Benton Community outlasts Independence in overtime, 34-28

INDEPENDENCE — An overtime stop allowed Benton Community to know exactly what it needed.

Any ol’ points would do.

Carson Nolan knew something else:

“We had them right where we wanted them,” he said.

Nolan’s second-down 1-yard touchdown sneak sent the Bobcats to a 34-28 Class 3A District 2 victory over Independence Friday night at Lyle Leinbaugh Field.

“That’s why you want the ball second (in overtime),” said Nolan, the Bobcats quarterback.

Benton (4-3 overall, 2-1 district) prevailed despite 341 total yards by Independence quarterback Christopher Meyer.

“He’s a good player,” Nolan said. “They spread us out, and he was tough to stop.”

The Bobcats did it in overtime, stopping the Mustangs (4-3, 0-3) at the 8-yard line, then went to work.

Starting at the 10, Nolan rushed for 9 yards, then snuck it in to end the thriller.

That was the winning play. The biggest play? That came from Will Schanbacher.

Independence had the ball and a 21-20 lead early in the fourth quarter. Schanbacher gathered in a deflected pass and returned the interception 30 yards for the go-ahead touchdown.

He did it with a giant cast on his left hand.

  Buy Photo

“I broke a couple of bones in Week 3,” he said. “I was just playing the ball. I don’t remember much, just that the ball popped up and I caught it.”

Nolan’s two-point-conversion run gave Benton a 28-21 lead with 8:44 left in regulation, but — after the Bobcats muffed a punt — Meyer engineered a game-tying drive, connecting with Zeke Symonds on a 29-yard scoring pass with 5:10 to go.

Meyer carried the ball 37 times for 201 yards, and completed 13 of 26 passes for 140. He ran for two touchdowns, passed for two more (both to Symonds).

Nolan ran for 122 yards on 20 carries (and three touchdowns) and passed for 88, completing 9 of 14.

The game was tied, 14-14, at halftime. Meyer’s 1-yard TD run put Indee in front, 21-14.

High-jump star Eli Patterson went up high to snare Nolan’s 13-yard TD pass, but a missed PAT left the Bobcats a point short, 21-20. Three plays later, Schanbacher made the defensive play of the game.

“It really flipped momentum,” Nolan said. “A really big play. We really needed this game if we want to make the playoffs.”

Benton hosts West Delaware next week; Indee is at Iowa Falls-Alden.

Benton Community 34, Independence 28 (OT)

At Independence

TEAM STATISTICS

First downs: BC 15, IND 21

Rushes-yards: BC 36-165, IND 39-195

Passing yards: BC 88, IND 140

Passing: BC 9-14-0, IND 13-26-1

Total yards: BC 253, IND 335

Fumbles-lost: BC 2-1, IND 2-1

Punts-average: BC 2-29.0, IND 1-33.0

Penalties-yards: BC 2-20, IND 2-10

SCORING SUMMARY

Benton Community 0 14 0 14 6 — 34

Independence 7 7 7 7 0 — 28

IND — Christopher Meyer 11 run (Tyler Brown kick)

BC — Carson Nolan 2 run (kick failed)

BC — Nolan 46 run (Grant Volesky pass from Nolan)

IND — Zeke Symonds 5 pass from Meyer (Brown kick)

IND — Meyer 1 run (Brown kick)

BC — Eli Patterson 13 pass from Nolan (kick failed)

BC — Will Schanbacher 30 interception return (Nolan run)

IND — Symonds 29 pass from Meyer (Brown kick)

BC — Nolan 1 run (no conversion)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing

Benton — Carson Nolan 20-122, Elias Bieschke 14-46, Brody Timmerman 2-(minus 3). Independence — Christopher Meyer 37-201, Bryce Christian 1-0, Dawson Fuelling 1-(minus 6).

Passing

Benton — Nolan 9-14-0-88. Independence — Meyer 13-26-1-140.

Receiving

Benton — Timmerman 3-15, Eli Patterson 2-42, Owen Von Ahsen 2-19, Grant Volesky 1-6, Bischke 1-3, Evan Martin 1-3. Independence — Fuelling 5-45, Zeke Symonds 4-58, Christian 4-37, Blayne Mergen 1-4.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com