LITTLE ROCK — Tyler Nichols was in the right place at the right time on Cabot’s first fumble.
The Bentonville senior linebacker jumped on a loose ball after a mishandled hand- off, coming up with a key third-quarter turnover one possession after the Tigers scored to retake the lead in the Class 7A state title game.
Nichols forced the second fumble himself, ripping the ball away from Panthers running back Zach Launius on the second snap of the fourth quar- ter as Bentonville continued to pull away.
The two big defensive plays changed the momentum of the game after a back-and-forth first half, helping Bentonville turn a 14-13 halftime deficit into a 39-21 victory Friday night.
“After the first one, I knew we were going to have a shot to win this game,” Nichols said. “And when I got the second one, it was pretty good field position for our offense. So I knew that we would seal the deal. It was really big. I was just glad I could help with it.”
The two turnovers came as Bentonville scored three unanswered touchdowns in the second half, grabbing the momentum in its fourth straight state title appearance. The fumble recoveries went a long way toward deciding the outcome of an otherwise even game in which Benton- ville only outgained Cabot 431-416.
The Tigers took control after halftime, giving up just one touchdown before Cabot scored again with eight seconds remaining.
“What they do offensively is borderline amazing,” Benton- ville defensive coordinator Jody Grant said. “It’s a thing of beauty. We knew we were going to have to get some turn- overs. We knew we were going to have to get some stops. We were fortunate to get the two turnovers. That made the difference.”
Cabot’s run-heavy, Dead-T offense forced Bentonville to regularly use seven- and eight- man defensive fronts.
“Our defensive line was the key to this entire thing,” Nich- ols said. “They played their hearts out. We only gave up a few big plays.”