86 years in making: Searcy survives rally to win first title since 1933

Senior wide receiver Tanner Leonard celebrates with Searcy fans after the Lions’ victory over Benton in Saturday’s Class 6A championship game at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. More photos are available at arkansasonline.com/128bentonsearcy.
Senior wide receiver Tanner Leonard celebrates with Searcy fans after the Lions’ victory over Benton in Saturday’s Class 6A championship game at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. More photos are available at arkansasonline.com/128bentonsearcy.

Searcy's opportunity at its first state championship since the 1930s came down to the final play.

Benton junior quarterback Garrett Brown's Hail Mary attempt intended for senior Braden Murdock fell incomplete as Searcy held on for a 28-27 victory in Saturday's Class 6A state championship game in front of an announced crowd of 10,722 at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

The Lions (12-1), who outgained the Panthers 453-427, won their first state championship since 1933 and second overall. Saturday marked their first state title game appearance since 1984.

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"I just credit our kids," Searcy Coach Mark Kelley said. "They fight extremely hard. They have all year. It's not sunk in yet, but it's amazing what these guys have gone through to get here. We're extremely proud of them."

Benton (9-4) lost in the Class 6A state championship game for the second year in a row.

Senior quarterback Bryce Dixon, who was named the game's MVP, completed 27 of 40 passes for 341 yards and 2 touchdowns to lead Searcy. But he credited his team's defense, which forced three turnovers, for the victory.

"Our defense is the reason we won this game," Dixon said. "We can't thank them enough. They played their hearts out. It was an amazing effort."

Senior Damien Young, who filled in for classmate Johnson Guthrie after the first play of Searcy's first drive, had 75 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns, and 8 receptions for 47 yards and a score. Guthrie hurt his left knee in the first quarter and said that his coaches told him he may have a torn ACL.

Searcy led 28-14 with less than seven minutes remaining, but Dixon was intercepted by Benton sophomore Cain Simmons at the Panthers' 2. Simmons went 98 yards for the touchdown, but the play was called back because of penalties for an illegal block and unsportsmanlike conduct, which cost the Panthers 30 yards.

Benton started its drive at the Searcy 48, but it overcame the two 15-yard penalties with senior Jaden Woolbright's 2-yard run that pulled the Panthers within 28-21 with 4:51 left to play.

After sophomore Beau Wright recovered an onside kick for Benton, the Panthers cut the lead to 28-27 on sophomore Casey Johnson's 20-yard run with 2:04 remaining, but Brown's two-point conversion pass intended for senior Brett Barbaree fell incomplete.

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Panthers Coach Brad Harris said he wasn't sure whether his team could get that close to scoring again, so he decided to go for two instead of the extra point to give the Panthers a shot at the lead.

"They had been moving the football on us all night," Harris said. "We felt like our chances to win the football game were right there."

For Benton, Brown passed for 261 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Johnson had 159 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries.

The Lions made it 28-14 with 4:06 left in the third quarter on Young's 2-yard scoring run, which capped a 17-play, 97-yard drive after Benton had cut the lead to 21-14 earlier in the quarter with Brown's 22-yard touchdown pass to Johnson.

Both teams had turnovers on their opening drives.

Young fumbled at the Searcy 35 and Barbaree recovered for the Panthers. But Brown was intercepted in the end zone by Lions sophomore defensive back Daniel Perry.

Searcy took advantage of the turnover by taking a 7-0 lead with 5:33 left in the first quarter on Dixon's 7-yard slant pass to Young. The score was set up by a 13-yard run by Young and a 22-yard pass from Dixon to senior wide receiver Griffin Love.

The Lions made it 14-0 with 57 seconds left in the first quarter when Dixon found junior wide receiver Marlon Crockett for an 8-yard touchdown.

Benton cut the lead to 14-7 with 11:00 left in the second quarter on Brown's 16-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Peyton Hudgins.

Young's 1-yard touchdown run extended the Lions' lead to 21-7 with 5:57 left in the second quarter.

photo

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Searcy defensive back Daniel Perry (right) strips the ball from Benton running back Casey Johnson during the second quarter.

photo

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Searcy linebacker Hayden Miles (45) breaks up a pass intended for Benton wide receiver Braden Murdock on the final play of the game during Searcy’s 28-27 victory in the Class 6A championship game Saturday night at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. More photos are available at arkansasonline.com/128bentonsearcy.

Sports on 12/08/2019

CORRECTION: Benton defensive back Cain Simmons had an interception in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s Class 6A state championship game against Searcy at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. An earlier version of this article misidentified the player.

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