Bentonville’s defense has earned the reputation of being a stingy group this season, and the Tigers were their normal greedy selves Friday night.
Bentonville put the clamps on Rogers High’s tripleoption offense and held the previously unbeaten Mounties well below their season average en route to a 35-6 victory during 7A/6A-West Conference action at Mountie Stadium.
The Tigers (6-0, 3-0) had allowed an average of 193.6 yards through their fi rst five games and improved on that statistic. Bentonville gave up only 159 yards to a Rogers team that entered the game averaging more than 420 yards on the ground this season.
“I’m very proud of our staff,” Bentonville coach Barry Lunney said. “The staff did a great job of breaking down the option in a way the keys understood their responsibility.
“They hammered it all week about being assignment-oriented — we had to have the fullback, somebody had to have the quarterback. All phases of the pitch game had to be covered. I think our staff said when we got back late that we didn’t have any assignment busts. It was clean, that part of it.”
Inside linebackers Garrett Kaufman and John Donald led the charge with 11 and 10 tackles, respectively. Cornerback Chris Mizelle recovered a fumble, giving Bentonville’s defense 17 forced turnovers and putting the Tigers at plus-13 in turnover margin.
The Tigers would have had a shutout — their second of the season — had it not been for Chase Lamers’ 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Bentonville’s defense has allowed only three touchdowns this season, all on the ground.
Meanwhile, Bentonville’s offense put together its best statistical performance. The Tigers amassed a team-high 459 yards total offense, 339 of that coming on the ground.
PLAY OF THE NIGHT: Senior tailback Tearris Wallace set the tone on Bentonville’s fi rst offensive play, when he broke away from Rogers defenders and dragged others for a 34-yard run.
INJURY UPDATE: No serious injuries reported.
PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Wallace finished the game with 205 yards and three touchdowns on 28 carries, his fourth straight game with at least two touchdowns.
NOTABLE: Bentonville’s defense failed to intercept a pass, breaking a string of 10 straight games with at least one interception. ... Wallace surpassed 200 yards rushing for the fourth time in his career and the first time since he ran for 230 yards against Fort Smith Northside last season. ... Kaufman’s touchdown run was his fi rst since he closed out the scoring in a 36-0 victory at Texas High in Texarkana last year.
THE LINGO: “It was our players doing their jobs. You always have a chance if you take care of your responsibilities. It was really an outstanding defensive eff ort, and the offense took the ball and kept it a while themselves, too.”
— BARRY LUNNEY
Bentonville coach
UP NEXT: Bentonville returns to Tiger Stadium to celebrate homecoming against Rogers Heritage, which dropped a 52-21 decision Friday to Fayetteville. The Tigers have won all four previous meetings by a combined score of 219-68.