BENTONVILLE -- Harrison Campbell had Conway's secondary beaten as he raced downfield, but he had to momentarily slow down the pace in order to wait for Easton Hughes' pass and make sure the football didn't slip out of his grasp.
The play resulted in a 76-yard gain that night, but the slight hesitation might have cost Bentonville High's senior receiver a touchdown. The Tigers did score on the next play, and Campbell could feel a sense of pride in it because he's doing what he needs to do to be the leader of Bentonville's receiving corps.
At A Glance
HARRISON CAMPBELL
SCHOOL Bentonville High
CLASS Senior
HEIGHT 5-11
WEIGHT 185
NOTABLE Is the Tigers’ leading receiver with 18 receptions for 320 yards and one touchdown, and he’s also ran for two touchdowns this season. … Caught five passes for 204 yards and a touchdown and ran for a touchdown in an Aug. 31 game against Conway. … Was Bentonville’s second-leading receiver last season with 37 receptions for almost 600 yards and five touchdowns, and he was a dangerous punt returner, averaging more than 15 yards per return.
"I'm running better routes," Campbell said. "I'm quicker out on the field because I can get a sense of what is going on.
"(Coaches) always expect a lot out of us. Even last year, they expected a lot out of us, so we have to go out there and make plays. It's gotten to the point I want to go out there and make those plays."
The Conway game three weeks ago was Campbell's time to shine as he finished with five receptions for 204 yards and one touchdown -- ironically for 76 yards -- on a play where he caught a swing pass on the right sideline, bolted toward the center of the field and headed back to his right into the end zone. He also ran for a touchdown and helped Bentonville build an early 21-3 lead.
He didn't have a reception in last week's game against Springdale Har-Ber, but he ran for a score and had a second touchdown on a punt return negated by a penalty. He still remains the Tigers' leading receiver with 18 catches for 320 yards and a touchdown, and he has two touchdowns rushing.
"Harrison is just a great person and a great kid," Bentonville coach Jody Grant said. "He's a great teammate for us, and his work ethic is exceptional. He's an intelligent kid and does great in the classroom, and he's a leader by example.
"He's not a real vocal guy, but he works his tail off all the time. When we're in the weight room, he works his tail off there. He looks like a kid that takes it seriously by his physique. He's a muscled-up kid and a heck of a football player."
Campbell's ability to return punts and kickoffs allowed him to earn playing time as a sophomore two years ago. He moved up to a starting role as a receiver last year and caught 37 passes for almost 600 yards and five touchdowns, and he still averaged 15.5 yards per punt return and returned one for a score against Rogers High.
He's also a member of Bentonville's baseball team, but he elected to step away from summer baseball in order to prepare for the upcoming football season.
"He had a phenomenal junior season," Grant said. "He's probably one of the best punt returners in the state with his ability to do stuff with the ball. We knew he would be our featured receiver, and he's done just that. He's been our leader most weeks.
"He's definitely the leader for us on the offensive side. We're going to need him to continue to put up the big numbers in order for us to succeed in conference play."
Campbell (5-foot-11, 185 pounds) said he would like to finish his senior season with 1,000 receiving yards and play in the 7A state championship again after playing in last year's title game. He's earned some attention from a couple of colleges, but life after high school football isn't on his mind right now.
"I know with my role that I have to make plays, and that's all I'm focused on right now," Campbell said. "Some punt returns to the house would be nice, too. Right now, I just want to finish this season and see where it takes me."
Sports on 09/28/2018