BENTONVILLE — Since Kasey Ford took over as Bentonville’s quarterback, he had played 6½ quarters and didn’t have a touchdown pass to show for it heading into 7A/6A-West Conference play.
The 6-foot-5 sophomore picked up the slack against Springdale Har-Ber as he threw for four touchdown passes and helped the Tigers snap a two-game losing skid with a 45-20 victory in Tiger Stadium.
His first two passes fell incomplete, and his third attempt went off the hands of Jimmie Jackson and was intercepted by Holden Thornton. Ford, however, finished on a much better note, completing 9 of 18 passes for 193 yards.
“He’s getting better,” Bentonville coach Barry Lunney said. “Every time you step out there in a game at this level, you have a chance to get better.
“Last week went a long ways in helping him with the speed of the game and getting more comfortable. He had a good week of practice, and when you practice good, you usually play well.”
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Ford connected with Jackson with touchdown passes of 52 and 46 yards, then added scoring strikes of 24 yards to Cody Scroggins and 28 yards to Hunter Smithpeters. The second TD pass to Jackson and the toss to Smithpeters came within a 30-second span after Har-Ber fumbled the ensuing kickoff .
PLAY OF THE NIGHT: Ford’s pass to Jackson in the third quarter was meant to gain a few yards and keep a Bentonville drive alive. Instead, the senior receiver broke away from a defender and turned it into a 46-yard touchdown pass, giving the Tigers a 28-20 lead and starting a string of 24 unanswered points.
INJURY UPDATE: No serious injuries reported.
NOTABLE: Junior tailback Dylan Smith led Bentonville’s ground attack with 22 carries for 174 yards and two touchdowns. … Kicker Bennett Moehring hit his longest field goal of the season when he connected from 47 yards away in the fourth quarter. … The win was Bentonville’s sixth in a row against Har-Ber and gives the Tigers a 7-2 series lead. … Bentonville extended its win streak in conference play to 27 games.
UP NEXT: Bentonville (2-2, 1-0) will be the road team for the first time since its season opener when the Tigers travel to Siloam Springs in conference action. The Panthers (1-2-1, 0-1) scored first in Friday’s game against Rogers Heritage, but went on to suffer a 42-7 loss to the War Eagles.