On the biggest stage in Arkansas high school sports, the Benton Panthers fell short of the 6A State Championship in Little Rock today, falling 45-14 to Greenwood at War Memorial Stadium.
For Greenwood, the title is the second straight and ninth in school history.
Benton began the game strong, scoring on its first series to lead 7-0, but would find itself behind 24-7 at halftime. The Panthers would find the end zone again on its first drive of the second half, but could not slow senior Peyton Holt and the Bulldogs.
Holt would earn the game's most valuable player, posting a stat line of 84 yards rushing, 284 yards on 23 of 34 passing and also caught a pass for 26 yards. He would score three times on the ground and twice through the air.
For Benton, senior running back Zak Wallace would lead all rushers with 145 yards and a score on 22 carries.
Garrett Brown and Colen Morrow both lined up under center for the Panthers, combining to complete 14 passes for 80 yards. Brown would toss two interceptions in the game.
The loss ends Benton season with an overall record of 10-3 while Greenwood improves to 12-1, having not lost since the first game of the year.
See Sunday's issue of The Saline Courier for the full story.