Conway and Bentonville With an Early Game of the Year Candidate

Calling a match-up the "game of the year" in the second week of the season is always a bold statement with eight weeks' worth of games left to be played. However, the Wampus Cats and Tigers gave fans the price of admission, and coupled with a storming Bentonville second-half comeback and a game-winning Conway score with less than a minute left in the game left fans leaving knowing they had witnessed an exhilarating contest by two of the most talented teams the state has to offer.   Coming into the season, this non-conference match-up was circled across the state regardless of classification. With Buck James and all the headlines he brings coupled with the Razorback commit [player_tooltip player_id='320933' first='CJ' last='Brown'] and the talented roster of Bentonville with [player_tooltip player_id='392411' first='Carter' last='Nye'], [player_tooltip player_id='321739' first='Luke' last='Coon'], and others this game was a building explosion.   Conway boasts a top-three quarterback in [player_tooltip player_id='214836' first='Donovyn' last='Omolo'] and a talented linebacker in Ben Chandler, among other talented players, such as [player_tooltip player_id='851667' first='Desmond' last='Davidson'], Jaxson Armstrong, and [player_tooltip player_id='915692' first='Chris' last='O'Neal'] who all made an impact on this one.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">First Half</h2>   The opening half was all Conway, as [player_tooltip player_id='214836' first='Donovyn' last='Omolo']-led offense marched up and down the field backed with impressive receptions by [player_tooltip player_id='915692' first='Chris' last='O'Neal'] and a dominating rushing performance by [player_tooltip player_id='851667' first='Desmond' last='Davidson']. The first two drives of the game showed why Omolo is my second-ranked quarterback in the 7A classification. The slinger hit Jaden Gaines and O'Neal for a pair of long touchdown passes to open the scoring for the game and make it a 14-0 contest early   Immediately following the Wampus Cat's second score [player_tooltip player_id='392411' first='Carter' last='Nye'] finds his footing and picks apart the defense for large chunks of air yardage, including a 25-yard dart to Razorback commit, [player_tooltip player_id='320933' first='CJ' last='Brown'].   Conway doesn't waste any time following the Tiger score when running back Desmond Davis breaks a 59-yard run up the middle for a third Conway score before the first quarter is over. Davis would strike again, this time through the air, with an 18-yard catch out of the backfield for another score. The half would end with Conway holding all the momentum and a 28-10 lead.   At the half, Conway had a tight grip on the game in all facets as the Wampus Cat offense accounted for 352 total yards, including 115 on the ground. Bentonville, however, totaled only 192 yards halfway through the contest.   During the first half, Conway's defensive line pressure was the story, as Nye was never able to be comfortable in the pocket creating off-target, on-the-run throws in which Conway's defensive backs batted down.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Second Half</h2>   Down by two scores coming out of the break, [player_tooltip player_id='320933' first='CJ' last='Brown'] does what Brown does best, takeover contests. The athlete took back the opening kick for 100 yards and a Tiger touchdown. Quickly Bentonville grabs momentum and forces a turnover on downs for the Wampus Cat offense. The very next play [player_tooltip player_id='392411' first='Carter' last='Nye'] breaks contain and hits Brown on the opposite side of the field with no Conway defender within 10 yards, Brown jets off for an 82-yard score quickly making the score 28-24 in less than 4 minutes.   Now only leading by 4 points and the game beginning to shift to the opposite sideline, [player_tooltip player_id='214836' first='Donovyn' last='Omolo'] and the offensive unit kept their composure and marched down the field culminating in a jet sweep touchdown for [player_tooltip player_id='915692' first='Chris' last='O'Neal'].   With 11 minutes left to go in the contest, down by 11 points, Bentonville picked off a 60-yard pass by Omolo down the numbers leaving them to start their drive at their 25-yard line. [player_tooltip player_id='392411' first='Carter' last='Nye'] proceeds to show he's a notable quarterback in his classification by leading a touchdown drive and pulling a play-action backside throw for the 2-point conversion making it a 3-point game with 9 minutes left to go.   On the ensuing drive, Conway marches down the field to their 45-yard line when Caiden Henderson breaks a 55-yard touchdown that was ultimately called back on a questionable block in the back call. Following the penalty, Conway picks up another first down and then gets stopped on a 4th-down attempt, turning the ball over.   With 6:16 left in the game, [player_tooltip player_id='392411' first='Carter' last='Nye'] and company trot on the field needing a field goal to tie. First play of the drive Nye hands the ball off and running back Jason Gillmore breaks a 55-yard rush to put the Tigers in scoring position quickly.   Two plays later on 3rd and long, Conway is called for defensive holding giving Bentonville a new set of downs inside Conway's 20-yard line with 3:36 left.   Following two short-yardage runs, [player_tooltip player_id='392411' first='Carter' last='Nye'] quarterback sneaks up the middle from the one and scores for Bentonville, making the game 39-35 with 2:15 left for Conway to answer.   [player_tooltip player_id='915692' first='Chris' last='O'Neal'] didn't waste any time exciting the Conway sidelines when he took the kick from the 4-yard line and busted up the middle of the coverage to the other side of the 50-yard line leaving Omolo with 2:10 to go less than half the field to win the game.   Throughout the game, Conway's plan included numerous RPOs in which Omolo would hand the ball off up the middle or for his running backs to hit the edge. Omolo never pulled the ball out once all game until he was within the 5-yard line with less than a minute when he faked the defense by pulling the ball away from the running back and hitting a wide-open Jaxson Armstrong in the back of the end zone for the game-winning score with 58 seconds left.   On the following drive, the Conway defensive unit smelt the blood in the water and forced the 4th down stop allowing the Conway offense to enjoy the victory formation to wind the clock down to zero.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Overview</h2>   Both teams will threaten opponents week after week with their incredibly talented rosters, the leaving impression here is the qualities Buck James brings to this Wampus Cat squad. Last season if we were to play this scenario, it's fair to wonder if Bentonville would have finished the job after quickly scoring fourteen unanswered to begin the second half.   The Buck James effect is real for Conway and they look like legitimate contenders in the 7A which lines up, ironically, with a potential 7A central title match in the last week of the season on Conway's senior night with James' former program, the Bryant Hornets.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Players of the Game</h2>   [player_tooltip player_id='214836' first='Donovyn' last='Omolo'] - 26/45, 399 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT   [player_tooltip player_id='915692' first='Chris' last='O'Neal'] - 12 receptions, 224 yards, 2 TDs

Calling a match-up the "game of the year" in the second week of the season is always a bold statement with eight weeks' worth of games left to be played. However, the Wampus Cats and Tigers gave fans the price of admission, and coupled with a storming Bentonville second-half comeback and a game-winning Conway score with less than a minute left in the game left fans leaving knowing they had witnessed an exhilarating contest by two of the most talented teams the state has to offer.