LITTLE ROCK -- Austin Bugos realized the pass from Kasey Ford was coming a little high, but he was able to reach up and snag the football with one hand as he stood near midfield.
Bentonville's senior tight end wasn't finished there. Bugos then headed downfield, powered his way past a pair of North Little Rock defenders and ran into the end zone for a 70-yard touchdown reception during the final minute of the first quarter.
How They Scored
Bentonville 42, North Little Rock 10
Bentonville^14^7^7^14^—^42
North Little Rock^0^3^0^7^—^10
First Quarter
Bent — Scroggins 41 pass from Ford (Moehring kick), 5:58
Bent — Bugos 70 pass from Ford (Moehring kick), 0:31
Second Quarter
North — FG Burks 26, 9:15
Bent — Ford 1 run, (Moehring kick), 6:27
Third Quarter
Bent — Keliiliki 3 run (Moehring kick), 2:58
Fourth Quarter
Bent — Smith 17 run (Moehring kick), 8:29
North — Brown 8 pass from Land (Burks kick), 6:48
Bent — Gunn 13 run (Moehring kick), 1:07
The play gave the Tigers an added boost of momentum, and they went on to earn their fifth straight Class 7A state championship appearance with a resounding 42-10 victory over the Charging Wildcats during Friday's semifinal action at War Memorial Stadium.
"I just remember seeing a person out of the corner of my eye, and I was slowing down because I thought he was going to hit me," Bugos said. "Then somebody told me I was wide open.
"I guess my old running back days came out of me with that run. The play took forever, especially when I was running down the field. I felt like I was having to run miles. It was crazy."
It was supposed to be Bentonville's first true road playoff game in 13 years, but the Tigers (8-4) proved to be right at home. Bentonville already a 7-0 lead before Bugos' catch and Bennett Moehring's kick doubled the cushion with 31 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
The Tigers then followed Sandy Burks' 26-yard field goal with another scoring drive, their third in as many possessions at that point. Ford, whose 41-yard pass to Cody Scroggins provided the first Bentonville touchdown, scored on a 1-yard keeper and gave the Tigers their 21-3 halftime cushion, and North Little Rock (10-2) never regrouped.
"We went more to the tight ends more, and that was for a reason," Bentonville coach Barry Lunney said. "They're pretty good, and they can catch the ball. Austin is getting back in shape after missing all that time, and he has great hands.
"We figured they would be looking pretty hard for Cody and our other receivers, so it opened up. It was a great effort, and our kids were motivated."
Extra Points
• All three Bentonville tailbacks scored a touchdown in the second half. Hekili Keliiliki scored from 3 yards out in the third quarter, then Dylan Smith had a 17-yard touchdown run and Kahlil Gunn added a 13-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter.
• Bentonville has now beaten North Little Rock four straight times by an average margin of 34 points per game. The closest game was a 31-7 decision in the 2011 Class 7A State Playoffs.
• The Tigers defense made two defensive stands inside their 25 -- one on North Little Rock's opening drive, and the other on the Charging Wildcats' final possession. Bentonville also forced two interceptions -- one by Scroggins late in the first half, and one by Harrison Rooney in the third quarter.
UP NEXT:Bentonville returns to War Memorial Stadium again next Saturday to play Fayetteville in the Class 7A State Championship. It marks the fourth time in the last five years that the two teams have played the final game in Little Rock, with Bentonville winning in 2010 and Fayetteville winning the next two years.
Sports on 11/29/2014