Bentonville’s Tigers traveled farther than they ever had for a high school football game and managed to bring home a 20-14 win from Hays, Kansas. The victory keeps them undefeated at 3-0 as they prepare to kick off their 7A-West Conference slate next week with a home matchup against Springdale Har-Ber.
On a cool Friday night in Hays, quarterback Evan Canode showed why Bentonville trusts him to lead the offense. He completed 13 of 23 passes for 224 yards, including two long touchdown strikes that stretched the Tigers’ lead at crucial moments. His receivers, Aiden McCarthy and Evan Moll, each hauled in one of those shots, while running back Nathan Clouston churned out a hard-fought 2-yard touchdown run.
The game started with a bit of heartbreak for Bentonville’s offense. On the team’s very first play from scrimmage, Canode connected on a 58-yard bomb to Clouston that looked destined for the end zone. But a holding penalty wiped away the score, forcing the Tigers to settle at the Hays 39-yard line instead. Bentonville quickly bounced back though. Canode fired a precise pass over a defender to McCarthy, who finished strong with a touchdown catch at 10:14 in the first quarter, putting Bentonville ahead 7-0.
Hays kept the pressure on, answering back to trim the lead. But Bentonville’s defense held tight for much of the night, limiting the Hays offense just enough to keep the Tigers in control.
Before the half ended, Bentonville added to its advantage. Clouston’s short grind into the end zone at 5:31 left in the second quarter made it 14-7. The ground game opened up as the Tigers controlled the clock and tempo, something Bentonville will want to replicate as the season heads into conference play.
The third quarter saw Canode strike again on a long passing play. He found Evan Moll for a 40-yard touchdown that stretched the lead to 20-7, delivering a boost just as the game looked like it could tighten up. Hays managed to get one more score late in the game, but it wasn’t quite enough.
Final: Bentonville 20, Hays 14.
Coming off their longest trip for a football game in school history, the Tigers showed early resilience and late poise—a good sign heading into a stretch of tough conference games. Next up is Springdale Har-Ber at Tiger Stadium, where Bentonville will look to keep its unbeaten run rolling.
Source: NWA Democrat Gazette
