Wildcats benefit from open date

There was likely no team anywhere more ready for an open week than the Wildcats. After a brutal fourweek stretch that saw them scrimmage Bentonville, then take on Jenks, Okla., North Little Rock and Greenwood in successive weeks, HarBer welcomed the break.

Wildcats coach Chris Wood said they spent the week getting back to basics and trying to clean up the mistakes on both sides of the ball, particularly turnovers.

“I think the big thing is we have to do a better job with decision-making and as a play-caller, I have to do a better job putting our players in position to be successful,” Wood said.

The Wildcats (0-3) will open 7A-West Conference play on the road at Bentonville, where the Tigers are 3-0 after a big road win last week at Mill Valley, Kansas.

“Bentonville is an elite team,” said Wood. “Jody has a special group that’s going to make a deep run in the playoffs. Those two linebackers are special. Just very talented on both sides of the ball, really.

“Offensively, they can attack you in so many ways. They have a heck of a running game, and if you try and matchup up with them 1-on-1 on the outside, they can put you in some really bad matchups. You can’t just hone in one one thing with them.”

Har-Ber will be without all-state tight end Errington McRae, who has an injury. Wood was not sure when the University of Memphis commit would be able to return to the lineup.

One bright spot for the Wildcats has been its run game, particularly sophomore Hudson Brewer, who leads the team in rushing with 255 yards on 55 carries and 2 touchdowns.

“We saw him a lot at Central last year and liked the way he ran the ball,” Wood said. “What has helped him is Isaac Cramer and Lane Reiter have also contributed to the run game and that’s helped them stay fresh.”