Bobcats pick up key conference win at Huntsville

The Berryville Bobcats have won 18 games so far this season, but perhaps none of them have been as important as their victory at Huntsville on Friday, Jan. 27.

Fighting to improve their position for the upcoming district tournament, the Bobcats took control early and defeated the Eagles 70-58. Berryville spoiled Huntsville’s homecoming night and avenged a 63-58 loss to the Eagles on Jan. 3 at Bobcat Arena.

“Our kids played really well,” Berryville coach Brent Compton said. “They executed the game plan and just played outstanding. I was just so proud of them.”

Compton said the Bobcats were motivated by the earlier loss to Huntsville and also drew confidence from their performance against undefeated 4A-1 powerhouse Farmington four nights earlier.

Berryville, which had lost to the Cardinals by 40 points earlier in the season at home, trailed by single digits in the fourth quarter on Farmington’s home floor before losing 80-64.

Senior Jake Wilson scored 23 points and classmate D.J. Colbert added 10 in that game.

“I think our kids gained some confidence from the Monday game because they played well in that game, too, against one of the top two or three teams in the state” Compton said. “We were down nine in the fourth quarter. And we practiced well every day leading up to the Huntsville game. The kids were just ready to go.”

The Bobcats came out strong, outscoring Huntsville 18-12 in the first quarter behind seven points from Colbert and six from Wilson. Berryville won the second quarter by the same margin to increase its lead to 36-24 at halftime.

Colbert scored 14 of his 15 points in the first half, while Wilson had 13 at halftime and finished with 29.

Senior Jack Dignan made four three-pointers and scored 14 points for the Bobcats.

“He played outstanding,” Compton said of Dignan. “He guarded their best player, made four threes. He was outstanding. I’m so proud of him and so happy for him.”

Dignan has been more of an offensive threat for Berryville recently, especially from three-point range.

“He can shoot it,” Compton said. “Sometimes he doesn’t shoot it enough, to be honest. Friday night, he played like we know he can play.”

Wilson, who is averaging more than 22 points a game for the season and 25.7 in conference play, scored 16 second-half points against Huntsville. He made seven free throws in eight attempts in the fourth quarter to help the Bobcats close out the victory.

“He just finds ways to score,” Compton said. “He’s just so hard for people to guard. He can shoot the three, he can drive it to the rim and he can post up. We have set plays that put him in position to take advantage of his matchup. He’s tough. He’s had a heck of a season.”

The win over Huntsville helped tighten up the conference race. Berryville (18-6, 6-4) sits in fourth place but pulled within two games of second-place Huntsville (14-8, 8-2). The Bobcats were one game behind third-place Pea Ridge (16-9, 7-3), which is scheduled to host Berryville on Friday night. Huntsville was scheduled to play at Farmington on Tuesday night and will host Pea Ridge on Tuesday, Feb. 7.

If Berryville can win its final four conference games — starting with a rescheduled home game against Prairie Grove that Compton is hoping will be played Thursday —and Huntsville loses to Farmington, the Bobcats would likely finish tied for second place with the winner of the Feb. 7 Huntsville-Pea Ridge game.

“These four games, if we can take care of business, we can make some movement as far as the conference standings and with a little maybe all the way up to the two spot,” Compton said.