Heber Springs secures last-minute victory over Stuttgart on homecoming night

A two-point conversion with 1:11 remaining in regulation allowed Heber Springs to escape Stuttgart with a 29-28 win on Friday’s homecoming.

With the loss, Stuttgart falls to 5-3 for the season and 2-2 in 4A-2 play. The Panthers remain unbeaten in league play with a monumental road game against Harding Academy coming up this week.

Stuttgart left the gates a bit sluggish on a mild homecoming evening. The Ricebirds spotted Heber Springs a 14-0 lead before finally reaching the end zone with 2:16 to play in the first half.

In the interim, Heber Spring’s double-slot offense churned out two long scoring drives, consuming much of the first-half clock.

The Panthers’ first points came with 3:10 to play in the first quarter when Weston Warden scored from six yards out to cap a 56-yard drive. Gideon Tate’s point-after gave the Panthers a 7-0 lead.

Heber Springs scored again with 6:57 to play in the second quarter on a Parker Brown 43-yard touchdown run. Tate’s point-after made it 14-0.

Kemarion Pickett was the first Ricebird to reach the endzone when the senior crashed in from two yards out. The score finished a 74-yard drive that consumed over four minutes of the clock.

Dawson McKelvey’s point-after was blocked which sent the two teams to halftime with Heber Springs leading 14-6.

Heber Springs’ first possession of the second half ended when the ball was snapped over the punter’s head, giving the Ricebirds their best field position of the game at the Panthers’ 38-yard line.

From there, Stuttgart needed under two minutes to score for a second time when quarterback Cain Price hit QT Johnson for a 26-yard touchdown. The Birds evened the score at 14-14 when Ross Atkinson caught another Price pass for a successful two-point conversion.

Stuttgart’s defense tightened up considerably after tying the game. The Ricebirds’ defensive line, led by Tank Hood and Nykeal Bradley, routinely gobbled up ball carriers as Heber Springs’ offense stalled.

After a Heber Springs punt, Stuttgart seized the game’s momentum with 10:11 to play in regulation and the Ricebirds driving.

It was at that point that disaster struck as Weston Warden stripped the ball from a Stuttgart ball carrier, returning Stuttgart’s second turnover of the game into the endzone.

Tate’s point-after moved the Panthers ahead 21-14.

Trailing 21-14, Stuttgart needed only one play to get back in the endzone as Price threw a beautiful deep ball to Deontae “Sparky” Clark for a 77-yard touchdown. Stuttgart elected to go for two, but Price was stopped short of the goal line, keeping the Panthers ahead 21-20.

After yet another Heber Springs punt, Stuttgart began their go-ahead drive with 6:18 remaining in the game. Using a heavy dose of Matthew Luster, the Birds moved 58 yards in nine plays down to the Heber Springs seven-yard line.

Luster finished the drive with 3:21 to play in regulation, scoring from seven yards out. The Birds’ next two-point conversion attempt proved successful, and Stuttgart pulled ahead 28-21.

After the Panthers burst to their initial 14-0 lead, the Ricebirds’ defense held Heber Springs’ offense largely in check. With Stuttgart outscoring the Panthers’ offense 28-0 since late in the second half, many in the home stands felt confident of a Ricebird win.

It was not to be on this night.

Heber Springs took possession with 3:12 to play in regulation at their own 43-yard line. Coach Van Paschal’s team then used a steady diet of fullback Bryce Siegrest to march all the way to Stuttgart’s 27-yard line. During the drive, Heber Springs attacked the left side of the Ricebirds’ defense, chewing up chunks of yards.

It would be Panthers senior Parker Brown who capped the drive when the slot-back countered to the defensive right, racing 27 yards into the endzone.

As expected, Heber Springs chose to go for two.

After timeouts by both coaches, Heber Springs took advantage of the aggressive Stuttgart defense, slipping Brown out of the backfield where he caught an easy conversion from quarterback Xander Lindley.

Stuttgart’s final drive yielded poor results and the clock ran out on a 29-28 homecoming loss.

Stuttgart must now turn their attention to Lonoke this Friday night. The Jackrabbits come to town following a bizarre home loss to Bald Knob a week ago where the Jackrabbits forfeited following a bomb threat at the game.

Stuttgart is now battling for third place in the league as both Heber Springs and Harding Academy are undefeated. The two teams also hold the tiebreaker over Stuttgart.