Tigers Miss Out On Red Zone Opportunities

BENTONVILLE — A pair of missed opportunities in the red zone caused Bentonville’s football team to feel a little blue Friday night.

The Tigers moved the ball inside the Euless (Texas) Trinity 10 on a pair of occasions in the second half, but had to settle for field goals instead of touchdowns. That proved to be the difference in a 21-13 loss in the Tigers’ final nonconference game.

Kasey Ford’s 59-yard pass to Cody Scroggins put Bentonville (1-2) at the Trinity 9 in the third quarter, but the Tigers moved no further and had to settle for Bennett Moehring’s 26-yard field goal and cut Trinity’s lead to 14-10. Bentonville then had the ball on the Trojans 5 with under 2 minutes to play, but penalties and a quarterback sack moved the ball back to the Trinity 26, where Moehring’s 43-yard field goal closed out the scoring with 59 seconds left.

“They’re good,” Bentonville coach Barry Lunney said of Trinity’s defense. “They took some stuff away from us.

“We didn’t have some matchups on the outside. With Jimmie Jackson out, we didn’t have a big target to throw to over there. But that’s football; you have to find a way to get it in.”

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Moehring, a junior kicker, hit 2-of-3 field goals and averaged 42.7 yards on three punts, pinning two of them inside the Trinity 10. He also executed the onside kick to start the game, putting the ball where Clay Wallace recovered it at the Trojans 46.

PLAY OF THE NIGHT: Trinity defensive back George Moeakiola made his second interception of the game when he picked off Ford at the Bentonville 33 with 6 minutes, 38 seconds remaining. It set up Christian Hammack’s 7-yard touchdown pass to Inoke Langi and gave the Trojans a 21-10 lead.

INJURY UPDATE: No serious injuries reported.

NOTABLE: It was the first time Bentonville lost has back-to-back games since the end of the 2006 season, when it lost to Rogers High in the regular-season finale and North Little Rock in the playoffs. … The last time the Tigers lost two straight home games was against Russellville and Fayetteville in 2005, Lunney’s first year. … Junior tailback Dylan Smith returned to action for the first time since he suffered a high ankle sprain during the Tulsa Union Gridiron Classic and had 15 yards on 12 carries.

UP NEXT: Bentonville enters 7A/6A-West Conference play with a home game against Springdale Har-Ber, which claimed a 35-27 victory at Fort Smith Southside. Bentonville has won the last five meetings, including a 28-7 victory last year at Jarrell Willliams Bulldog Stadium.

THAT FIGURES

3^Interceptions thrown by Bentonville sophomore quarterback Kasey Ford

15^Total rushing yards by Bentonville’s offense on 24 carries

172^Rushing yards by Euless Trinity tailback Ja’Ron Wilson on 23 carries

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