Ficklin’s Late Score Sends Bentonville Back to 7A Title Game

Bentonville 26, Conway 21

BENTONVILLE — On a bitter, wind-whipped night, Bentonville leaned on its defense and ground game to edge Conway 26-21 in a 7A state semifinal Friday at Tiger Stadium.

Senior defensive back Tristan Brown jump-started the Tigers by jumping a flea‑flicker for a 20‑yard pick‑six on the game’s first snap. Kicker Gio Puga later drilled a 47‑yard field goal into the wind, and another chip shot before halftime staked Bentonville to a 13‑7 lead.

Conway answered behind senior quarterback Wesley Tapp and sophomore backup Ryder Cook, who came off the bench to hit Kambrien “Cam” Blackmon for a touchdown and keep the Wampus Cats within striking distance. Workhorse running back Trey Harris, a senior RB/CB, pounded out tough yards between the tackles and ripped loose for a third‑quarter scoring run that briefly gave Conway a 14‑13 advantage.

Bentonville’s answer was immediate. On fourth‑and‑3, junior RB/MLB Kameran Thornton‑Mead took a direct snap, burst through the right side and sprinted 42 yards for a go‑ahead score.

Cook and Harris weren’t done, marching Conway 80 yards before Cook powered in from the 2 to put the Wampus Cats ahead 21‑20 with 9:13 remaining.

Given one last chance, junior RB/CB Chris Ficklin finally broke free, slashing deep into Conway territory to set up his own 2‑yard touchdown plunge with 10 seconds left. A desperation heave on the final play was intercepted, sending the undefeated Tigers (12‑0) to their fourth straight 7A championship game, where they will face Bryant. Conway finishes 9‑4 after consecutive semifinal trips.

Scoring Summary

1st Quarter
Bentonville – Tristan Brown 20-yard interception return (Kylie Sally kick), Bentonville 7-0
Bentonville – Gio Puga 47-yard field goal (kick good), Bentonville 10-0

2nd Quarter
Conway – Kambrien Blackmon touchdown pass from Ryder Cook (Will Upton kick), Bentonville 10-7
Bentonville – Gio Puga 21-yard field goal (kick good), Bentonville 13-7

3rd Quarter
Conway – Trey Harris touchdown run (Upton kick), Conway 14-13
Bentonville – Kameran Thornton-Mead 42-yard run (Sally kick), Bentonville 20-14

4th Quarter
Conway – Ryder Cook 2-yard run (Upton kick), Conway 21-20
Bentonville – Chris Ficklin 2-yard run (conversion failed), Bentonville 26-21

Players Who Stood Out

• Chris Ficklin, Bentonville RB/CB (’26) – Workhorse in tough conditions, including the game-winning 2-yard TD and a late explosive run to set it up.

• Kameran Thornton-Mead, Bentonville RB/MLB (’26) – Delivered the game-changing 42-yard TD on a fourth-and-three wildcat keeper and made physical stops on defense.

• Cole Slepecki, Bentonville QB (’26) – Managed the passing game in swirling winds, repeatedly finding DeQuane Prevo and Jack Dunn on key third downs during scoring drives.

• Trey Harris, Conway RB/CB (’26) – Conway’s offensive engine, grinding out yards all night and scoring a third-quarter rushing TD.

• Ryder Cook, Conway QB (’27) – Sparked the Wampus Cats off the bench with a touchdown pass to Blackmon and the go-ahead sneak in the fourth quarter.