Clouston’s Three Touchdowns Lead Bentonville Past Tulsa Union
Bentonville 24, Union 7
BENTONVILLE — Nathan Clouston rushed for 102 yards and three 2-yard touchdowns, and Bentonville limited Union to one scoring drive in a 24-7 season-opening victory Friday at Tiger Stadium.
The first quarter ended scoreless after both defenses controlled field position. Bentonville punter Porter Fertig placed a 48-yard kick at the Union 2, while Union’s Isaac Mooney later pinned Bentonville at its 1. The Tigers moved away from their goal line but did not score.
Bentonville created the first decisive break with 6:39 remaining in the second quarter. Safety Silas Brock intercepted Dylan Taylor at the Union 38. Clouston finished the resulting possession with a 2-yard toss, and Fertig’s extra point made it 7-0 with 4:14 left before halftime. Cole Montoya recorded a sack, and Brock broke up another pass.
Receiving the second-half kickoff, Bentonville drove approximately 75 yards, relying primarily on Clouston and the running game. Clouston scored from 2 yards again, and Fertig’s kick increased the lead to 14-0.
Union answered with its strongest possession. The Redhawks kept the ball on the ground, reached fourth-and-goal at the 1 and gave the ball to Reyon Williams. Williams recovered a bobbled exchange and crossed the goal line. Leo Esparza’s extra point cut Bentonville’s advantage to 14-7 with 41 seconds left in the third quarter.
Quarterback Evan Canode opened Bentonville’s next drive with a play-action completion to Ricky Brown. He later converted third-and-6 with a throwback pass to Sam Dunn. Clouston finished the drive with his third 2-yard touchdown, and Blake Stroud added the kick for a 21-7 lead with 8:43 remaining.
Bentonville’s defense prevented another score, and Stroud closed the scoring with a 41-yard field goal. Union reached the 4 in the final seconds, but a touchdown was erased by an ineligible-receiver penalty before the last pass fell incomplete.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
No scoring — Bentonville 0, Union 0
2nd Quarter
Bentonville – Nathan Clouston 2-yard touchdown run (Porter Fertig kick), Bentonville 7-0.
3rd Quarter
Bentonville – Clouston 2-yard touchdown run (Fertig kick), Bentonville 14-0.
Union – Reyon Williams 1-yard touchdown run (Leo Esparza kick), Bentonville 14-7.
4th Quarter
Bentonville – Clouston 2-yard touchdown run (Blake Stroud kick), Bentonville 21-7.
Bentonville – Stroud 41-yard field goal, Bentonville 24-7.
Players of the Game
Nathan Clouston, Bentonville senior running back — Rushed for 102 yards and scored all three Bentonville touchdowns on runs of 2 yards. His second score completed an approximately 75-yard opening drive in the third quarter.
Evan Canode, Bentonville junior quarterback — Completed two third-down passes to Evan Moll while Bentonville was backed up near its goal line. He connected with Ricky Brown on play-action and found Sam Dunn on third-and-6 during the fourth-quarter touchdown drive.
Silas Brock, Bentonville senior safety — Intercepted Dylan Taylor at the Union 38 with 6:39 left in the second quarter, creating Bentonville’s first touchdown possession. He also closed on a deep throw to record a pass breakup.
Blake Stroud, Bentonville senior kicker — Converted the fourth-quarter extra point and made a 41-yard field goal from the left hash, accounting for four points and extending Bentonville’s advantage to 24-7.
Reyon Williams, Union senior running back/linebacker — Opened Union’s touchdown drive with an 11-yard run, followed with an 8-yard gain and scored from 1 yard on fourth-and-goal. He later tackled Canode behind the line before Bentonville’s field goal.