Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
BENTONVILLE HIGH TIGERS
2018 RECORD 7-4, 7-0 7A-West Conference
COACH Jody Grant, fifth year
RETURNING PLAYERS 4 offense, 5 defense KEY PLAYERS RB Preston Crawford (Sr., 5-11, 180), OL Jack Burgess (Sr., 6-0, 240), WR Zach Lee (Sr., 6-5, 190), TE Sam Golden (Sr., 6-1, 220), DL Chris Crawford (Sr., 5-11, 215), LB Cole Joyce (Jr., 6-0, 215), LB Keegan Stinespring (Jr., 5-11, 195), CB Levi Bennett (Sr., 5-10, 170), QB/FS Ben Pankau (Sr., 6-1, 180).
THE SKINNY Ben Pankau is in a battle for the starting quarterback spot with Andrew Edwards, and Jody Grant hopes to have a starter named by the season opener. … Preston Crawford, who earned college attention in the offseason, seeks to improve on last year’s performance, where he ran for 921 yards and 11 touchdowns. … Zach Lee is the Tigers’ leading returner at receiver, where he caught 24 passes for 261 yards and three scores, and he will get help from senior Trenton Kolb and sophomore Chas Nimrod. … Jack Burgess returns as the starting center and will be surrounded by four new starters on the offensive line. … All-conference selection Chris Crawford is the leader of the Tigers’ defensive line from one of the end positions. … The linebacker corps is led by Cole Joyce, an all-state performer who recorded 80 tackles last fall, and Keegan Stinespring, who was named the conference’s defensive newcomer of the year. … If Pankau emerges as the starting quarterback, then the secondary will be led by Levi Bennett, an all-state cornerback.
COACH SPEAK “We’re excited about this group and what they achieve,” Grant said. “This is a group that is a very unselfish, hard-working group who do what they can to make the tempo of our practices where we want them to be. The effort is great, and these players are very coachable.
“Last year was the first time in nine years we didn’t make the semifinals or beyond, and that was new territory for us. It definitely motivated our coaches and our players because we know the tradition of this program and the value and importance of going the distance and doing things when you get there.”