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Greenwood Bulldog Football TV Show
Greenwood vs Sallisaw 9-2-2011
Hosted By: Darin Drennan
With Head Coach Rick Jones
Produced By: Troy Jarrell
Copyright: BFI. Inc 2011
Used With Permission
Bulldog's Accomplish Goal #1
Greenwood 49, Sallisaw 21
9-2-11
Photos By: Brian Vaughn, Charlie Caster, Trey Caster & Kim Singer
Game Recap By: Richard White
Click Scoreboard For Offical Greenwood Game Stats
Photos Below By: Charlie & Trey Caster
Bulldog Radio & TV
Player Of The Game
Drew Morgan
WR/RB/DB 6' 0", 170
Junior
For a higher quality and larger show visit: www.gogwbulldogs.com
Photos Below By: Charlie & Trey Caster
Photos Below By: Kim Singer
Photos Below By: Kim Singer
Bulldogs jumpstart title quest with big opening win over Sallisaw
By Richard White
In what will be their final season in Class 5A football, the Greenwood Bulldogs kicked off their quest for yet another championship with a 49-21 victory last Friday night over the Black Diamonds of Sallisaw, Oklahoma. The game was played before a big crowd on a warm summer evening at Sallisaw's Perry Lattimore Stadium. The Bulldogs won the 5A West Conference title last season and went on to claim their fourth state championship in six years after a thrilling come-from-behind victory over Camden Fairview last December. Due to growth in enrollment, Greenwood will move up in classification in 2012.
GHS senior Derek Morgan booted the opening kick into the Sallisaw end zone - the first of several such kicks during the game - and the Black Diamonds began their opening offensive possession at their own 20. But the Bulldogs were fired up and ready on defense, refusing to surrender a first down. The resulting punt rolled out-of-bounds at the Greenwood 49-yard-line.
Senior quarterback Hayden Smith, in his first season as the starter, appeared to be calm and confident as he took the first snap, faked a handoff, and then kept the football for a nice gain to the Black Diamonds' 32-yard-line. He then completed his first pass attempt to fellow senior Zack Thornton for another first down at the Sallisaw 9-yard-line. Senior running back Justin Sunde got two yards to the seven, then Smith connected with junior Drew Morgan for the first scoring pass of the season. Senior Adam McFain kicked the extra point for a 7-0 Greenwood lead with 9:47 left in the opening stanza.
The GHS defense then did its job again, holding the Black Diamonds to three plays and a punt, but the kick was mishandled by Drew Morgan, and Sallisaw recovered on its side of the 50-yard-line. But Morgan wasted little time in redeeming himself, picking off a long pass attempt by Sallisaw QB Ben Oberste near the Greenwood 35-yard-line. Morgan stepped in front of the intended receiver and raced down the sideline for the 64-yard score. McFain's kick made it 14-0, still early in the first quarter.
Sallisaw picked up a pair of first downs on its third offensive possession, managing to reach GHS territory late in the quarter, but ultimately punted into the Greenwood end zone. The Black Diamond defense stiffened as well, keeping the visiting Bulldogs out of the end zone on their next two possessions. But a Sallisaw fumble on the second GHS punt set up the game's next touchdown, after Greenwood junior Matt Sisco recovered the ball at the Black Diamond's 44-yard-line.
With 7:53 remaining in the second quarter, Hayden Smith took the first snap of the possession and fired a pass downfield to Zack Thornton, who made an outstanding diving catch at the Sallisaw 10-yard-line. Smith then completed the short two-play drive by scoring on a QB keeper. The PAT made the score 21-0, but the Bulldogs weren't done scoring in the first half.
Just over 40 seconds later another Sallisaw turnover presented the Bulldogs with a golden scoring opportunity at the Black Diamonds' 24-yard-line. Following the fumble recovery, Smith found Drew Morgan over the middle for another scoring strike, adding to the GHS lead, 28-0 after Adam McFain's extra point kick.
The home team finally got something to cheer about at the 4:07 mark of the quarter when the Black Diamonds reached the end zone after a seven-play drive aided by a pass interference call on the Bulldogs. One play of the drive covered 37 yards, reaching the Greenwood 18-yard-line and setting up the touchdown. Three plays later, QB Ben Oberste was pressured by the Bulldogs' defense and forced from the pocket, but managed to scramble for a 15-yard scoring run. The PAT cut the GHS lead to 28-7.
But strong special teams play by the Bulldogs helped to counter the Sallisaw score in short order. Drew Morgan gathered in the Sallisaw kickoff and raced straight up the middle of the field behind a wall of blockers, and when he finally broke free of his protection and raced down the left side of the field, only one player stood between him and the end zone - the kicker. But Sallisaw's Sinue Rodriguez is no ordinary kicker. An outstanding soccer player and all-around athlete, Rodriguez was successful in forcing Morgan out-of-bounds at the Black Diamond's 6-yard-line. After a loss on first down, Hayden Smith fired a 12-yard TD strike to Zack Thornton with 3:25 left in the half. When both teams retired to their locker rooms, Greenwood held a comfortable 35-7 lead.
The Bulldogs received the opening kick of the third quarter, and quickly scored their sixth TD of the game, this time needing all of four plays to make the score 42-7. From the GHS 34-yard-line, Hayden Smith, in his one and only appearance of the second half, connected with junior receiver Cole McAlister near the 50-yard line. But McAlister wanted more, and broke a pair of tackles before sprinting down the left sideline for the 66-yard touchdown. Adam McFain then continued his perfect night with another PAT.
On Sallisaw's first possession of the half, Greenwood's Matt Sisco made his presence felt again, this time by blocking a Black Diamond punt inside the 20-yard-line. But a penalty on the Bulldogs after the block moved the ball back to the Sallisaw 31. Justin Sunde ran once for seven yards and junior backup QB Houston Kennedy kept the ball for a five-yard gain to the 19. Two plays later, Kennedy connected with junior receiver Wyatt Bedell for the 19-yard touchdown. McFain's kick ended Greenwood's scoring for the game as the Bulldogs took a commanding 49-7 lead with 7:15 left in the third quarter.
The Black Diamonds added two second half scores after Greenwood began subbing for its starters, both offensively and defensively. Ben Oberste completed a pair of short TD passes covering one yard and eight yards, making the final score somewhat more respectable at 49-21. But when the last buzzer sounded, the Bulldogs left the field of battle with a well-executed season opening victory.
After the contest, GHS head coach Rick Jones took questions from local media representatives, the first of which dealt with his team's ability to score fast and early. "It was a good way to start the game, there's no doubt about that," said the coach, who began his coaching career in the state of Oklahoma. "We have great respect for Sallisaw and the great tradition they have. But when you turn the ball over like they did, bad things happen. The score is not indicative of the kind of team they have. Five turnovers will kill a football team. They gave us some extra chances."
As for his own team, Coach Jones seemed quite pleased with the effort and execution, but emphasized that work remains to be done and improvements must be made. "I was proud of the way our kids played in terms of execution offensively," said Jones. "[But] there are a lot of things we need to work on. We have to do a better job of blocking on the offensive line."
Individually, Jones was generous in his praise for junior two-way starter Drew Morgan, who scored three touchdowns in the game, two on offense and one on defense. "I didn't know how many people knew about him, but we knew he was going to be a weapon," said the coach. "He's a really talented kid, a really good football player, and I'm so proud of him because he's improved so much from February to this point. He just worked super hard and really paid the price. Drew just sort of sets the pace and the tone for our football team, and he's just a junior."
Coach Jones was also happy with his quarterback play. "I was proud of how Hayden [Smith] played in his first start. He was really patient with the ball. He didn't panic. A couple of times his first receiver wasn't open and he would find the other guy. And he's a really elusive, quick runner as well." Asked about his overall team speed, the coach agreed that it might be his fastest team ever in Greenwood. "I think overall we've probably had individuals that could run faster, but in our skill positions we have some weapons. We have some receivers that can make plays."
One of those receivers is senior Zack Thornton, who also had a couple of big catches in the game and one for a touchdown. "He had like seven catches last year against Sallisaw, and then he broke his hand," explained Jones. "Zach is a tremendous player. He's a coach's son and a heady guy. Zach was a baby boy when his dad and I were coaching over at Broken Arrow [OK]." Kenneth "Tuffy" Thornton is Zack's father and the head coach for the 9th grade Jr. Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs will open the home portion of their 2011 schedule this Friday night, September 9th, against Lift for Life Academy from St. Louis, Missouri. Rather than the normal home-and-home arrangement, the Hawks are making their second straight pilgrimage to Greenwood, after losing 44-12 last season. The Bulldogs were eager to find a non-conference opponent to fill the schedule, and the Hawks are trying to establish their football program, which is still in its infancy. Game time is 7 p.m. and the fans will be treated to the newly installed video board beyond the south end zone.
By Richard White
In what will be their final season in Class 5A football, the Greenwood Bulldogs kicked off their quest for yet another championship with a 49-21 victory last Friday night over the Black Diamonds of Sallisaw, Oklahoma. The game was played before a big crowd on a warm summer evening at Sallisaw's Perry Lattimore Stadium. The Bulldogs won the 5A West Conference title last season and went on to claim their fourth state championship in six years after a thrilling come-from-behind victory over Camden Fairview last December. Due to growth in enrollment, Greenwood will move up in classification in 2012.
GHS senior Derek Morgan booted the opening kick into the Sallisaw end zone - the first of several such kicks during the game - and the Black Diamonds began their opening offensive possession at their own 20. But the Bulldogs were fired up and ready on defense, refusing to surrender a first down. The resulting punt rolled out-of-bounds at the Greenwood 49-yard-line.
Senior quarterback Hayden Smith, in his first season as the starter, appeared to be calm and confident as he took the first snap, faked a handoff, and then kept the football for a nice gain to the Black Diamonds' 32-yard-line. He then completed his first pass attempt to fellow senior Zack Thornton for another first down at the Sallisaw 9-yard-line. Senior running back Justin Sunde got two yards to the seven, then Smith connected with junior Drew Morgan for the first scoring pass of the season. Senior Adam McFain kicked the extra point for a 7-0 Greenwood lead with 9:47 left in the opening stanza.
The GHS defense then did its job again, holding the Black Diamonds to three plays and a punt, but the kick was mishandled by Drew Morgan, and Sallisaw recovered on its side of the 50-yard-line. But Morgan wasted little time in redeeming himself, picking off a long pass attempt by Sallisaw QB Ben Oberste near the Greenwood 35-yard-line. Morgan stepped in front of the intended receiver and raced down the sideline for the 64-yard score. McFain's kick made it 14-0, still early in the first quarter.
Sallisaw picked up a pair of first downs on its third offensive possession, managing to reach GHS territory late in the quarter, but ultimately punted into the Greenwood end zone. The Black Diamond defense stiffened as well, keeping the visiting Bulldogs out of the end zone on their next two possessions. But a Sallisaw fumble on the second GHS punt set up the game's next touchdown, after Greenwood junior Matt Sisco recovered the ball at the Black Diamond's 44-yard-line.
With 7:53 remaining in the second quarter, Hayden Smith took the first snap of the possession and fired a pass downfield to Zack Thornton, who made an outstanding diving catch at the Sallisaw 10-yard-line. Smith then completed the short two-play drive by scoring on a QB keeper. The PAT made the score 21-0, but the Bulldogs weren't done scoring in the first half.
Just over 40 seconds later another Sallisaw turnover presented the Bulldogs with a golden scoring opportunity at the Black Diamonds' 24-yard-line. Following the fumble recovery, Smith found Drew Morgan over the middle for another scoring strike, adding to the GHS lead, 28-0 after Adam McFain's extra point kick.
The home team finally got something to cheer about at the 4:07 mark of the quarter when the Black Diamonds reached the end zone after a seven-play drive aided by a pass interference call on the Bulldogs. One play of the drive covered 37 yards, reaching the Greenwood 18-yard-line and setting up the touchdown. Three plays later, QB Ben Oberste was pressured by the Bulldogs' defense and forced from the pocket, but managed to scramble for a 15-yard scoring run. The PAT cut the GHS lead to 28-7.
But strong special teams play by the Bulldogs helped to counter the Sallisaw score in short order. Drew Morgan gathered in the Sallisaw kickoff and raced straight up the middle of the field behind a wall of blockers, and when he finally broke free of his protection and raced down the left side of the field, only one player stood between him and the end zone - the kicker. But Sallisaw's Sinue Rodriguez is no ordinary kicker. An outstanding soccer player and all-around athlete, Rodriguez was successful in forcing Morgan out-of-bounds at the Black Diamond's 6-yard-line. After a loss on first down, Hayden Smith fired a 12-yard TD strike to Zack Thornton with 3:25 left in the half. When both teams retired to their locker rooms, Greenwood held a comfortable 35-7 lead.
The Bulldogs received the opening kick of the third quarter, and quickly scored their sixth TD of the game, this time needing all of four plays to make the score 42-7. From the GHS 34-yard-line, Hayden Smith, in his one and only appearance of the second half, connected with junior receiver Cole McAlister near the 50-yard line. But McAlister wanted more, and broke a pair of tackles before sprinting down the left sideline for the 66-yard touchdown. Adam McFain then continued his perfect night with another PAT.
On Sallisaw's first possession of the half, Greenwood's Matt Sisco made his presence felt again, this time by blocking a Black Diamond punt inside the 20-yard-line. But a penalty on the Bulldogs after the block moved the ball back to the Sallisaw 31. Justin Sunde ran once for seven yards and junior backup QB Houston Kennedy kept the ball for a five-yard gain to the 19. Two plays later, Kennedy connected with junior receiver Wyatt Bedell for the 19-yard touchdown. McFain's kick ended Greenwood's scoring for the game as the Bulldogs took a commanding 49-7 lead with 7:15 left in the third quarter.
The Black Diamonds added two second half scores after Greenwood began subbing for its starters, both offensively and defensively. Ben Oberste completed a pair of short TD passes covering one yard and eight yards, making the final score somewhat more respectable at 49-21. But when the last buzzer sounded, the Bulldogs left the field of battle with a well-executed season opening victory.
After the contest, GHS head coach Rick Jones took questions from local media representatives, the first of which dealt with his team's ability to score fast and early. "It was a good way to start the game, there's no doubt about that," said the coach, who began his coaching career in the state of Oklahoma. "We have great respect for Sallisaw and the great tradition they have. But when you turn the ball over like they did, bad things happen. The score is not indicative of the kind of team they have. Five turnovers will kill a football team. They gave us some extra chances."
As for his own team, Coach Jones seemed quite pleased with the effort and execution, but emphasized that work remains to be done and improvements must be made. "I was proud of the way our kids played in terms of execution offensively," said Jones. "[But] there are a lot of things we need to work on. We have to do a better job of blocking on the offensive line."
Individually, Jones was generous in his praise for junior two-way starter Drew Morgan, who scored three touchdowns in the game, two on offense and one on defense. "I didn't know how many people knew about him, but we knew he was going to be a weapon," said the coach. "He's a really talented kid, a really good football player, and I'm so proud of him because he's improved so much from February to this point. He just worked super hard and really paid the price. Drew just sort of sets the pace and the tone for our football team, and he's just a junior."
Coach Jones was also happy with his quarterback play. "I was proud of how Hayden [Smith] played in his first start. He was really patient with the ball. He didn't panic. A couple of times his first receiver wasn't open and he would find the other guy. And he's a really elusive, quick runner as well." Asked about his overall team speed, the coach agreed that it might be his fastest team ever in Greenwood. "I think overall we've probably had individuals that could run faster, but in our skill positions we have some weapons. We have some receivers that can make plays."
One of those receivers is senior Zack Thornton, who also had a couple of big catches in the game and one for a touchdown. "He had like seven catches last year against Sallisaw, and then he broke his hand," explained Jones. "Zach is a tremendous player. He's a coach's son and a heady guy. Zach was a baby boy when his dad and I were coaching over at Broken Arrow [OK]." Kenneth "Tuffy" Thornton is Zack's father and the head coach for the 9th grade Jr. Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs will open the home portion of their 2011 schedule this Friday night, September 9th, against Lift for Life Academy from St. Louis, Missouri. Rather than the normal home-and-home arrangement, the Hawks are making their second straight pilgrimage to Greenwood, after losing 44-12 last season. The Bulldogs were eager to find a non-conference opponent to fill the schedule, and the Hawks are trying to establish their football program, which is still in its infancy. Game time is 7 p.m. and the fans will be treated to the newly installed video board beyond the south end zone.