You’ve got to hand it to the Benton Tigers. Down 38 points to the Captain Shreve Gators with seconds to play in the first half, they didn’t just concede the game.
Far from it.
Benton scored 41 points in the second half, but it wasn’t enough. Shreve added three touchdowns in the half and won the District 1-5A game 59-48 Thursday night at Lee Hedges Stadium.
Benton dropped to 0-4 overall and 0-3 in district. Captain Shreve improved to 3-1 and 3-0.
Benton trailed 44-14 with 5:20 left in the third quarter. With 4:49 left in the game, they were behind just 52-42 after Malachi Zeigler’s 38-yard touchdown pass to Chase Miguez.
You have to wonder what might’ve happened if the Tigers had recovered an onside kick. But they weren’t able to do it on two occasions.
After Benton cut the lead to 10, Shreve scored its final touchdown with 1:21 left.
Zeigler scored with one second left for the final margin.
Zeigler was outstanding in the second half. He spent much of the night running from an aggressive Shreve defense but still managed to get passes off.
Zeigler completed 20-of-29 passes for 362 yards. He also rushed for 70 yards on seven carries.
Greg Chambers and Rydon McCormack had touchdown catches of 11 and 65 yards, respectively, in the second half.
Chambers also scored on a 4-yard run. Maurice Goins had a 2-yard touchdown runs.
Benton’s comeback actually started after the Gators went up 38-0 with 20 seconds left in the first half.
On the final play, Zeigler found Case Austin open around the 20 and he took the ball into the end zone, completing the 54-yard play.
Austin finished with three catches for 127 yards.
The bottom line, however, is that the Tigers simply couldn’t stop the Gators offense led by All-State running back Jamarcea Player, who rushed for 261 yards on 26 carries and scored on runs of 8, 2, 3 and 78 yards.
The Gators scored on every possession, including several long passes and runs and a 41-yard field goal, until the Tigers got a stop on fourth down early in the fourth quarter. Benton got another stop on fourth down and that’s when they were able to get within 10.
Shreve quarterback Jackson Gaskin completed 12-of-18 passes for 243 yards and and two touchdowns, including one of 55 yards to Kaleb Law.
Shawn Devers, who caught a 13-yard touchdown pass, had five catches for 147 yards.
Benton’s Madden Raymond had four catches for 48 yards and Owen Patterson had three for 35.
Will Petro was perfect on six extra-point kicks.
Benton visits Leesville next Friday in its final non-district game. The Wampus Cats (1-3) lost to Pineville 28-21 Friday.