and regain momentum. After Bowers tied the score at 17-17 on a 1-yard run with 8 minutes, 27 seconds left in the third quarter, the Tigers responded 88 seconds later with Nathan Lyons' 38-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Johnson and Lyons' two-point conversion.
Fayetteville again drove deep in Tigers' territory but had to settle for Huxley Richardson's 22-yard field goal with 2:31 left in the third quarter. Bentonville, however, needed just 21 seconds to counter, and used a trick play to do it.
Ben Pankau -- a sophomore safety -- took the ball on a reverse and threw a 57-yard pass to Johnson. Easton Miller scored on the next play from 5 yards out, making it a 32-20 game with 2:10 left in the third quarter.
"He's just a baller and starts on defense for us," Bentonville coach Jody Grant said of Pankau. "He's a former quarterback and can flip it around."
The Purple'Dogs made things interesting when Bowers hit Kris Mulinga with a 38-yard touchdown pass with 4:55 remaining. Fayetteville would get one more chance as its defense held Lyons for no gain on a fourth-and-1 quarterback sneak from the Purple'Dogs 15 with 1:46 on the clock.
Bowers then put his offense in Bentonville territory with a 13-yard scramble with 21 seconds left. Fayetteville, however, was called for illegal procedure when the ball was snapped before officials were ready, then Bowers had the ball stripped two plays later.
"We're self-inflicted," Fayetteville coach Billy Dawson said. "They did a nice job. I'm not taking anything away from Bentonville, but we have so many things that we can't get over ourself. Until we get over ourself, we're going to struggle to win. We have to find a way to get over ourselves.
"That first pass got us, and our eyes are wrong. We're not disciplined enough and, boom. Good teams hurt you that way. They did."
Both teams resume 7A-West play next week on the road as Bentonville goes to Van Buren while Fayetteville returns to Tiger Stadium and plays Bentonville West.
Sports on 09/23/2017