Benton won the 6A-South Conference championship last season when it beat Pine Bluff 39-36 in the regular-season finale, but Pine Bluff exacted revenge a month later.
The Zebras took apart Benton 50-10 in the Class 6A state championship game at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
Tonight’s game
PINE BLUFF AT BENTON
WHEN 7 p.m.
WHERE Panther Stadium, Benton
RECORDS Pine Bluff 9-0, 6-0 6A-South; Benton 8-1, 6-0
RANKINGS Pine Bluff No. 1 in Class 6A, No. 3 overall; Benton No. 3 in Class 6A, No. 10 overall
COACHES Pine Bluff: Bobby Bolding; Benton: Scott Neathery
KEY PLAYERS Pine Bluff: QB Ladarius Skelton, Sr., 6-2, 210; RB Romar Reades, Sr., 5-8, 192; WR/DB David Beasley, Sr., 6-3, 190. Benton: QB Cason Maertens, Sr., 6-1, 195; RB Brandon Hunter, Jr., 5-9, 165; WR Drew Dyer, Sr., 5-11, 205.
"All we did was make them mad," Benton Coach Scott Neathery said of his team's regular-season victory last year.
"I know they whooped us, " Pine Bluff Coach Bobby Bolding said.
The Panthers (8-1, 6-0) get a third crack at the Zebras (9-0, 6-0) in a span of 13 months with another title on the line tonight when the teams meet in Benton to decide the 6A-South title. Pine Bluff is ranked No. 1 in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's Class 6A Super Six, with Benton ranked No. 3.
Defense has been key to the success of Pine Bluff and Benton this season. Pine Bluff has allowed 7.8 points per game and has four shutouts in 6A-South play, while the Panthers have allowed 11.3 points per game.
Bolding said the Zebras have done a good job of stopping the run, which has made teams one-dimensional.
"They're tuned in when they come out there," Bolding said. "They've been able to put people in second-and-longs and third-and-longs."
Benton's defense lost Tim Dezort, Stone Paul and Garrett Taylor to graduation, but the Panthers have remained one of the best defenses in the state.
Junior linebacker Brayden Harris, defensive coordinator Brad Harris' son, has a team-high 70 tackles. Senior defensive lineman Jeremiah Bowling has 13 sacks, while defensive back Simeon Watson, another senior, has five interceptions.
"They get after it," Neathery said. "Coach Harris has a knack of getting them ready to play and ready to hit and ready to fly around the field."
Injuries and discipline issues have forced the Zebras (9-0) to play without their full offensive lineup this season.
Senior quarterback Ladarius Skelton had more than 250 yards rushing and four touchdowns in Pine Bluff's 34-27 victory at El Dorado two weeks ago, but Bolding is still waiting for the Zebras' offense to come together like it did during last year's playoff run.
"I don't think we're clicking yet," Bolding said.
Neathery knows full well how effective Pine Bluff's offense -- with Skelton, running back Romar Reades and wide receiver David Beasley -- can be when it's clicking.
"They have some very good athletes," Neathery said. "We have to play a perfect ballgame."
Benton was without starting quarterback Cason Maertens for the first six weeks of the season because of offseason knee surgery, but he returned three weeks ago and has completed 73 of 107 passes for 1,097 yards and 9 touchdowns and is 3-0 as the starter this season.
The senior injured his knee in May during a basketball practice and it was unclear whether he would be able to play football this year, but Neathery said he never doubted Maertens after five months of rehabilitation.
"It was a big shot in the arm," Neathery said. "Just having his experience was huge for our offense."
Junior quarterback Nate Beck was solid for the first half of the season when Maertens was out, and Neathery said he wouldn't expect the Panthers to miss a beat if Maertens were to get hurt.
"A lot of coaches would love to have Nate as their starting quarterback," Neathery said.
Considering all the injuries Benton has dealt with this season, Neathery said winning a second conference title might be be even more satisfying than last season's title.
" This year, every step has been a struggle, but we've been fortunate enough to overcome the adversity," Neathery said. "That's what we've done."
Sports on 11/05/2015