The Mission: An Unrealized Dream T he Harding Academy Wildcats and the Barton Bears had been ranked number one and two in one poll and had been reversed for the top spots in the other poll all year long. The two teams were both undefeated and both remembered the Wildcats 7-6 victory over the bears a year ago. Once again the two teams met in the quarter-final round of the state play-offs. The sportswriters were predicting that the winner of this game would stroll to the state championship. And so the Wildcats traveled to Barton for the "rematch" of 1985's game. The game was ever bit as exciting as the media had billed it to be. The Wildcats Harding Opponent 27 Vilonia 7 31 Heber Springs 0 27 Murfreesboro 0 37 West Memphis Christian 0 17 Des Arc 7 29 CAC 0 21 Hazen 0 30 Pulaski Academy 0 15 Pea Ridge 6 3 Barton 10 struck first after Brandon Harrell returned a Barton punt to the Bear 20 yard line. The Cats drove to the five, but the drive stalled and Lee Mackey came on to kick a 22-yard field goal with 6:15 remaining in the first quarter. This was all the offense that the Wildcats could manage though, as drive after drive was stalled by either the Barton defense or a Wildcat turnover. The Bears struck pay dirt with 4:06 remaining in the half on an 11 yard pass. The half ended with Barton leading 7-3. The Wildcats defense played great in the second half. Led by Tim Smith and Kris Citty the Cats turned Barton away time and again, making two goal line Goal line stand. Mazzio s Player of the Year Tim Smith and Pat McGaha meet a Barton running back in mid air to stop his drive for the end zone, one of many plays in which the cat 's defense under the direction of Coach Dennis Rine proved itself - photo courtesy of the Daily Citizen. 318 Senior Football stands from inside their own five yard line, but Barton finally managed a 28 yard field goal with 2:43 remaining in the game . The Wildcats didn't die, but kept on fighting to the very end . With 1:40 remaining in the game, Harrell hit Michael Wood with a 37-yard halfback pass to the Barton 18 yard line. The Wildcats now had a chance to score and send the game into overtime, but the Cats came up short and so their season ended. The Wildcats couldn' t overcome the six turnovers they had made and so the "mission'' wasn't accomplished. But the Cats remained champions at heart and the wildcat Spirit burned stronger then ever. ()
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