The Benton Panthers made a bit of history Friday night in their first-round 6A State Playoff game with the Mountain Home Bombers at Panthers Stadium. Benton beat the Bombers 42-21 to advance to a second-round matchup with the Jonesboro Hurricane on the road and that was the first time a first-year Benton head coach has won a first-round playoff game.
“That’s the first time it’s been done by a first-year coach, but the most proud I am is the five years at Benton winning a first-round playoff game,” Panther head man Brad Harris said. “Ideally, we want to get to Thanksgiving week and make the semis for a third year in a row. That’s big, but we have to go to Jonesboro first. That’s going to be a huge one, but we’ll play anybody this time of year as long as we’re still playing.”
The Panthers (7-4) began their first-round playoff win streak in 2012 with a 53-34 victory over Russellville, won a wild one in 2013 again over Russellville, 36-35, and defeated Parkview 49-28 in 2014, the same year Benton made it to the 6A state championship game. The Panthers beat El Dorado 20-12 last year in the first round before Friday night’s rout of Mountain Home made it five straight.
“Tough team right there,” Harris said of the Bombers. “They’re very physical. They run the option really good. They’re the best option team we’ve seen this year and we’ve seen three in a row. They’re very physical, they get after you, but I’m proud of our guys for getting in there and banging with them.”
Not only is it the first time a first-year Benton coach has won a playoff game, but this Panther senior class is the winningest in school history with a 27-8-1 record, topping last year’s squad by a game.
Friday’s game was off to an ominous start for Benton as Mountain Home (4-7) did what they do best - run the football.
See full article in Saturday's edition of The Saline Courier