Benton’s inability to capitalize on scoring opportunities, coupled with being penalized heavily, resulted in a 43-8 loss to River-to-River Conference rival Herrin on Saturday at Tabor Field.
The loss dropped Benton to 0-1 in the conference and 2-2 overall. Herrin is 1-0 and 3-1. The game started from scratch after being postponed Friday night due to lightning in the area.
Scoring
Score by quarters:
Herrin 7 14 15 7 - 43
Benton 0 0 2 6 - 8
Scoring summary:
H: Jase Gosha, 18-yd. run, Evan Smith kick, 4:13 1st Q
H: Drew Merrill, 1-yd. run, Smith kick, 8:09 2nd Q
H: Gosha, 27-yd. run, Smith kick, 1:58 2nd Q
B: Safety in end zone, 7:22 3rd Q
H: Gosha, 2-yd. run, Smith kick, 4:07 3rd Q
H: D.J. Spell, 38-yd. pass interception, pass failed, 2:10 3rd Q
B: Hamilton Page, 28-yd. run, pass failed, 11:49 4th Q
H: Blake Starkweather, 37-yd. run, Smith kick, 1:23 4th Q
“I feel like we gave the game away. I know that’s hard to say when you lose 43-8, but I felt like it came down to three things: to not being able to punch the ball in when we got in the red zone; penalties that came at inopportune times for us; and not being able to execute when we needed it,” said coach Bob Pankey.
Benton received the opening kickoff and drove down to the Herrin 6. A 25-yard field goal attempt by Oliver Davis sailed left of the crossbar.
It took Herrin just five plays to score on its opening possession. A 46-yard pass play from quarterback Jacob Downen to D.J. Spell ate up most of the yardage on the drive with Jase Gosha taking it in from the 18. Evan Smith would kick the first of five successful point-after kicks.
Herrin would take a 21-0 lead to the lockers at halftime. With 8:09 left in the half, Drew Merrill scored on a 1-yard run. And just under the two-minute mark, Merrill scored his second touchdown on a 27-yard run. The TD was set up by a pass interference call on the Rangers.
On the previous possession, it appeared Benton scored on a 27-yard pass play, however, the TD was nullified by a holding penalty. It was the second holding penalty on the Rangers during the drive. On the final drive of the half, Benton was across midfield when another holding penalty prevented the Rangers from advancing.
Benton finally got on the scoreboard about midway through the third quarter when a snap sailed over the head of Herrin punter Trenton Stucker, who was forced to smother the pigskin in the Rangers’ end zone for a 2-point safety.
“We probably handled between the 30s really well and could not finish a drive for whatever reason. A lot of times it was a penalty that would staff out a drive or just a lack of execution of something specific, someone on the field that killed those drives. When that happens with a team like Herrin — that has athletic ability — you’re not going to be able to come back from that,” Pankey said.
The Tigers put the game out of reach with two more scores in the period. Gosha scored his second touchdown on a 2-yard plunge; and Spell intercepted a pass and went flying down the sideline 38 yards to pay dirt.
With time running out in the third quarter, Benton put together a seven play, 65-yard drive, culminated by a 28-yard TD run by quarterback Hamilton Page. Page’s touchdown occurred on the first play of the final quarter. Page’s pass on the point-after attempt was intercepted.
Herrin’s Blake Starkweather scored the team’s final touchdown late in the game on a 37-yard run. The Tigers were unwilling to take a knee with the victory secure on a fourth-and-one situation.
Page was the main offensive weapon for the Rangers. He rushed 30 times for 186 yards. Blane Pankey added 66 yards on 16 carries. Herrin rushed for 259 yards with Gosha leading the Tigers with 96 yards. Page was 10-of-24 in passing for 77 yards. He had three interceptions, including the PAT attempt. Joey Craig had five catches for 52 yards.
Benton was penalized 15 times for more than 150 yards and lost Craig for next Saturday’s battle against county rival West Frankfort when he was ejected in the closing minutes for a late hit out of bounds. The homecoming game will start at noon at Tabor Field.
Pankey said his team needs to learn to finish off drives moving forward.
“Our offense found some ways to move the ball today, which we have struggled with at times this year. That’s a positive. We couldn’t finish so that’s the next step, we need to finish off drives.
“We’re 2-2 and that’s not a horrible place to be. I’d rather be 3-1. From this point forward, every single game is going to be a grind. We’ve got to be mentally locked in and prepared moving forward.”
