Bruising Bearcats
Champs gain all 391 yards on ground
The Booneville Bearcats were in a rush to win their fourth state championship Saturday afternoon.
Booneville finished with 391 offensive yards — all rushing — in a 35-0 victory over the Osceola Seminoles in the Class 3A state championship game in front of 2,813 at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
The Bearcats (15-0), the 1-3A Conference champions, were the only team in the state to finish undefeated. Booneville also went wireto-wire as the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s No. 1 team in Class 3A.
With the game-time temperature at 36 degrees and rain falling throughout, Booneville went to the ground for 64 of its 66 offensive plays.
“We practice in stuff like this, so we’re ready for these conditions,” Booneville Coach Scott Hyatt said.
Senior fullback Carson Ray, the game’s MVP, rushed for a game-high 165 yards and 2 touchdowns on 25 carries. Junior fullback Cam Brasher had 78 yards on 6 carries, and senior running back Michael Hesson finished with 73 yards and 2 touchdowns on 14 carries. Andrew Robertson, a junior running back, added 66 yards and 1 touchdown on 11 carries for the Bearcats.
Saturday’s victory gave Booneville its fourth state championship and first since 2013. The Bearcats also won state titles in 1986 and 2000.
“Offensively, we executed well. Defensively, we executed well,” Hyatt said. “I was proud of the kids and proud of the coaches. They did a great job.”
Booneville’s running game wore down Osceola (13-2), controlling the time of possession 29:10 to 18:50 and accumulating 22 first downs.
“There’s no quit in us,” Ray said. “We fight for everything.”
Osceola junior wide receiver Greg Hooks fumbled on the Seminoles’ first drive, and Booneville senior linebacker Jeremy Elliott recovered for the Bearcats. On Booneville’s first play, Robertson ran 33 yards to the left for a touchdown, making it 7-0 with 10:15 left in the first quarter.
The Bearcats extended their lead to 14-0 with 5:04 left in the second quarter on Hesson’s 2-yard touchdown run, capping a 16-play, 91yard drive that took 6:56 off the clock.
Booneville used another long drive in the first half, this one a 10-play, 98-yard drive that resulted in Hesson’s 1-yard touchdown run, making it 21-0 with 32 seconds left before halftime.
Ray added touchdown runs of 4 and 21 yards in the second half to pull away from the Seminoles, the 3-3A Conference champions.
Osceola, which was attempting to win its first state championship since 1997, averaged 44.3 points per game, but the Seminoles were shut out for the first time this season.
“They’re explosive offensively,” Hyatt said. “Coach [Arron] Kimes had a great game plan. The kids played hard. We executed well and tackled well. That’s what it takes to win football games.”
Three of Booneville’s scoring drives went for at least 10 plays, and two drives lasted more than 6:45.
“That’s what we live for,” Hyatt said. “If we can do that, I’m as happy as I can be. That’s what we hang our hat on.”
Sophomore quarterback Kam Turner was 12-of-24 passing for 92 yards and 2 interceptions for the Seminoles. He also had 29 rushing yards on 11 carries.
The Seminoles were held to 152 yards offensively and committed three turnovers.
Osceola Coach Robert Hooks, in his second season with the Mississippi County school after serving as an assistant at Camden Fairview, Fort Smith Northside and Bryant, said Booneville was too much for his team.
“The better team won,” Hooks said. “The better-coached team won. The most physical team won. We have to go back to the drawing board. We want to get to where they are right now.”