Football: Banda catches on as Bentonville West receiver

CENTERTON -- The numbers Stefan Banda has compiled as a Bentonville West receiver this season won't jump out and grab anyone's attention at first.

Those statistics may become more significant when they realize that this is the first season the junior has played the position. It's also the first significant football action he has seen since the seventh grade, when he was playing at the Boys & Girls Club.

"I was playing for the 49ers, and it was my first time to play football ever," Banda said. "I was playing defensive lineman. I started playing safety in eighth grade, but in the first game and on the first play, I broke my arm on the kickoff.

"Ninth grade, I was outside linebacker for Bentonville Gold, but I didn't play very much. And I didn't play at all in the 10th grade."

Banda was primarily a track athlete last season, and he competed in the hurdles, the long jump and the triple jump for Bentonville High's boys before the move to West, which opened its campus in August. Banda said Wolverines assistant coach Tye Killingsworth approached him about giving football another try, and he did it because it's his favorite sport and he missed it last year.

West coach Bryan Pratt had seen what Banda could do on the track, and that brought on the decision to try Banda out at receiver, even though he had never caught a pass. Banda embraced the challenge to learn this new role.

"I think one thing about him is he gives effort," Pratt said. "It doesn't matter when you're going, you can guarantee that Banda is going full speed. That comes from being a track guy, and we laugh because he never gets tired.

"After track season, we talked to him and got him to come out. We told him he would play receiver some. At first, we worked him as an inside receiver, then we needed someone to take the top off of it -- be able to run the posts and stuff like that. He fit that mode, so we moved him there."

Banda admitted he felt a little lost at first because he had to learn how to run routes, but that has all changed. He credited that to the extra time he spent after practices, where he would run routes and catch passes until he actually wore some of the coaches out.

His first reception came in the season opener at Pryor, Okla., and his back-to-back catches helped set up West's second touchdown just before halftime. He caught his first touchdown pass just before halftime in the Wolverines' 42-40 win over Springdale High.

"My first game as a receiver was a very fun experience," Banda said. "I love catching long passes, and the environment of the crowd just yelling. It was fun getting noticed on the offensive side.

"My first touchdown reception came on a slant route. The defensive player was pressed upon me, so I just had to shake him up a little bit, then run my route and catch the ball."

The junior enters today's Class 7A state playoff game against Cabot as the Wolverines' third-leading receiver with 25 receptions for 478 yards and four touchdowns. His biggest game came in West's 28-18 loss to Rogers Heritage, when he caught eight passes for 172 yards and a touchdown that pulled the Wolverines within three points midway through the fourth quarter.

He also hardly leaves the field since he doubles up as a safety. He has 68 tackles -- 37 solos and 31 assists -- as well as two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and six pass breakups.

"He's a kid that is slowly developing into a football mind," Pratt said. "He's starting to figure things out and playing really well. He's a good player and even a better kid. He's always 'yes sir' and 'no sir,' and he never gives you any problems.

"One thing that wins us over is the effort he gives on every single play. We'll try to take him out of the game, and the coaches will ask him if he needs a blow. He'll say 'no, I'm good.' That's just the way he is."

Sports on 11/10/2016