SPRINGDALE — When the moment finally arrived, the moment Jacob Bundrick dreamed about for three long years, he didn’t know how to react.
For a few seconds, the senior linebacker for Springdale Har-Ber stood on the sideline in Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium on a cold Dec. 5 night, wondering if it was all just a dream. Bundrick then glanced at the stadium’s scoreboard, where the clock had ticked down to zero, and stared at the final score.
Bundrick’s reaction was a simple one — he screamed as loud as he could with a smile on his face and hugged as many teammates and coaches as he could after the Wildcats won the Class 7A state championship against Fort Smith Southside.
One of the teammates he sought out first was senior defensive lineman Eric Pearce, who was going through the same wave of emotions as Bundrick.
For both players, it was a moment of accomplishment that they’ll never forget.
“It’s the best feeling in the world,” Bundrick recalled. “I know I’m only about to turn 18, but that was the best feeling I’ve had in my short life. That’s the only way I can put it.
“Growing up, it’s something you always dream about: to win a state championship and get that ring. To finally have all that, and for that to have been my last high school football game, there’s no better way to go out.”
Both Bundrick and Pearce were key components to Har-Ber’s defense this season, helping the Wildcats limit opponents to an average of only 54.3 rushing yards and 11.7 points per game, by far the best in the 7A-West Conference.
But more than having one stellar season, both players were equally as instrumental in helping elevate Har-Ber’s football program to a championship level, a goal they’ve tried to accomplish since they were sophomores in 2007.
Because of their efforts, both Bundrick and Pearce have been named the All-Northwest Arkansas Big 6 Co-Defensive Players of the Year.
“It’s hard to believe it’s even over,” Pearce said. “It seems like yesterday I was a sophomore out on the practice field trying to help this team win its first state title. Now I’m a senior and we finally did it. It’s just an amazing feeling.”
This season, Pearce was dominant for the Wildcats, totaling 16 solo tackles, a team-high seven sacks and a team-high 12 quarterback pressures. In his 3-year career, Pearce ended with 79 total tackles, 14 quarterback pressures, and 8 1/2 sacks.
Bundrick also had an impressive season, totaling 92 tackles, two sacks and a fumble and an interception, both which ended in touchdowns. In his 3-year career, Bundrick finished with 200 tackles, six sacks, 18 quarterback pressures, two fumble recoveries and four interceptions.
“There’s really no way for me to describe how meaningful those guys were to this program,” Har-Ber coach Chris Wood said. “They were the staple of our defense. They’ve worked so hard since day one three years ago to help this program succeed, and they did it by helping us win a state championship.”
Bundrick said playing for Har-Ber’s defense this season was something he’ll never forget, not only because of what the team accomplished, but because of how close his teammates and coaches were to each other.
Pearce said the reason Har-Ber’s defense was so solid this season wasn’t only because of players knowing their assignments in every play of every game, but because every player wanted to succeed so badly.
“We’ve seen what the seniors before us went through when we fell short,” Pearce said. “We didn’t want to let that happen to our class. We wanted to rise above and show that Har-Ber was a team that meant business.”
Har-Ber defensive coordinator Travis Moreland said he’ll never forget players like Pearce and Bundrick because of their constant effort, dedication and willingness to do anything to help the Wildcats succeed.
“It’s a coach’s dream come true to have guys like that,” Moreland said. “They don’t come around every year. They played so well, did everything we asked and to see them rewarded with a state championship, it’s just an awesome feeling for me as a coach.
“I couldn’t have picked a better ending for any of our seniors.”
Profile
Eric Pearce
School: Springdale Har-Ber.
Position: Defensive lineman.
Class: Senior.
Height: 6-foot-1.
Weight: 268.
Notable: Pearce had an impressive run with the Wildcats, helping them win 32 games in three years. … As a senior, Pearce had 46 tackles, including 16 solo, a team-high seven sacks and a team-high 12 quarterback pressures.
Jacob Bundrick
School: Springdale Har-Ber.
Position: Linebacker.
Class: Senior.
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 219.
Notable: Bundrick was one of the staples for Har-Ber’s defense this season, as he totaled a team-high 92 tackles, including 30 solo, two sacks (including one for a safety), 11 quarterback pressures, a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown and an interception returned for a touchdown.