LITTLE ROCK — The two-point conversion play that became Bentonville’s downfall Saturday afternoon looked all too familiar to coach Barry Lunney and senior quarterback Dallas Hardison.
In fact, Austin Allen’s pass to Tyler Tuck that earned Fayetteville a 29-28 overtime victory and the Class 7A State Championship looked a lot like a play the Tigers had called earlier in the game. Allen rolled to his right, then stopped and threw back across the field to a wide-open Tuck.
“It’s about making plays,” Lunney said. “They made more plays in the times they had to make them. They made them on fourth down and made them on crucial possessions, and they’re state champions.”
Hardison had done almost the same thing in the third quarter when he threw the second of his three touchdown passes, except the distance was a little farther. Bentonville’s quarterback hit a wide-open Justin Caylor for a 16-yard touchdown and gave the Tigers (12-1) a 21-7 lead with 3 minutes, 3 seconds remaining in the period.
THAT FIGURES
2 — quarterback sacks by defensive end Savoy Santiago, the same number he had against Allen in the first meeting this season.
13 — receptions by senior receiver Mason Snow, a career-high.
25 — consecutive victories for Bentonville, which made up the 18th-longest current win streak nationwide before Saturday’s loss
746 — combined passing yards by Bentonville’s Dallas Hardison and Fayetteville’s Austin Allen
Hardison also threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Mason Snow to begin the overtime period. He could only watch as Allen hit Reid Holmes with a 3-yard TD pass, then connected with Tuck for the two-point conversion.
“When Fayetteville lined up for the two-point conversion, I had a feeling they would call something like that,” Hardison said. “It looked like the exact same play we had called earlier. It was a great call by coach (Darryl) Patton, and it paid off.”
Injury Update: Senior left guard Tyler Gay injured his leg in the third quarter and never returned. He was on the sideline and on crutches when the game ended.
Players of the Game: Hardison finished the game completing 31 of 40 passes for 370 yards and three touchdowns. It was career-high performances in all three categories for the senior quarterback.
Notable: Hardison entered the game needing 185 yards to reach the 3,000-yard mark in passing this season. He finished the season with 3,185 yards. ... It was the third time that seniors Mason Snow and Desmond Smith had more than 100 receiving yards in the same game. Both receivers had more than 100 yards receiving in six games. ... Defensive back Gavin Shadrick had the game’s only turnover when he intercepted Allen’s pass on Fayetteville’s opening drive. ... Senior defensive end Savoy Santiago was honored with the Brandon Burlsworth award.
The Lingo: “It was one of those games when I almost felt like a (Fort Smith) Northside quarterback. It was fun being able to do it, but it was one of those games where I had to ice down my arm because I threw so much.”
— Dallas Hardison.