Wolverines can't hold on without QB

OWASSO, Okla. -- Bentonville West lost its lead and starting quarterback Will Jarrett in a matter of 2 minutes, then eventually lost its season opener Friday night. Owasso ran off 21 unanswered points to start the fourth quarter, and the defending Oklahoma 6A-1 state champions rallied to claim a 56-40 victory over the Wolverines at Owasso Stadium. "Obviously, I'm not happy with the way we played," Bentonville West Coach Bryan Pratt said. "We were just very undisciplined with penalties, and that comes back to me as a head coach. Owasso has a great team, and losing Will hurt us. "I really liked our game plan. I just thought we played very undisciplined." Blake McDoulett's 28-yard field goal, his second of the game, gave Bentonville West (0-1) a 34-21 lead into the fourth quarter before Owasso quarterback Will Kuehne went to work. He hit Trey Goins for a 73-yard touchdown pass on the second play to make it 34-28 with 11:11 remaining. The Rams' outburst continued after Jarrett suffered an injury while running an option play and never returned. Two plays after a Wolverines punt, Kuehne hit tight end Mario Kirby, who tiptoed down the sideline for a 60-yard touchdown to give Owasso a 35-34 lead with 10:04 left. Then Owasso's Duece Mayberry intercepted a Tucker Swoboda pass and ran 18 yards for the score to make it 42-34 with 9:18 left. "They had us on the ropes. They really did," Owasso Coach Bill Blankenship said. "Thankfully, we have a quarterback that made some big plays, and Trey Goins and Mario made some big plays. "I think we finally took advantage of the heat. I think we were able to wear them down a little bit. But I tell you, Coach Pratt has a great team over there." Bentonville West managed to pull within 42-40 on Tyrese Smallwood's 8-yard touchdown run with 7:47 remaining, but the Wolverines' try for two failed. Kuehne, who has verbally committed to North Texas, sealed the victory with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Dawson Adams with 5:47 remaining. Kuehne added a late 1-yard touchdown run after Cole Creekmore intercepted a Swoboda pass and returned it to the Bentonville West 3. Jarrett and Jackson connected on two touchdown passes in an 18-second span in the first quarter. After Jackson scored on a 28-yard touchdown pass, they followed with a 30-yard scoring pass one play after Maddox Thornton intercepted a Kuehne pass at the Owasso 30. The Wolverines led 21-14 at halftime and took their biggest lead when Smallwood's first touchdown run, a 33-yarder, made it 31-14 with 4:42 left in the third quarter. Bentonville West returns to action next week when it plays at Wolverine Stadium against Fort Smith Southside.

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WOLVERINES CAN'T HOLD ON WITHOUT QB

HENRY APPLE

Arkansas Online | 8/25/2018

PHOTO CREDIT: Bentonville West Athletics