FORT SMITH — Even when you can control Arkansas pledge Jarrod Barnes on the ground, he’s still going to make a couple of big plays and can still beat you with his arm.
That’s just what happened last Friday in Cabot's 27-23 win at Fort Smith Southside. Barnes (5-11, 172 pounds, 4.37) was limited to 16 yards on 14 carries, but scored twice - including the game-winner - while also completing 6 of 9 passes for 234 yards and another score.
“He is just a phenomenal football player that will always find a way to have an impact on the game even if you can slow him down,” Cabot coach Mike Malham said. “I always felt he was going to do something to help us get it done.”
Barnes was quick to pass along credit to his team’s defense, which limited the Mavericks to 176 yards total offense and stopped them five times inside the 2 at the end of the game.
That included three stops inside the 1-yard line, the last of which came after a dead ball penalty gave Fort Smith Southside an extra fourth-down shot to win the game.
“We just had to count on our defense today because our offense was kind of stagnant,” Barnes said. “They had those big stops at the end there and basically won the game for us.”
Malham was obviously thrilled with the outcome of the game, which allowed his team to remain unbeaten and ended with Taye Gatwood fumbling a pitchout on fourth-and-1.
“They had five downs from the 2-yard line, and he's in if he catches that ball," Malham said. "We helped them down the field with some penalties. It was just a great high school football game that anybody could have won. We're lucky to have won it."
Barnes has rushed for 443 yards and 6 touchdowns so far this season and has completed 18 of 27 passes for 390 yards and 2 touchdowns. He has also returned an interception and a punt for a touchdown.
Against Southside, he scored on runs of 9 and 7 yards, the latter coming with 4:14 left to put his team ahead. He had big pass plays of 48, 51 and 58 yards in the game.
“Obviously every team is going to key on me and they don’t want me to get to the outside,” Barnes said. “We have to come up with other ways to get down the field and that’s just what we did.”
Barnes and Cabot, which host Conway on Friday, have now won three games this season with late scores. Cabot (5-0, 2-0) could be headed for a winner-take-all showdown at North Little Rock (5-0, 2-0) on Nov. 4.
“When somebody messes up, we never let them get down,” Barnes said. “We always pick each other back up and then when somebody needs to make a play at the end of the game, they do just that.”
Barnes is slated to be a slot receiver for Arkansas.
“I will play whatever position they need me to,” Barnes said. “I just want to go up there and help out.”
Barnes likes what he sees from Arkansas this year.
“They are doing good and I like the way they are playing,” Barnes said. “There are a lot of people coming up big for the Razorbacks.”