Bradley’s 212 Yards Help Benton Edge Jonesboro
Benton 27, Jonesboro 26
Benton protected a one-point lead throughout the fourth quarter Friday, defeating Jonesboro 27–26 on homecoming at the Palace on the Parkway after surrendering an early 14–0 advantage.
Sophomore Lamarion Bradley supplied 212 yards from scrimmage in his first varsity start, rushing 21 times for 118 yards and a touchdown while catching five passes for 94 yards. Benton snapped a two-game losing streak, improved to 2–2 and opened 6A-East play 1–0. Jonesboro fell to 2–2 and 0–1.
The Panthers opened with a nine-play, 61-yard touchdown drive. A.P. Lewis caught three passes for 50 yards on the possession, finishing it with a diving, 24-yard touchdown reception from Chase Cobb, who escaped pressure from Will Marlin. Gabe Wilbur’s extra point made it 7–0 with 8:32 remaining in the first quarter.
After Benton forced a punt, Cooper Priest took a backward pass from Cobb and threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Jake Cloud. Wilbur’s kick stretched the lead to 14–0 with 7:08 left.
Jonesboro answered with two second-quarter touchdown runs by CJ Lovelace. His 5-yard bootleg finished a 47-yard drive aided by 25 yards in Benton penalties. He later scored from 2 yards out to complete a 95-yard march featuring Jamarius Jackson’s 52-yard reception. Carson Conyers sacked Lovelace for a 5-yard loss late in the half, forcing a punt and giving Benton another possession before the break. The teams entered halftime tied 14–14.
Jonesboro needed just 32 seconds to take its first lead after halftime. Lovelace connected with Kameron Davis on a short pass, and Davis escaped down the sideline for a 57-yard touchdown. A mishandled extra-point snap left the Hurricane ahead 20–14.
Bradley answered with a 45-yard touchdown run behind a block from Jaren Ginther. Wilbur converted for a 21–20 Benton lead with 9:05 remaining in the third quarter.
Jonesboro regained possession by recovering a muffed punt at Benton’s 42. Davis gained 25 yards on a reverse, and Lovelace eventually scored his third rushing touchdown on a quarterback sneak. Bryson Matyja tackled Lovelace on the two-point attempt, keeping Jonesboro’s lead at 26–21 with 2:07 left in the quarter.
Benton immediately drove 62 yards for the winning touchdown. Bradley gained 19 yards behind blocks from Jayden Johnson, Maddison Heard and Ginther. Johnson then caught passes for 8 and 18 yards, setting up Cobb’s 2-yard keeper with 13 seconds remaining. Benton’s two-point pass was broken up.
The Panthers’ defense made that lead stand. Benton’s first fourth-quarter possession consumed more than five minutes, with Bradley breaking Will Marlin’s tackle to convert third-and-two. Jonesboro regained possession after a missed field goal and advanced toward midfield. Avain Beard then stopped a run for no gain before Baylor Dyson disrupted a third-down pass. On fourth-and-seven, Austin Hill drove Davis out of bounds short of the marker, returning possession to Benton with 3:52 left.
The Panthers used the remaining time. A Jonesboro offside penalty converted fourth-and-one, and Bradley’s final carry gained 10 yards for the first down that secured the victory with 16 seconds remaining. Benton then took a knee.
Scoring summary
| Quarter | Scoring play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| First | Benton — A.P. Lewis 24-yard pass from Chase Cobb (Gabe Wilbur kick). | Benton 7–0 |
| First | Benton — Jake Cloud 38-yard pass from Cooper Priest (Wilbur kick). | Benton 14–0 |
| Second | Jonesboro — CJ Lovelace 5-yard run (Alex Glomski kick). | Benton 14–7 |
| Second | Jonesboro — Lovelace 2-yard run (kick good). | Tied 14–14 |
| Third | Jonesboro — Kameron Davis 57-yard pass from Lovelace (conversion failed). | Jonesboro 20–14 |
| Third | Benton — Lamarion Bradley 45-yard run (Wilbur kick). | Benton 21–20 |
| Third | Jonesboro — Lovelace quarterback sneak (two-point try failed). | Jonesboro 26–21 |
| Third | Benton — Cobb 2-yard run (pass failed). | Benton 27–26 |
| Fourth | No scoring. | Benton 27–26 |
Standout players
- Lamarion Bradley, Benton: 21 carries for 118 yards and a touchdown; five catches for 94 yards. His 45-yard score restored the lead, and his final 10-yard run secured the victory.
- CJ Lovelace, Jonesboro: Three rushing touchdowns and a 57-yard touchdown pass to Kameron Davis, accounting for all four Hurricane touchdowns.
- Chase Cobb, Benton: Threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to A.P. Lewis and scored the winning touchdown on a 2-yard keeper with 13 seconds left in the third quarter.
- Kameron Davis, Jonesboro: Turned a short reception into a 57-yard touchdown and gained 25 yards on a reverse during Jonesboro’s final touchdown drive.
- Austin Hill, Benton: Stopped Davis short on fourth-and-seven with 3:52 remaining, ending Jonesboro’s final possession.