Tigers must address penalty issues.

Bentonville coach Jody Grant had few complaints about the way his team played during last week’s overtime loss to Kansas City (Mo.) Rockhurst.

One of those complaints, however, centered about the number of penalties and the Tigers accumulated. Bentonville (0-1) was penalized 12 times for 114 yards, including two in the overtime period after it held Rockhurst to a field goal.

“We learned a lot about our team,” Grant said. “They played their tails off, and Rockhurst is a great football team. I expect them to win a lot of games this year.

“We had too many penalties, and we had addressed that going into this game. We harped on that pretty good, but clearly not enough. A lot of the penalties were judgement calls by the officials, and those are a little out of our control. But there were some that were completely our fault and need to be fixed.”

The Tigers must turn their attention now to Bixby, Okla., which has won that state’s Class 6A state title the last two years. Bixby also dealt with a heartbreaking loss as Jenks scored in the final minute to take a 38-34 decision.

“They are no slouch,” Grant said. “From them to go toe-to-toe with the big dog in Jenks speaks volumes.

“I’m impressed with what the coaches do over there. The quarterback is a very fine player, and we had the chance to see him play in a 7-on-7 tournament. Offensively, Bixby is very talented, and the defense plays very sound football.”
