Wildcats Receive Unexpected

Nick Byrne, left, a Springdale Har-Ber receiver, hauls in a pass in front of Bastrop, La., defensive back William Field during Friday’s game in the Southwest Elite 7-on-7 Showcase in Springdale.
Nick Byrne, left, a Springdale Har-Ber receiver, hauls in a pass in front of Bastrop, La., defensive back William Field during Friday’s game in the Southwest Elite 7-on-7 Showcase in Springdale.

Springdale Har-Ber football coach Chris Wood thought he had seen everything that happen in a 7-on-7 game, but an incident Friday afternoon proved him wrong.

The Wildcats defense was credited two points without doing a thing in their 52-3 rout of Hot Springs Lakeside during the pool play portion of the Southwest Elite 7-on-7 Showcase.

Har-Ber had a 7-0 lead, but Lakeside had a third-and-goal situation inside the 10. The Rams, however, were flagged for delay of game, and the penalty meant a loss of down, turning the ball over to the Wildcats.

“They were trying to switch personnel and all that,” Wood said. “It’s very rare to get a delay of game in 7-on-7. Well, I say it happens, but I’ve never seen it happen. But I did (Friday).”

The penalty gave Har-Ber a break, but one it didn’t need against Lakeside. The Wildcats pulled off two interceptions and made three other defensive stops against the Rams.

“The defense played outstanding,” Wood said. “They’re getting a good feel of where the space is and how to play different parts of the field, especially on 7-on-7. They’re playing with a lot of confidence right now.”

War Eagles Deal With Long Layover

Since Pool D consisted of only seven teams, each team had to sit out one time slot while the other six teams played their games.

Rogers Heritage drew its open slot at the beginning of the second session. That meant the War Eagles had a three-hour layoff from the end of the morning session until their 3 p.m. game against Greene County Tech, while every other team already had played at least a game after lunch.

“That wasn’t too good,” Heritage coach Perry Escalante said. “We weren’t as sharp as we were in the morning, but we still played pretty good once we settled in and started playing. The defense got a little confused at times, and that’s what happens after a long, long break like that.”

Quarterback Josh Qualls picked up right where he left off, throwing a long touchdown pass on the War Eagles’ first possession. Heritage then scored on four of its possessions en route to a 31-22 victory over Golden Eagles.

“We’re very pleased with him,” Escalante said. “He threw some deep balls that we didn’t get to, but other than that, he was right on. We’re very happy with his performance.”

Fayetteville’s Offense In Fast Rhythm

The offense’s motive in 7-on-7 football is simple: the quarterback plays pitch-and-catch with his receivers, keeps the ball away from the defense and does it in four seconds or less on each play.

Fayetteville had no trouble with that.

The Bulldogs did it time and time again and hardly pushed the time limit en route to a perfect 7-0 record through Friday’s pool play.

“We might have had one or two,” Fayetteville coach Daryl Patton said. “We threw the ball well, and our receivers caught the ball. They just came out and played and competed, and that’s the motto we want.”

While most eyes are focused on quarterback Austin Allen, one of three Bulldogs who have committed to Arkansas, Patton had a chance to see a younger player in action at that spot.

Mitch Marshall played a number of snaps and led the Fayetteville on scoring drives, particularly in the last game against Mountain Home.

“We had the luxury of several games playing with our backup and got him some reps,” Patton said. “And that’s what he needs. Mitch did a good job. We’ve got a long way to go, but we’re getting better.”

Saints Stumble After Good Start

Shiloh Christian finished the morning session with a 2-1 record and opened the second set of games with a 24-23 victory over Jonesboro.

The Saints, however, didn’t finish what they had started.

Shiloh Christian dropped their last three games against Sherman, Texas, Aurora (Ill.) Christian and Mena and finished pool play with a 3-4 mark.

“It was just a matter of execution,” Saints coach Josh Floyd said. “We didn’t execute as well during the afternoon, although the effort was there. What made it frustrating in the last three games was the fact there were one or two plays that could have made a difference.”

Floyd said he was pleased with the performance of quarterback Daniel Shimer throughout pool play.

“It’s only his second tournament and he had some good moments,” Floyd said. “We got a win in a close game against a good football team like Jonesboro, and being in those game situations like that is good for us right now.”

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