All-Arkansas Preps Player of the Week

'Big-play' Barnes makes leap to propel Cabot

Cabot's Jarrod Barnes
Cabot's Jarrod Barnes

Jarrod Barnes is at his best when the game is on the line.

photo

Jarrod Barnes

The Panthers senior quarterback led his team to a 28-27 victory Friday night against Pine Bluff after scoring on a 3-yard leap into the end zone.

JARROD BARNES

SCHOOL Cabot

CLASS Senior

POSITION Quarterback

FRIDAY’S STATISTICS Rushed for 115 yards and 2 touchdowns on 16 carries and completed 8 of 11 passes for 113 yards. Also returned an 85-yard kickoff for a touchdown.

Barnes, an Arkansas oral commitment, ran 5 times for 32 yards and completed 2 passes for 16 yards on the game-winning nine-play, 76-yard drive for Cabot (1-0).

His 3-yard score tied the game at 27-27 with no time remaining, and Cabot sophomore Mason Martin kicked the extra point to give the Panthers the victory and hand Pine Bluff its first loss since Week 10 of the 2014 season when it lost to Benton.

Barnes is this week's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette All-Arkansas Preps Player of the Week. He will be honored at Monday's Little Rock Touchdown Club luncheon, where Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long will be the guest speaker.

"He's a big-play guy," Cabot Coach Mike Malham said. "We've never had a skilled player like him. This is the first time Arkansas has ever recruited one of our skilled positions.

"When you turn on the lights, he's a competitor. He made the big plays."

Barnes finished with 115 rushing yards on 16 carries and completed 8 of 11 passes for 113 yards. He scored on a 39-yard run on Cabot's first offensive play, then later returned a kickoff 85 yards for another score with 1:21 remaining in the first half.

Friday night's game was nothing new for Barnes.

Barnes, the 2015-2016 All-Arkansas Preps Male Athlete of the Year, is used to competing on the big stage for Cabot. He led the Panthers to a 10-1 record and a 7A/6A-East Conference championship last season, rushing for 17 touchdowns. In March, Barnes helped Cabot win its first boys basketball state championship, defeating Bentonville in the Class 7A title game in Hot Springs. Barnes scored 14 of his team-high 17 points in the fourth quarter and helped hold Kentucky signee Malik Monk to 19 points on 8-of-24 shooting.

Barnes also won the Class 7A long jump title in May.

"He loves to compete," Malham said. "He's as good of a competitor as we've ever had."

Cabot's nonconference schedule doesn't get easier this week, as it heads to Class 6A power El Dorado on Friday. Malham wanted to schedule Pine Bluff and El Dorado in the 2016-2017 classification cycle to better prepare his team for the Class 7A playoffs.

Having Barnes at quarterback certainly helps the Panthers, Malham said.

"You take Jarrod out, and I'm not sure we can do some of the things we can do," Malham said. "It's nice to have one of those guys."

Cabot assistant coach Matt Malham, Mike Malham's son, was awed once again by the play of Barnes, a three-year starter at quarterback for the Panthers.

"He just never ceases to amaze you," Matt Malham said. "Last year, he had a great year. Friday night was like, wow, he got better."

Sports on 09/08/2016

Upcoming Events