Donald Reflects On Career

Bentonville Seniors Prepare For Final Homestand

John Donald, a Bentonville linebacker, sacks West Memphis quarterback Kody Frasure on Nov. 16 during the Tigers’ Class 7A playoff game against the Blue Devils at Tiger Stadium in Bentonville.
John Donald, a Bentonville linebacker, sacks West Memphis quarterback Kody Frasure on Nov. 16 during the Tigers’ Class 7A playoff game against the Blue Devils at Tiger Stadium in Bentonville.

— Reality has started to settle in for John Donald this week.

When he and many of his Bentonville colleagues take the field tonight against Fort Smith Southside, they will embark on their final game in Tiger Stadium.

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John Donald

SCHOOL: Bentonville

CLASS: Senior

HEIGHT: 5-11

WEIGHT: 201

NOTABLE: A two-starter at inside linebacker. ... Ranks second on the team with 80 total tackles (43 solos, 34 assists, two tackles for loss, one quarterback sack). ... Recorded his only interception in an Oct. 26 at Springdale High. ... Finished with 11 tackles in last week’s playoff game against West Memphis.

“It’s been special playing here,” Donald said. “It’s something most kids get the experience of — playing in front of all those people, diehard fans.

“We have the best fan base in the state, and it’s unbelievable to run out in front of there every Friday night. It’s going to be an emotional night, win or lose. I’m going to try to cherish every moment of it.”

Donald (5-foot-11, 201 pounds) has had plenty of moments to cherish. He’s been a two-year starter at inside linebacker, and he’s been Bentonville’s second-leading tackler this season.

He enters the game with 80 tackles following last week’s playoff victory over West Memphis. It was one of his better games as he finished with 11 tackles, including six solos.

“First of all, he’s an outstanding young man,” Bentonville coach Barry Lunney said. “He’s solid in his whole life with the way he does stuff — academically, athletically, socially.

“He’s just a ball player. I know it sounds very pat, but he’s a guy that plays it with a lot of passion. He loves the game; he practices like he loves it. He’s all over the field and always around the football.”

Donald could go through the last two seasons and pick out any number of plays that as the one he could cherish for a lifetime. However, there’s one picture he can’t get out of his mind — the two-point conversion play Fayetteville used in overtime to beat Bentonville in the Class 7A State Championship.

It has served as a motivational tool during the offseason. Donald not only put in extra work on the practice field and in the weight room, but he also put in additional time to get himself ready for this season when nobody else was around.

It also came with sacrifice. He, as well as other teammates, chose to put their full attention on football and not spend time with other sports.

“That gut feeling everybody gets when failure sets in, it put a fire in us,” e said. “A lot of us felt that we needed to focus on just one sport. I didn’t want to feel that way again.

“I decided to not lean on just the training here. I did a lot of one-on-one training with other people. I went to speed school. ... I decided that doing the bare minimum wasn’t enough. I decided to push myself as hard as I can during the offseason, and it’s been working.”

Not all of the work Donald did was on the field. He spent a lot of time on mental preparation, watching tapes from last year to see how he could improve himself, as well as figure out any tendencies opposing plays done.

All of that has helped him improve his game, and he’s been able to do so without missing a single game because of injury.

“Being out there game after game after game, if we’re all not careful we can take for granted the things they do and how many games they’ve played,” Lunney said. “I don’t know if he’s missed a game.

“I can’t think of a time he’s been injured. There’s been a deal of comfort knowing he’s there, no doubt about it.”

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