The Batesville Pioneers will head out on the road to challenge the Harding Academy Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Batesville will be strutting in after a win while Harding Academy will be coming in after a loss.
Batesville took a loss when they played away from home last Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They walked away with a 24-16 victory over Paragould. The Pioneers' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.

Cole Bentz
10/03/25 vs Paragould | 52 |
10/04/24 @ Paragould | 49 |
10/25/24 vs Brookland | 21 |
09/13/24 @ Southside | 19 |
08/30/24 vs Searcy | 15 |
Among those leading the charge was Cole Bentz, who rushed for 52 yards and two touchdowns, and also threw for 89 yards and one TD. Those 52 rushing yards gave him a new career-high. Caleb Murrah helped out on the ground, rushing for 128 yards.
Meanwhile, Friday just wasn't the day for Harding Academy's offense. They were outmatched by Valley View and fell 27-0. The game marked the first time this year in which the Wildcats were not able to get on the board.
Batesville's first win this season bumped their record up to 1-4. As for Harding Academy, they now have a losing record of 2-3.
Things could have been worse for Batesville, but things could have been a whole lot better as they took a 42-28 loss to Harding Academy in their previous matchup back in October of 2024. Can the Pioneers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps