LITTLE ROCK, Ark (KTHV) – Benton and Bryant are returning to War Memorial Stadium this weekend to compete for championship titles, and their return to the field comes three months after the safety scare at the Salt Bowl.
"Honestly, I'm feeling great. I'm not even worried about something happening like that again,” Henry Hicks said.
It's crunch time for the Benton football team, as they prepare for their state championship game against Greenwood Saturday. That championship game marks the first time Benton comes back to War Memorial.
"I ran out of there thinking there was someone shooting with a gun and I was concerned for my life,” Henry Hicks said.
But players say they're ready to take the field.
"We're just worried about playing Greenwood for a state championship,” Coach Harris said.
Besides it being a traumatic experience for some, Benton head coach Brad Harris said none of his players are afraid to be back at the stadium.
"I think it may creep into their mind initially, but once the games started I don't think there's any thoughts of that whatsoever,” Harris said.
Coach Harris said the school met with War Memorial Monday. He said the added security gives his players a peace of mind.
"They talked about some of the things they're doing, clear bag policy now, their scanning, metal detectors, walkthroughs,” Harris said.
Coach Harris said his players are just ready to take home a win.
“It's been since 1977 since Benton won a championship. We're pretty excited about it. We're a 10 win season and hopefully we can bring that number to 11,” Harris said.
Benton faces Greenwood at War Memorial at noon on Saturday. The Bryant football team faces North Little Rock at 6:30 p.m.