Football: Har-Ber takes lead again in 7A-West Conference chase

SPRINGDALE -- OK. So, now we know.

[HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD: Full results + recaps, photos and more]

Every team in the 7A-West is chasing Springdale Har-Ber, which defeated Bentonville 29-15 Friday to take over the league lead.

The game was built as one of the top high games of the week nationally by Maxpreps, but it was hardly a gem. The score was 3-2 Bentonville at halftime and play was littered with penalties, fumbles, and failed attempts on fourth down.

Still, we have a sole leader in the 7A-West and it is Har-Ber (5-1, 3-0), which won the conference championship last year to end a string of eight consecutive league titles by the Tigers (4-2, 2-1).

Har-Ber scored four touchdowns in the second half, two on runs by Payton Copher and two on catches by Trey Smith.

"We were just trying too hard to make plays in the first half," Copher said. "I had to calm myself down and we did what we needed in the second half. It worked out for us."

PLAY OF THE GAME

Har-Ber was holding an 8-3 lead in the third quarter when Copher scored on a 67-yard touchdown run to put the Wildcats ahead by two touchdowns. Copher displayed his track speed and got into the end zone when it appeared a Bentonville defender had the angle on him downfield.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

Har-Ber came alive in the third quarter because of the play of Trey Smith, who caught touchdown passes of 30 and 18 yards. Smith displayed great agility on the first touchdown when he broke one tackle, side-stepped a second defender, and continued into the end zone to give Har-Ber an 8-3 lead.

DRAGGED DOWN

Har-Ber fumbled three times in the first half, including once after Copher ran past the tackler. But Copher had a T-shirt sticking out from under his jersey and the defender dragged him down, forced a fumble, and the Tigers recovered at the Har-Ber 35-yard line.

Not surprisingly, Copher was without the T-shirt and had his jersey tucked in when he took the field for the next series.

HAR-BER ROYALTY

Kimberly Girdner was announced as Har-Ber homecoming queen before Friday's kickoff. She plans to attend the University of Arkansas and major in International Business.

Girdner is the daughter of Todd Girdner, Sr., and Jacqueline Suarez.

STRUEBING HONORED

Former Springdale Har-Ber and Springdale High assistant coach Don Struebing was among seven former athletes inducted into the Central Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame last month.

Struebing was an All-American at center for Springdale High. He played at Arkansas before transferring to UCA, where he earned All-American honors in 1995 and 1996 and was named to the Gulf South Conference All-Decade team for the 1990s.

"It's a great honor, obviously," said Struebing, who attended Friday's game at Har-Ber. "What makes it so special is that I go into the Hall of Fame with Chris Smith, a Springdale guy who was one of my childhood heroes."

Struebing is in private business in Springdale and spends time in Conway, where he watches his son, Sam Struebing, play football for Hendrix College.

RED MEN

A handful of former Har-Ber and Bentonville players will be on the sidelines today for Arkansas' showdown with No. 1 Alabama at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

Former Har-Ber teammates Josh Frazier and Jake Hall will be on opposite sidelines. Frazier is a backup defensive lineman for Alabama while Hall, a former defensive lineman, is a backup offensive lineman for the Razorbacks. Frazier has two tackles in four games.

Hall will be in the home red uniforms along with two former Bentonville players, tight end Jack Kraus and offensive lineman Jackson Hannah.

UP NEXT

Bentonville plays at Springdale High and Har-Ber visits Bentonville West for the first time in 7A-West Conference games on Friday.

Sports on 10/08/2016

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