Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Hillbillies can’t contain Bulldogs’ Flannigan
FAYETTEVILLE 37, OZARK 28
FAYETTEVILLE — Connor Flannigan was quick to show off his passing-catching skills against Ozark on Friday.
Flannigan scored on the first play from scrimmage and finished with three touchdown catches to lead Fayetteville to a 37-28 victory over Ozark in 7-on-7 action from the Southwest Elite 7on7 Showcase at Harmon Field. Senior quarterback Darius Bowers threw five touchdowns passes, including a catch-andrun play by Flannigan, who went 30 yards over the middle untouched to start the game.
Fayetteville fans can expect to see plenty of the Bowers-to-Flannigan combination this fall for the Bulldogs, who finished 7-5 last season after some close losses. Flannigan is a rising junior who came on strong late last season and finished with 24 catches for nearly 400 yards.
“(Flannigan) has gotten into the weight room, and he can really run,” Fayetteville coach Billy Dawson said. “We’re really proud of him, and he’s going to have a big year.”
Ozark coach Jeremie Burns was pleased with his team’s effort Friday against the Class 7A Bulldogs. The Hillbillies needed a defensive stop while trailing Fayetteville 30-28 with 27.9 seconds left. But a short pass on third down went for a touchdown to Torrance Farmer to secure the victory for Fayetteville.
Quarterback Dawson Dietz and receivers Ethan Foster and Bryant Burns each stood out for the Hillbillies, who finished 9-3 last season in Class 4A. Burns, the coach’s son, used his 6-foot-3 frame and jumping ability to catch a handful of passes in traffic against Fayetteville defenders.
“Dawson threw some good balls, and we were able to catch it,” Burns said. “I’m real proud of these guys. It was hot, and we’re missing some guys, and we’ve got some others playing different positions. We could’ve stayed home, but we wanted to come up here and compete.”
The defenses made only two stops on downs against teams powered by all-state quarterbacks. Fayetteville led 30-14 after Flannigan’s third touchdown before Ozark began to rally against a Fayetteville secondary that is being rebuilt.
“We’ve got three news faces back there, but we’re getting better,” Dawson said. “I’m looking forward to seeing how we do on Saturday.”
EXTRA POINTS: The tournament includes teams from all classifications, including Conway Christian, the smallest football-playing school in Arkansas. The Eagles return eight offensive starters
from a team that went 11-2, the winningest season in school history. … No team traveled farther for tournament play than Aurora (Ill.) Christian, which traveled more than 600 miles from its home near Chicago. Aurora Christian, which started a football program in 1990, finished 5-5 last season. … Fayetteville defeated Springdale Har-Ber Junior Varsity 29-10 prior to its game with Ozark on Friday. Har-Ber did not send a varsity team to the tournament.