Freshmen Panthers tame Blue Wampus Cats 39-6

The Benton Freshmen Panthers picked up their sixth win in six games this season with a convincing 39-6 victory over the Conway Blue Wampus Cats.

The Panthers and Saline County rival Bryant sit atop the Central Arkansas Junior High conference standings with 5-0 records.

Benton roared out of the game on Thursday at Everett Field. Carson Conyers returned Conway’s opening kickoff to the Wampus Cat 46 yard line. After an incompletion, Chase Cobb threw 20 yards to Bryson Griffis, eight yards to Weston Monson, 10 yards to Griffis before Emery Moore scored on an eight yard touchdown run. Gabe Wilbur’s extra point gave Benton an early 7-0 lead.

On the ensuing kickoff by Benton’s Dawson Daves, Conway muffed the return. The loose ball squirted into the Conway end zone where it was recovered by Benton’s Fabian Patraca and just 1:27 into the game, the Panthers held a 13-0 lead.

Milo Grissom forced a Conway fumble that Carter Knowles recovered for the Panthers at the Benton nine yard line. After Moore ran for seven yards, he broke loose along the Panther sideline and outraced the

Conway defense 84 yards for a touchdown and a 19-0 Panther lead.

Moore, who finished a career night with 189 yards rushing on just 12 carries, scored again with 4:56 left in the first half on a 47 yard touchdown run. Wilbur’s PAT made it 26-0.

Conway answered with their lone score of the night on a 59 yard touchdown pass from Hudson White to Ulysses Davis before Benton responded on a 41 yard touchdown pass from Cobb to Griffis and a 32-6 Panther lead at halftime.

The only score of the second half came with 2:36 left in the third quarter when Cobb passed 26 yards to T.J. Williams to finish a five play, 69 yard drive.

The Panthers outgained Conway 399 yards to 227 yards. In addition to Moore’s monster night, Cobb completed 13 of 22 passes for 177 yards. Williams (6-56), Griffis (3-71), Jake Cloud (2-13), Jacobi Lea (1-31) and Monson (1-8) had receptions of Cobb passes.

Monson and Grissom led the Panther defense with six tackles each. Bryson Matyja had five tackles, including two sacks.

The Freshman Panthers (6-0, 5-0) seek to keep their spotless record intact next Thursday when they play the Catholic Rockets at

Roy Davis Field in Little Rock at 6 p.m.

The 8th grade

Panthers suffered their second loss of the season Thursday, falling to Conway Blue 22-20. The 8th graders showed a lot of heart and fight battling to within a two-point conversion of tying the game late.

A Conway touchdown pass with 5:01 left in the fourth quarter gave the Wampus Cats a 22-6 lead.

Hudson James caught a 12 yard touchdown pass from Easton Snellings with 3:34 remaining. Snellings ran in the two-point conversion to narrow the Conway lead to 22-14.

The Benton defense came up with a threeand-out, added by Baylor Dyson’s tackle for loss on third down that forced a Conway punt. Aidan Bateman for the Panthers blocked that punt setting Benton up with a firstand-goal.

On fourth-and-goal from the Conway two yard line, Snellings scampered into the end zone to set up the potential game-tying two-point conversion. But the Wampus Cats intercepted a tipped Snellings pass in the end zone to snuff out the fourth quarter rally and preserve the win.

The 8th grade

Panthers (4-2, 4-1) will have a bye next week and will play next at home against Bryant on Thursday, Oct. 19.