Harmony Grove set to play Barton Bears

— By PATRIC FLANNIGAN

Sports editor

The Harmony Grove Hornets (7-3) football team are set to host the Barton Bears (4-5) this Friday night in the first round of the 3A State Playoffs.

HG defeated Barton, 35-24 in the playoffs in 2010. That was the only other time, the two teams have met on the football field.

Barton is in its second year under Coach Clark McBride and has a proud tradition. It has a proud tradition going back to the 80s and 90s when the Bears collected 8 state championships.

The team operates out of the Flexbone offensive and plays an odd man front on defense. Offensively, the Bears are averaging 39 points per game but giving up 28 points on defense. Over the last two weeks, the Bears have given up 88 points.

After going 10-2 in 2017 its been rough sledding for the Bears. It lost its potential all state running back for the season in junior Kavein Davis who had rushed for 1,017 yards in just five games. Afterwards the Bears would lost four of its next five games. HG will have to slow the running attack of Tyrese Williams and Terran Williams. The duo is averaging around 8 yards per carry.

HG enters Friday’s game after going toe-to-toe with the 5-3A outright champion Smackover Buckaroos on the road last week. The Hornets led the game heading into the fourth quarter before ultimately losing 29-18.

The winner of the HG vs. Barton game will travel to play Glen Rose in Round 2.

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