Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Brasher’s interception preserves victory for Booneville
BOONEVILLE — Prescott was driving for a go-ahead touchdown when Cam Brasher made the biggest play of his young athletic career.
Brasher intercept a pass near his own goal line with eight seconds left to preserve a 34-31 victory for Booneville over Prescott Saturday in a Class 3A semifinal game at Bearcat Stadium.
Next stop for Booneville (14-0), Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium to meet Osceola for the championship in Class 3A.
“That was probably the biggest play as far as this time of year,” Booneville coach Scott Hyatt said of Brasher’s interception. “We figured they were going to throw it in the end zone and stop the clock, then kick the field goal if they didn’t make it. We forced him out of the pocket a little bit and Cam made the big play.”
Brasher, a junior weakside linebacker, dropped back and anticipated a pass from quarterback Ryan Johnson, who almost single-handily led Prescott down field after Booneville had taken a 34-31 lead on a 2-yard touchdown run by Carson Ray with two minutes, three second left to play.
“I saw the quarterback rolling out and read the (receiver) coming on a little out route,” said Brasher, who made his second interception of the year. “Everyone kept it together and we were focused the whole time. Everyone had each other’s back and we won the game.”
Booneville will try for its fourth state championship and first since 2013, when the Bearcats beat Warren 14-12. Booneville advanced to the quarterfinals of the Class 4A state playoffs last year before being eliminated by Pea Ridge.
Booneville used the inside running of Ray and outside
sprints from Andrew Robertson Saturday to counter Johnson, a 6-foot-6 quarterback who extended plays and hurt Booneville with his running and passing. Ray scored four touchdowns on runs on 19, 11, 1 and 1 yards while Robertson kept drives alive with twisting, turning runs on the edges of the defensive line for Prescott. Robertson finished with 147 yards rushing while Ray added 130, all on the interior.
“He’s a wild man,” Hyatt said of Robertson, a 5-foot-6 junior halfback. “He plays bigger than he is. He wanted it tonight and it showed.”
Booneville compiled 350 yards rushing and its only pass fell incomplete on a short throw in the Prescott end zone. The Curley Wolves (12-2) finished with 184 yards rushing and 184 yards passing.
Alex George scored on a 2-yard touchdown run with 44 second left in the second quarter to give Prescott a 17-14 lead at halftime. Ray scored two touchdowns in the first half for Booneville while Prescott countered with big pass plays from Johnson, who was able to elude rushers and throw downfield.
Johnson set up a touchdown in the first half with a 33-yard completion to Keonte Franklin, who made a diving catch. Prescott scored on its first possession when Johnson heaved a long throw downfield for Derrium Thompson, who caught a tipped and sprinted the final 15 yards to complete a 44-yard score.
Luis Rabadan added a 33-yard field goal to help the Curley Wolves to a 17-14 halftime lead. Booneville’s only pass of the first half fell incomplete but the Bearcats picked up good yardage on the outside Andrew Robertson, who gained eight on a on 4th down to set up a 1-yard score by Ray.