LITTLE ROCK -- Dylan Smith was forced to make a last-second decision Saturday afternoon.
Did he want to run outside toward the pylon and try to score that way, or did he want to lower his shoulder and bull his way into the end zone?
He chose the latter, but it didn't matter. Bentonville's senior tailback fell across the goal line with 26 seconds remaining and helped the Tigers capture their second consecutive Class 7A state championship with a 24-21 victory over Fayetteville at War Memorial Stadium.
"We had them beat, formationwise," Smith said. "We had them guy for guy, and as J.C. Hughes pulled, I saw a lane I could run through. So I took it.
"I just wanted to get in. I didn't want to risk going out of bounds. I'm a running back, so I decided to get physical with them."
Smith's 6-yard run around the right side capped an 11-play drive after Fayetteville (11-3) had taken a 21-17 lead on Taylor Powell's 32-yard touchdown pass to Garland Allison with 3:05 remaining. Bentonville (9-4), however, had 68 yards to cover in three minutes and had all its timeouts remaining.
The Tigers saw no need to panic with a back such as Smith, who finished with 28 carries for 153 yards. He carried the ball six times during the last drive, including a 4-yard run that gave Bentonville a first-and-10 at the Fayetteville 15 with 56 seconds left.
"You have to do the things that you do," Bentonville coach Barry Lunney said. "We had to run the football if we had a chance to win this game.
"That's what we do, and you have to go with the things that you have success with. You can't go and reinvent yourselves when you get this far."
Kasey Ford added a 9-yard run to the 6 and spiked the ball to set up Smith's touchdown run. Bennett Moehring added the extra-point to give Bentonville a 24-21 lead.
Fayetteville had one last shot after Dre Greenlaw returned the ensuing kickoff to the Bulldogs 32 with 19 seconds left. Powell threw deep, but C.J. O'Grady stumbled and fell near the Bentonville 40, giving Cody Scroggins an easy interception with 5 seconds remaining.
"Obviously, I wished we would have scored with about 5 seconds left," Fayetteville coach Daryl Patton said. "It was a great drive and great play by our kids. With three minutes left, you have to make a play.
"Their offense is a tough one to stop, and that was a championship drive. Smith is a heck of a running back, and they have that big offensive line. They ate the clock up and did what they had to do."
EXTRA POINTS
• Scroggins was named the game's outstanding player as the senior wide receiver/defensive back finished with six receptions for 67 yards and Bentonville's first two touchdowns and added two interceptions. Lunney said Scroggins was hurting with a rib injury he suffered during a quarterfinal game against Bryant and wasn't sure if he would play.
• Powell became the first quarterback to throw for 300 yards against Bentonville's defense this season. The sophomore completed 22 of 28 for 300 yards and two touchdowns, including a 10-yard toss to Terrance Rock's for the Bulldogs' first score.
• The difference was provided by the kicking game. Bentonville kicker Bennett Moehring hit a 20-yard field goal in the second quarter, while Fayetteville counterpart Cal Conway went wide left on a 36-yard attempt at time wound down in the first half. Conway was forced into a longer kick after Fayetteville was penalized 15 yards for having too many players on the field.
Sports on 12/07/2014