SPRINGDALE — Bentonville’s offensive scheme allows a variety of players to have an outstanding game, depending on how the opposing defense attempts to stop the Tigers.
It became Drew Edwards’ time to shine Friday night.
The senior receiver refused to go down the first two times he touched the football, turning screen passes into long touchdown plays in Bentonville’s 42-7 victory over Springdale High in Jarrell Williams Bulldog Stadium.
“Drew is a very determined player,” Bentonville coach Barry Lunney said. “He’s hard working and talented, and he has good strength for someone of his size. And he refuses to go down.”
Edwards (5-foot-8, 155 pounds), who finished the game with three receptions for 104 yards, needed only three offensive plays to put his determination on display. Edwards was running a bubble screen route when Dallas Hardison hit him with a pass, and the receiver did the rest — breaking at least six tackles en route to going for 42 yards and the score with 8 minutes, 47 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
“I was just trying to use my athletic ability out there,” Edwards. “And my peripheral vision allows me to see things pretty easily downfield.
“My receivers also did an excellent job of blocking downfield. I’m proud of them.”
Seeing Edwards break away from a number of players was not what Springdale coach Shane Patrick wants to see from his defense.
“We didn’t tackle well,” he said. “It’s as simple as that. When we can’t tackle, then things like that are going to happen.
“It’s always something we work on every day. If we don’t get the play right, we won’t get anything done.”
Edwards’ second pass reception was a slightly different route, but the result was the same. Edwards took the screen pass from Hardison and watched his blockers go to work as he ran 55 yards for the score, which extended the Tigers lead to a 21-7 cushion with 7:37 left in the first half.
“I’m running a reverse bubble route where I go behind the offensive linemen,” Edwards said. “At one time, I see all these people around me, and the next moment there is nothing but daylight.
“Desmond Smith came up with a heck of a block downfield. He maintained his block long enough until I could get around that last defender and score.”
Seeing the other receivers adding a helping hand with blocking brought a gleam to Lunney’s eye.
“It’s something I love to see,” he said. “They were going down there and blocking for each other, and that gives us a chance to be successful.”