Chiefs finish with a flourish, beat Benton behind fourth-quarter surge

By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports

Despite no playoffs ahead and only two wins between them, Benton and Natchitoches Central weren't simply playing out the string Friday night in a District 1-5A collision at Turpin Stadium.

But in a happy twist, the Chiefs flipped a recurring script that plagued them this season. NCHS entered the fourth quarter behind but dominated the closing minutes and captured a 41-21 decision.

It was a joyful, emotional finish for the Chiefs and first-year head coach Brad Laird.

"We've got 15," said Laird, who choked up and paused several seconds before continuing, "15 seniors who have been through a lot. Over the course of four years they've been at Natchitoches Central, they've had three coaching staffs, not a lot of consistency for them. We talked this week about how proud we were as a team that they kept competing all year.

"The whole team, I'm proud for, and coaches and Natchitoches Central High School," he said, "but for those 15 seniors, to be able to go out with that winning feeling, not every team gets that."

The Tigers and Chiefs suffered more than their share of agonizing losses coming into Week 10. Among Benton's bitter disappointments was a one-point loss at Evangel in a game where video appeared to show the Tigers scoring the go-ahead two-point conversion with little time left. A week ago, NCHS had an 11-point lead evaporate in the final two minutes in a 22-point turnaround that went Huntington's way.

The struggling squads played their final game like a championship was at stake, swapping the lead five times. The final change went the Chiefs' way.

After Cole Austin gave Benton a 21-20 edge in the final seconds of the third period with a 28-yard score, running through three different sets of NCHS defenders, everything tilted toward the home team.

Jeremy Lowe took the ensuing kickoff on a sweeping arc from sideline to sideline, tight-roping his own on an 72-yard runback to the Benton 8. Natchitoches Central moved ahead for good three plays later when quarterback Owen Smith twisted five yards to a 26-21 edge.

"I'd been waiting for them to kick me the ball. I tell my coaches if they kick it to me, I'm going to always make a play," said Lowe. "They did, and I took advantage of it. I'm a game-changer.

"I saw everybody was coming to me from the right, so I just took it right to the sideline, and I took it almost all the way down, but my legs gave out on me," he said, smiling, and not discounting the idea that he might have stepped on the NCHS sideline once near midfield.

"That's what my teammates were saying, but if the refs don't see it, it doesn't matter."

The inspired Chiefs' defense stopped the Tigers on three plays for the first time in six series. The visitors gambled with a fake punt on fourth-and-6 at Benton's 35, but leading rusher Greg Chambers (28 carries, 132 yards) was halted two yards shy of moving the chains forward.

"We called timeout right before the play. We were in a punt return look, but it was one that if they did fake it where we should be in position," said Laird. "Brenden Young, BY, just read it great and made a big play."

Benton coach Reynolds Moore did not second-guess his call, with the Chiefs on fire as Smith (17-21 passing for 257 yards and three TDs) and his receiving corps were basically unstoppable.

"You had to. If you don't keep the ball, you have no real shot (to win)," he said.

Said Laird: "That continued the momentum for us."

Four plays and 39 yards later, Natchitoches Central led 34-21 on a 15-yard Smith to Darrien Anthony strike, and a two-point conversion connection between them.

"They couldn't stop our offense," said the junior quarterback. "We could pick any play in the playbook, and they couldn't stop it."

After penalties throttled Benton's last gasp, NCHS quickly salted it away, covering 47 yards in five snaps to go up by 20 on Kerry McGraw's 1-yard TD and Mateo Restapo's extra point with 3:13 left.

The NCHS second-half started with a big bang. Following a fruitless six-minute drive by Benton opening the third quarter, on the Chiefs' second snap after halftime, Smith fired deep downfield to KJ Newton for an 88-yard strike that launched a 29-point eruption by NCHS in the final 18 minutes.

"That ball was wet. It was hard to throw," said Smith. "But KJ – it was a great catch. He went and got it. I give all the credit to him right there."

"Owen and KJ have made plays all year," said Laird. "And that was a big one in this moment tonight."

Minutes after postgame handshakes, the two head coaches stood on opposite sidelines and shared a compelling impression.

"I have never been around a team that has improved this much from the start to the end," said Laird.

"I really think Brad's team has gotten better every week. They've played really well at times, and they hadn't been able to finish either," said Moore. "They outplayed us and deserved to win."