CABOT -- Jarrod Barnes' acrobatic 3-yard leap into the end zone on the final play from scrimmage sent the Cabot Panthers on their way to a 28-27 victory over the Pine Bluff Zebras on Friday night.
Barnes guided the Panthers on a nine-play, 76-yard drive in the final 1:17 to turn back the penalty-prone visitors in front of packed Panther Stadium crowd. The 5-11, 170-pound senior who is a University of Arkansas commitment, ran five times for 32 yards and completed two passes for 16 yards on the game-deciding drive.
"Jarrod is a difference-maker," Cabot Coach Mike Malham said. "We've just never had anything like him before."
Cabot sophomore Mason Martin kicked the final of his four extra points to cap the comeback and set off a massive celebration at midfield.
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Friday's contest between two of the state's elite high school football programs was a battle of multi-talented quarterbacks. Barnes ran 16 times for 115 yards and completed 8 of 11 passes for 113 yards. Pine Bluff senior Simeon Blair, who transferred from Dollarway after two years as the Cardinals' starting quarterback, completed 15 of 25 passes for 179 yards and ran 15 times for 136 yards in his Zebras' debut.
"It was just a great job by two good quarterbacks," Pine Bluff Coach Bobby Bolding said. "[Barnes] is a good football player. He's fast."
Barnes not only scored on the Panthers' final play from scrimmage, but he also scored on Cabot's first offensive play, scoring on a 39-yard run around the left end with 8:02 left in the first quarter. Barnes also scored on an 85-yard kickoff return with 1:21 left in the first half.
"Jarrod is a difference-maker," Malham said. "We've just never had anything like that before."
Blair was at his best when he had to ad lib. The 5-11, 190-pounder tossed three touchdown passes, including two to senior wide receiver Xavier Smith, who caught a game-high nine passes for 137 yards.
"Heck, he's the difference in their team," Malham said of Blair. "We couldn't contain him. On fourth down, he scrambled for their touchdowns. He made their big plays just like Jarrod made our big plays."
Blair was forced out of the pocket and headed toward the Zebras' sideline before hitting Smith for a 63-yard touchdown with 1:33 left in the first half. Blair also turned a busted play into a 14-yard scoring run on a fourth-and-5 situation with 1:17 left that gave Pine Bluff a 27-21 advantage.
The game was tied at 21 with 6:02 remaining when Cabot attempted a fake punt from the Pine Bluff 40. Zebras' defensive back Wesley Hunt snuffed out the trick play and set Pine Bluff up on its 43.
The Zebras used nine plays and covered 57 yards to take the lead.
Thanks to Pine Bluff's penalties, the Panthers were able to answer. The Zebras were flagged five times on Cabot's final drive, including a pass interference as time expired.
"Penalties hurt us all night," Bolding said. "What was the count? 13 to 1. That's something we got to fix."
Pine Bluff was charged with 11 penalties for 73 yards; Cabot had five for 35 yards.
The pass interference penalty placed the ball on the Pine Bluff 7 and an encroachment penalty moved the ball to inside the 4 for an untimed play.
Barnes took the snap and immediately ran to his right. From the 3, Barnes hurdled a defender and landed safely into the end zone to tie the game.
"[Jarrod] said, 'Let me have it,' " Malham said of the game's final-play decision. "I wasn't going to argue with him."
Cabot junior tight end John Wiens scored on a 2-yard run to cap a 13-play, 80-yard drive in the third quarter. Sophomore Kamarea Wilkins scored Pine Bluff's first touchdown, hauling in a 13-yard pass to put the finishing touches on a nine-play, 73-yard drive in the first quarter.
Pine Bluff ran for 144 and gained 179 yards through the air for 323 yards of total offense. Cabot compiled 200 yards on the ground and 113 yards passing for 313.
Sports on 09/03/2016