Another crack at it
PB takes second shot against potent Benton
Pine Bluff’s loss to Benton isn’t far from Coach Bobby Bolding’s mind.
“They whooped us in that last game,” Bolding said of his team’s Week 10 loss. “We were lucky to be in that game.”
The Zebras get a shot at redemption Friday night when they face Benton again, this time in the Class 6A state championship game at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
Benton (11-0-1) held off Pine Bluff (9-3) 39-36 thanks to Grant Hinze’s 40-yard field goal Nov. 6 at Jordan Stadium in Pine Bluff, but the Panthers controlled most of the game.
Benton led 36-22 with 5:44 remaining after Drew Harris scored his fifth touchdown of the game on a 1-yard run. But the Zebras came back as Kyran Simmons caught two touchdown passes and Tyran Simmons came up with another to help Pine Bluff tie the game at 36-36 with 1:25 left.
Hinze’s field goal with 0.7 seconds left sealed the 6A-South championship and left Pine Bluff as the No. 2 seed in the Class 6A playoffs.
The Zebras responded by beating Siloam Springs 41-7 before winning 35-24 last week at Jonesboro in the semifinals.
“I’m pleased with my team and where we’re at,” Bolding said. “We got better every week.”
Junior quarterback Ladarius Skelton will try to lead Pine Bluff to its first state championship since 1995 and its ninth overall recognized by the Arkansas Activities Association. Skelton has completed 120 of 209 passes for 1,672 yards with 21 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. He’s also rushed for 1,006 yards and 17 touchdowns on 155 carries.
Kyran Simmons is Pine Bluff’s leading receiver with 44 catches for 743 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Benton Coach Scott Neathery is well aware of Skelton and the rest of the weapons featured in Pine Bluff ’s offense.
“We won’t match up athletically against Pine Bluff, but where we will match up with them is intensity,” Neathery said. “That’s what we’ve done all year long. We’ve played with intensity all year long.
“It’s a lot more about us than it is the other team. As long as we take care of our business, we can feel good about it at the end of the day.”
Harris has caught 83 passes for 1,514 yards and 15 touchdowns. He’s rushed for 430 yards and 6 touchdowns on 61 carries and has returned a punt and a kickoff for scores.
“Nobody has matched up against Drew Harris this year,” Bolding said. “It’s like playing a great basketball player. They’re going to get their points.”
Junior quarterback Cason Maertens has thrown for 3,151 yards with 33 touchdowns and 8 interceptions as Benton’s offense has averaged 42.1 points per game.
“They’ve got weapons,” said Bolding, whose only state championship as a coach came at Stuttgart in 2002. “[Drew] Dyer, [Julius] Lewis at tailback. The quarterback can run it and throw it.”
Keeping Benton’s high-powered Spread offense under control will be key.
“We have to figure out a way to get their offense off the field,” said Bolding, whose team lost to El Dorado in last season’s championship game and to Greenwood in the 2012 title game. “You can’t turn the ball over. You can’t have turnovers.
“You can’t give up big plays.”
Benton’s defense is also getting it done, allowing an average of just 14.8 points per game.
Linebacker Tim DeZort has 142 tackles and four sacks, while free safety Stone Paul has 90 tackles and a team-high 10 interceptions. Defensive lineman Garrett Taylor has 18 sacks for a unit led by Brad Harris, who is in his first year as defensive coordinator after spending six seasons as the head coach at Lincoln.
“It appears at times there’s 12 guys out there,” Bolding said. “They’re coming out of the bleachers.”