Benton turned five turnovers into touchdowns, thrashing Sparta 49-0, for its first victory of the young football season Friday night at Tabor Field. It was also the first career victory for coach Bob Pankey.
Benton jumped out to a 20-0 lead in the opening quarter. The Rangers scored on their opening possession on a 2-yard run by Blane Pankey, the coach’s son.
Benton made it 13-0 on its second possession on a 22-yard run by junior quarterback Hamilton Page. Page added his second touchdown of the night with 1:27 left in the first quarter on a 14-yard run.
Benton headed to the locker room at the half with a 35-0 lead when Page hooked up with Tyson Houghland on a 16-yard pass play at the 8:58 mark of the second quarter. The offense scored on its fourth consecutive possession following a blocked punt by Benton’s Bryden Picklesimer.
Benton scored its final touchdown of the half with 4:49 showing on the clock when Andrew Dunn punched it in from the 5. The Rangers started the drive on the 35, following a Sparta turnover and a holding penalty on the Rangers. Benton got the ball after a snap sailed over freshman quarterback Carlos Keen’s head on a fourth down.
Benton’s defense rose up in the final 4:45 of the half, keeping Sparta out of the end zone after the Bulldogs had a first-and-goal from the 2. Despite running 14 plays in the 75-yard plus drive, Keen completed one play for minus yardage, was sacked for a four-yard loss and then threw two bricks to end the scoring threat.
Page hooked up with Cade Thomas on a 38-yard touchdown on Benton’s opening possession in the second half. The score enabled the Rangers to get a running clock for the remainder of the game.
Benton scored its final touchdown when Keen fumbled following a tough hit by Benton’s Joseph Craig. Getting the ball at the Sparta 12, Pankey plunged in from the 2 on a fourth down play.
“We had a great week of preparation following last week (a 33-6 loss at Carterville). The coaching staff did a great job this week of coming up with a game plan against Sparta and everything went right for us tonight,” coach Pankey said.
Benton, 1-1, will visit Pinckneyville next Friday. The Panthers were upset Friday by West Frankfort.
