11-4-05 By: Brian Vaughn   
   Webmasters Note: I'm going to do this column a little different as I want to try to include just how it felt at the game.
   The week 10, showdown between Greenwood and Alma. The game couldn't have been hyped any more and the question as Friday finally rolled around was, could the game live up to all the hype. It did and then some.
   Fans were fired up about the game all week, Greenwood Athletic Director Jerry Cecil called it a, "carnival atmosphere" all week. People began putting blankets out on the stadium on Tuesday of last week to hold them a seat for the record crowd that would be there on Friday.
   People began to line up at the stadium gates around 4:15 PM and by the time the gates opened at 5, long lines were at all the gates and the stadium was full well before 6:00.
   Reports came into the stadium that traffic was lined up on 10 spur almost to Hwy 71 and some reports said it took over an hour to drive from Fort Smith to Greenwood due to all the traffic going to the game.
   You could feel the electricity in the air as the Bulldogs made their first appearance on the field for pregame warm ups.
   Greenwood estimated the crowd at somewhere between 7,000 and 8,000, shattering all attendance records at Smith-Robinson Stadium and leaving the administration to ponder when to add additional seating.
   All the stands were filled, the extra bleachers filled, people standing 4 deep around the entire fence. People were setting on the hill side to the north of the stadium and a number of fans were just watching the game from outside of the stadium fence.
   Once the game got underway, Greenwood showed how much more they wanted the game than Alma and stormed out to a 21 point half time lead.
   Both teams forced each other to punt on their first drives and throughout the first quarter.
   Greenwood would light up the second quarter and began the pounding of the Airedales with a 6-yard touchdown run by Daniel Stegall with 11:23 to go before the half.
    At the 4:16 mark in the second quarter, Stegall broke lose down the Greenwood sideline for a 23-yard run to put the Bulldogs up 14-0 after Mason Knox nailed his second PAT of the night. Knox was perfect for the game.
   Greenwood's defense dominated the Airedale offense throughout the first half. With 1:49 to go before half time the Bulldog defense forced the Airedales to punt. The punter bobbled the low snap and Jared Morris knocked the punter off the ball as Kyle Walters scooped the ball up and ran untouched 30-yards to put the Bulldogs up 21-0 at the half.
    The Airedales would not give up and fought back during the second half and found the end zone on a 3-yard run just into the third quarter.
    On Alma's next possession pinned deep in their own territory, the Airedales fumbled the option pitch and was able to cover it in the end zone for safety.
   Greenwood took the free kick and worked it right back down the field and scored on a Daniel Stegall 1-yard run and Coach Jones decided to go for two and the pass was good to Nathan Staton to put the Bulldogs up 31-7 over the Airedales.
   Probably the most unbelievable play of the night occurred late in the fourth quarter as a Alma desperation pass on 4th down was attempted to be knocked down by two Greenwood players was popped up and caught by the Airedales and completed for a 50-yard touchdown pass.
   Greenwood was able to get the first downs they needed starting at their own 4-yard line to run the rest of the clock out with Stegall taking knees in the final minute to secure the win and the Bulldogs first AAAA-West Conference Championship since 2000.
   The stats of the game show just what a dominating game the Bulldogs played against the Airedales.
   Greenwood had 23 first downs to Alma's 13. Greenwood rushed 51 times for 292 yards to Alma's 32 times for 145 yards.
   Stegall was 10 of 14 with 1 interception for  159 yards though the air. Joseph Meideros was 7 of 16 for 146 yards.
   Time of possession went to the Bulldogs also with 26:44 to Alma's 21:16.
   Greenwood will be the #1 seed out of the West and will host the #4 seed out of the Southwest Little Rock Fair.
   

Click here to download and listen to Coach Rick Jones post game press interviews. It will take a little bit to download as it is a 6 minute file.
  

Photos By: Kim Singer
   The Greenwood Bulldogs celebrate as the final buzzer sounds with a 31-23 over arch-rival Alma.

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