Even the most diehard GHS fans knew the odds were stacked against the Bulldogs, who entered the game with a 1-1 record after losing to Springdale Har-Ber and defeating Hope. But the upstart 'Dogs played lights out from the opening snap and never quit, even after falling behind 28-14 in the first half. Trailing 31-28 at the half, Greenwood rallied for the winning touchdown with 23 seconds left in the game. Quarterback Tyler Shook and receiver Spencer Harris put up great numbers, and despite giving up 51 points, the defense made critical plays when needed, putting pressure on the Shiloh quarterback and forcing three interceptions.

The recent rains stayed away and the field was dry for Friday's game, but the mid-September air was warm and very muggy. Several players from both teams were afflicted with muscle cramps in their legs as the contest unfolded. There were 18 kickoffs in the game, nearly 200 snaps of the ball, counting punts and extra points, and well over 1,000 yards of total offense.

Shiloh received the opening kickoff, but the GHS defense held the Saints to three plays and a punt, with Tony Sandifer returning the kick to the visitor's 45-yard line. On first down, Shook passed to Harris for 21 yards to the Shiloh 24. Two plays later the two hooked up again on a short toss for nine yards to the 15. After a 5-yard gain by Tony Sandifer, Shook threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to junior receiver Seth Parker. The kick by Austin Hartness was good for a 7-0 Greenwood lead at the 9:37 mark of the first quarter.

But Shiloh responded quickly, moving 80 yards in just six plays, the scoring play was a 3-yard pass from QB Kiehl Frazier to running back Chris Bryant. The point after touchdown knotted the score at 7-7 with 7:44 remaining in the opening stanza.

Both teams faltered on their next offensive possessions. Greenwood gave the ball back to Shiloh after failing on a fourth down play at midfield. The Saints then moved to the GHS 33 before Frazier was picked off in the end zone by sophomore Greenwood defensive back Blake Hasley. The Bulldogs then marched 80 yards in just three plays to retake the lead.

Tyler Shook's short pass completion to junior Seth Parker turned into a big gainer as Parker rambled for 63 yards to the Shiloh 17-yard line. Two plays later, Shook rolled to his left and founded Harris open near the 5-yard line. The GHS receiver made the catch and quickly turned up field for the score. Hartness booted the PAT and the score moved to 14-7 at the 3:09 mark.

Following the kickoff into the end zone, Shiloh needed just three plays to march 80 yards and score again. The touchdown came on a screen pass from Frazier to Bryant for 60 yards. Bryant, a 205-pound senior, was the star of the game for the Saints, with more than 200 yards of total offense to his credit, including three touchdowns. At the 2:05 mark the game was tied at 14-all.

A poor Greenwood punt set up the Saints' next score. Getting the ball at the Bulldogs' 42, Shiloh scored in two plays, the last one being a 10-yard TD pass from Frazier to Jake Scott. The PAT put the visitors up 21-14, and many Greenwood fans must have wondered if their Bulldogs could continue to hang with the highly touted Saints.

Those doubts only grew as Shiloh added to its lead early in the second quarter after another GHS punt. From the Greenwood 20, the Saints scored on a fourth down pass from Frazier to Scott, capping a 10-play drive that started at their own 17-yard line. But following Shiloh's PAT, the Bulldogs regrouped offensively and refused to let the game get away from them.

Trailing 28-14, Shook skillfully guided his teammates 78 yards in nine plays to regain some momentum. It began with a 20-yard kickoff return by Tony Sandifer to the GHS 22. During the drive, Shook completed five consecutive pass attempts for 50 yards, and ran for another 14 yards. His fifth straight pass completion was for 16 yards and a touchdown to receiver Blake Hasley. The PAT was good, cutting the Shiloh lead to 28-21 with 7:37 left in the opening half.

At the 4:21 mark the Saints added a 41-yard field goal by kicker Trevor Tumlinson. The scoring drive was aided by an onside kick attempt by the Bulldogs that backfired when the ball failed to travel the mandatory 10 yards. From the Greenwood 48, Shiloh overcame a pair of holding penalties and survived a wild play involving an errant pass caught by a lineman, a subsequent lateral, and a loose football that finally went out-of-bounds. The officials eventually ruled the play to be an incomplete pass. Facing fourth down at the 24, Tumlinson split the uprights with plenty of distance to spare for a 31-21 Saints' advantage.

When the GHS offense failed to pick up a first down on its next possession, the Saints got the ball back with 3:22 left in the half, with plenty of time to score again and take control of the game. But the defense came to the rescue when senior defensive lineman Damien McClain came out of nowhere to pick off a Saints' pass and give the ball back to the GHS offense at the Shiloh 18.

With 1:51 left in the half, the Bulldogs needed just 50 seconds to score. On second down, Shook scrambled to the 9-yard line, setting up the quick score. On third and one, Tony Sandifer lined up at quarterback and took the snap, faked to Travis Green, and then bolted straight ahead into the end zone for the score. Hartness added the PAT, and the teams went to their respective locker rooms, the outcome of the game still hanging in the balance with Shiloh leading 31-28.

Statistics clearly demonstrated the frenetic pace of the first half. The two squads combined for nearly 100 plays, over 600 yards of total offense, and 59 points. Frazier completed 18 of 28 pass attempts for over 300 yards, while Shook connected on 16 of 25 passes for just over 200 yards. But such numbers were reminiscent of previous games between these two high-powered offensive teams. But could they maintain the pace in the second half?

That question was answered quickly by the Bulldogs on their first possession following the opening kick in the third quarter. Just when it appeared that Greenwood was going nowhere, facing third and eight at their own 22, Shook and Harris connected on a beautifully thrown pass behind the Shiloh defense near the 40-yard line. The senior receiver gathered the ball in and outran the pursuit to complete the 78-yard scoring play. Hartness added the point after and the Bulldogs regained the lead at 35-31 just 40 seconds into the second half.

The next Shiloh possession ended with Greenwood's third pass interception, this one by senior Drew Hasley. He was aided by pressure applied to QB Kiehl Frazier from Greenwood junior linebacker Marco Vota. Unfortunately, the 'Dogs immediately returned the favor by fumbling away the snap and Shiloh recovered at the GHS 14. Two plays later Frazier scampered 13 yards for the touchdown. The kick put the Saints back on top, 38-31, at the 7:42 mark.

But Shook and company were not deterred. From the Greenwood 20, the senior signal-caller orchestrated a beautiful 9-play drive that took 2:37 off the clock. Travis Green rushed twice for 12 yards and a first down at the 32. Shook then found Harris for 16 yards to the 48, and Sandifer for eight yards to the Saints' 44. On fourth and one, Shook kept the ball for a first down at the 35. Blake Hasley caught a pass for 14 yards to the 21, then Shook found Harris for the score on a nicely thrown ball that Harris caught over his shoulder before exiting the back of the end zone. The PAT was good for a 42-38 Greenwood lead.

The Saints continued the seesaw battle by driving 65 yards in just five plays to regain the advantage. On the final play, Frazier was nearly sacked, but escaped to throw a 20-yard TD pass to Jake Scott. But the PAT was blocked by Greenwood's Marco Voda, giving Shiloh a 44-42 lead with 3:36 left in the third quarter.

Still riding the hot hand, Shook led the 'Dogs on yet another quick touchdown drive. On first down he hit junior Stephen Hogan in stride and in traffic for 26 yards. Shook then found Marco Voda for 11 yards to the Shiloh 43, and got a bonus when a facemask penalty moved the ball to the 38. Three plays later, the Greenwood QB stepped up in the pocket and executed a great throw over the middle and over two defenders into the waiting arms of Spencer Harris at the goal line. Coach Rick Jones tried to push the lead to four points by trying a 2-point conversion, but the pass fell incomplete, keeping the score at 48-44.

The Saints were forced to punt on their next possession, but Greenwood fumbled the ball right back to the Saints late in the third quarter, giving Shiloh the ball at the GHS 24. The visitors reached the 10-yard line, but the Bulldogs responded with their most impressive defensive stand of the game, causing three consecutive plays for negative yardage, pushing the Saints back to the 33 and out of legitimate field goal range. A fourth down pass fell incomplete at the 9:56 mark.

When the offense cooled and could not earn a first down, Greenwood punter Stephen Hogan got into one that bounced and rolled all the way to the Shiloh 8-yard line with 8:18 left to play. It was then that the Saints came up with their most impressive offensive possession of the contest, marching 92 yards in 17 plays and taking over seven minutes off the clock. Along the way they converted on two fourth downs to keep the drive alive. They hit pay dirt with a 5-yard scoring pass from Frazier to Bryant. The kick was good for a 51-48 Shiloh lead with 1:14 remaining.

With GHS fans on the edge of their seats, the Bulldogs received the kickoff and got a nice return of 31 yards from Blake Hasley, setting up the offense at the 33. On first down, Shook found Hogan on the right side for nice yardage, with the GHS receiver stepping out-of-bounds at the 50-yard line. A similar play to the left netted 20 more yards with Harris catching the ball and leaving the field of play at the 30 with 50 seconds remaining.

Green ran once to the 34 before the Bulldogs called a timeout. When play resumed, Shook scrambled out of the backfield and found open ground for 24 yards to the 10, once again stopping the clock by going out-of-bounds. Shook then ran for seven yards to the three and Greenwood called another timeout with 27 ticks left on the game clock. Shook then bobbled the shotgun snap on the next play, but corralled the ball and sprinted to his left completely untouched for the score. The defense was fooled by putting a receiver in motion to the right, allowing Shook to cut back against the grain untouched. The kick by Hartness was good for a 54-51 GHS lead.

With only 23 second remaining, the Saints needed a miracle to at least put them into field goal range to possibly tie the game. The kickoff went into the end zone, so the visitors began at their own 20-yard line, needing at least 45 yards to give their kicker a chance. They did complete two of four passes for 26 yards, but Frazier's last desperate throw downfield was batted down by a pair of Greenwood defenders, preserving the amazing come-from-behind win.

After the game, head coach Rick Jones was surrounded by members of the local media at midfield. “Both teams showed a lot of heart and a lot of character,” he said. “That's why this rivalry is so special. They're a great football team with a great group of coaches. Their kids fought their hearts out just like our's did, but we just made a couple more plays.

“It was a tough night. It was hard for the defense to make a stop. We played a lot of guys both ways, and so did they. It was a battle, just going back and forth. Our kids just kept trying and so did they. I was proud of our defense. When we fumbled the ball deep in our own territory in the third quarter, I thought that might be the one that got us. But they really made a great stand down there, and I was really proud of the way our defense played.”
Asked about the play of the secondary, Jones conceded that his pass defenders weren't afraid to hit Shiloh's receivers. “We tried to be physical,” said the coach. “I thought our defense took a step forward. I know we gave up a lot of points, but it was one of those kinds of nights. But we have to go back and practice hard. We've got to get after it. Of course, offensively we made some plays too. It was a great high school game. That's what Shiloh and Greenwood is all about.”

Jones also agreed that the Bulldogs put a lot of pressure on Shiloh QB Kiehl Frazier. “We did,” said the coach. “The kid's a great player. He's elusive and he can throw it and run it. He's a very tough kid. He's an excellent football player. I have a great deal of respect for [him]. We did everything. We rushed four. We blitzed. We threw the kitchen sink at him.”

Asked about the outstanding play of QB Tyler Shook, Jones did not dispute the premise of the question. “Tyler has that ability. We waited on it the first couple of weeks, but he became the Tyler we expected him to be tonight. He can run [and] he can throw. He makes great decisions with the football. He was just fantastic tonight. I was very, very proud of him.”

The coach also agreed that receiver Spencer Harris, who finished the game with over 200 receiving yards, was a major key in the victory. “I'd said Spencer had a pretty good night. He's a great competitor, and I think that's the thing that separates a lot good players from great players. He has that heart and that desire. Nobody knows the hours he worked in January and February to be that kind of player, because he's a lot better then he was last year.”

The weather conditions were also a factor, according to Jones. “It was a tough, tough night. It was muggy and not much breeze. They reached way down inside and sucked it up. We had a bunch of guys that really dug down, and so did [Shiloh].”

Finally, Jones revealed that his squad had some special visitors the night before the game. “We had Nick Humphrey and Travis Sandifer, two old Bulldogs, came back and talked to us last night. I think they gave our guys an idea of what it's really all about. They did a great job speaking to our team, and I think our guys really took what they said to heart. This was a Bulldog win where you have to reach way down inside and make plays when you can't hardly stand up, and let them drag you off the field when its over. That's what it's all about.”

The Bulldogs will conclude a three-week home stand next Friday with the conference opener at Smith-Robinson Stadium against the Morrilton Devil Dogs. Following their win over Shiloh, the Bulldogs reaffirmed their position as the clear favorites to win the AAAAA West and make another run at a state title. Game time next Friday is 7:30 p.m.