WILDCATS FORCE MOUNTIES TO FEEL THE 'BURN'

In two games this season, Jay Burns has rushed for almost 700 yards. That's a season for a lot of running backs. The Springdale Har-Ber junior tore through Rogers High for more than 350 yards and two touchdowns as the Wildcats rolled to a 38-6 win at Whitey Smith Stadium on Friday night. "When there's not a hole, Jay can make you right," Har-Ber coach Chris Wood said. "We don't have to block everything perfect on every down. Jay can make things for us." Burns set the tone of the game on Har-Ber's first possession, taking the first carry 50 yards. Those types of plays would come his way all night, with all of his last seven touches alone resulting in runs of 10 or more yards. His lone carry in the second half went for an 83-yard touchdown before Wood decided to rest him the rest of the game. "He's a high-energy guy," Wood said. "He's a juice guy. He has fun and works hard in practice and carries it into the game." Burns was also crucial in setting up Har-Ber's last-second touchdown before the first half, which was a crucial moment in the game, Wood said. With just over 40 seconds left on the clock when the Wildcats (5-4, 3-3 7A-West) got the ball back, Burns carried the ball 73 yards on just four carries, which set up Nick Buchanan's touchdown catch from Blaise Wittschen, who finished with three touchdown passes. Buchanan almost had another big play for the Wildcats on defense after he returned an interception 100 yards to the end zone, but the touchdown was later nullified after an official said Buchanan stepped out of bounds about 70 yards back. "He was trying to catch himself, and I mean he was barely out of bounds, but it was the right call," Wood said. Rogers (1-7-1, 0-6) used some bold play-calling to pick up its only score as the Mounties went for it on fourth down from less than 10 yards out. Hunter Loyd didn't have much time before Har-Ber pressure forced him out of the pocket, but the quarterback was able to find Wil Sims cutting back across the middle of the field for the touchdown. Loyd finished the game going 20-of-36 with 136 yards and a score, while Nathan Hahn proved to be a bright spot on this Mounties offense. He finished the game with 115 yards on 22 carries, including a 47-yard rush in the first half that set up Sims' touchdown catch. Wood was happy with how Burns and the rest of the Wildcat ground game executed the offense Friday because he knew Har-Ber would have to win the game rushing the ball against Rogers, he said. "We built another week on top of the Van Buren week and that's what we've been talking about is continuing to take steps forward," Wood said. "I thought we did that tonight." The win keeps Har-Ber's hopes for a No. 4 seed and a home playoff game alive heading into the regular season finale next week.

WILDCATS FORCE MOUNTIES TO FEEL THE 'BURN'

ALEX NICOLL

Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette | 10/29/2018

PHOTO CREDIT: David Beach