By: Brian Vaughn

   The build up wasn't as great this year as last, as Greenwood (3-1, 1-0) and Vilonia

(2-2, 0-1) met to open AAAA-West conference play. The game though was much like last years' slugfest as the two exchanged scores at will most of the game.

   Stegall, who set a state record last season with 6 rushing touchdowns, was the touchdown machine again for the Bulldogs scoring 4 touchdowns as the Bulldogs pulled out the win 42-28 over the Eagles.

    “It was a hard fought win,” said Bulldog head coach Rick Jones. “Vilonia gave us all we wanted; we just had a hard time stopping those guys.”

   For the third time in four games the Bulldogs found themselves in the hole early on the scoreboard. Vilonia's Seth Wright went in from 8-yards out to give the Eagles a 7-0 lead just 1:55 into the game.

   Greenwood would answer back just as quickly as Daniel Stegall ran in from 12-yards out at the 8:03 mark of the first to tie the game at 7-7 after Mason Knox's PAT was good. Knox was good on all his extra points for the night...

  Greenwood's Kyle Martin covered an Eagle fumble and returned it to the 11-yard line. Stegall scampered in from 11-yards out on the next play to give the Bulldogs the lead 14-7.

  Vilonia though would score again before the end of the quarter on a 7-yard run by Kevin Puckett. Greenwood's defense looked like they had held the Eagles at their own 20 on 4th down, but the Eagles converted a fake punt to get the first down.

   The two teams would again exchange scores in the second quarter, capped off with Greenwood's Jared Morris catching a Daniel Stegall pass for a 28-yard touchdown to tie the game at 21-all at the half.

   Greenwood decided to go to the ground behind the legs of quarterback Daniel Stegall in the second half and the move would put 21 Bulldog points on the scoreboard in the third quarter. Stegall rushed for 150-yards during the quarter and scored two touchdowns each of 13-yards. William Ridener ran in from 5-yards out to finish the Bulldogs scoring for the night and give the Bulldogs the conference win and 13-conference playoff points.  

   “They were playing five in the box and I was hard headed in the first half trying to force the pass,” said Jones. “I decided at half time we were going to run the ball at them. If they want to put five in the box, we'll run it every snap and that's about what happened.” 

   Greenwood took advantage of 4 straight fumbles from Vilonia during the quarter to set up their scoring drives.

   Greenwood put up 409-yards of total offense with 282 on the ground and 127 in the air. Daniel Stegall was only 8 of 18 for the night passing as the Eagles smothered the receivers, but he put up 214-yards rushing for the night on 31 carries.

   William Ridener led the receiving corp. with 2 catches for 51-yards.

   The Bulldogs had no turnovers for the night, while the Bulldog defense covered 4 Eagle fumbles and intercepted 2 passes from the Eagles.

   Greenwood will go on tour of the state of Arkansas the next two weeks as they make a stop in Greenbrier this Friday night and then next week make their way up to Harrison and Crooked Creek to face the Goblins.

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