Conway — On most nights, three touchdowns and 233 yards rushing by Sain Mathew would’ve been enough for Springdale Har-Ber.
Not against Conway.
At a glance
That figures
6 — Plays Conway needed to take a 14-0 lead over the Wildcats
13 — Penalties against Springdale Har-Ber
990 — Combined yards by Conway and Har-Ber
Sophomore quarterback Breylin Smith passed for 357 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Wampus Cats to a 52-42 victory Friday in the second round of the Class 7A state playoffs at John McConnell Stadium. Kevin Chamorro added 72 yards rushing and three touchdowns for Conway (9-2), which will play at Bentonville Friday in the state semifinals.
Har-Ber (8-4) was eliminated in the quarterfinals for the second consecutive year.
Defense in this game was as a rare as a dry football field in Arkansas on Friday. Conway began the scoring spree by taking a 14-0 lead on just six plays. Har-Ber was particularly porous in the secondary, where receivers got open for touchdown plays of 25, 65, 35, and 32 yards.
Har-Ber had 537 of the 990 total yards in the game, but Conway had three of the final four scores to finish the victory. Har-Ber coach Chris Wood tried to stay positive while he searched out seniors and gave them a hug following the game.
“When you look back, you want to thank the seniors for the job they’ve done,” Wood said. “They fought for three years and I’m proud of them. It was Conway’s night and we wish Conway the best of luck.”
Player of the game: Mathew finished off a record-breaking season at running back by scoring three touchdowns and rushing for 233 yards. His 22-yard touchdown run tied the game 28-28 but the Har-Ber defense could not contain the Wampus Cats. Mathew became deyhdrated and missed most of the fourth quarter, but sophomore Luke Hannon was an able replacement with 59 rushing yards on 14 carries.
Play of the game: Har-Ber overcame an early 14-0 deficit when Matt Garrison took a punt on the bounce and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown. Har-Ber then tied when Camden Scott caught a 2-point conversion pass from Kyle Pianalto in the corner of the end zone.
Notable: Conway advanced to the state semifinals for the first time since 2003. Conway moves on after being eliminated, 37-27, by Har-Ber in the second round of the playoffs in 2010… Har-Ber noseguard Josh Frazier, 6-foot-4, 330 pounds, lined up in the backfield during a 1-yard touchdown run by Kyle Pianalto that tied the score 42-42 late in the third quarter.
Up Next: Har-Ber ends the year with an 8-4 record, slightly better than the 7-5 record the Wildcats posted last season.