Last Friday the Greenwood Bulldogs (11-0) took a resounding first post-season step toward claiming the Class 6A state football title that has eluded them the past two years. After earning an opening-round bye in the playoffs, the ‘Dogs returned to action in the quarterfinals with an impressive performance against the Razorbacks of Texarkana’s Arkansas High, winning 38-0.
It was the fourth shutout this season for the GHS defense, the best in Class 6A, allowing less than 12 points per game. And while the offense wasn’t spectacular, it avoided costly mistakes and was good enough to reach the end zone four times. The defense scored once, and a field goal accounted for the remaining points in the mercy rule win. Greenwood also leads the 6A in scoring at 44 points per contest.
Elsewhere on the playoff bracket, West Memphis (10-1) defeated Russellville, Searcy (10-2) upset El Dorado, and Pine Bluff (10-1) topped Benton, as the 6A East won three of the four games played. Greenwood is the only member of the 6A West still alive in the post-season hunt, but is favored to win it all by most pundits. Still, fans remember the frustration of reaching the finals each of the last two years, only to fall to Pine Bluff and Russellville. The Bulldogs are determined to avoid a three-peat.
An Indian summer evening awaited both teams with temperatures in the low-to-mid 70s throughout the contest and a constant southerly wind. Some fans were even attired in shorts and short-sleeves as the Bulldogs won the opening coin toss and opted to kick off to start the game.
The Grant Ennis effort sailed into the end zone, putting the Razorbacks at their own 20, and after the first two plays it looked as if it might be a long night for the home town defense. On first down, Hogs’ quarterback Sean Foreback completed a 21-yard throw to speedy receiver Drake Browning, before a QB keeper was good for nine yards on the next snap.
But after yielding 30 yards in two plays and allowing Texarkana to reach mid-field, the defense rallied. After the ‘Backs picked up a second first down at the Greenwood 47, the drive quickly fizzled. A short gain on first down was followed by a pair of incomplete passes, the last one knocked out of the air by linebacker Camden Beshears. A punt followed, and the visitors would get only three more first downs until deep into the fourth quarter.
Starting on offense at their own 17, the Bulldogs needed 11 plays to score their first touchdown, aided by a pair of offsides penalties on the Razorbacks. Predictably, the opening salvo was a run by senior tailback Kenny Wood for seven yards to the 24. Wood, who entered the game with just over 1,300 yards rushing this season, would have another huge night running the ball.
Two plays later, senior quarterback Connor Noland ran a draw play for a first down at the 28. He then passed to junior receiver Peyton Holt to the 41, moving the sticks again. Another pass followed, this one to senior Zane Harmon, reaching the Texarkana 44, another first down.
After a penalty moved the ball to the 39, a pair of short passes moved the pigskin to the 33 before Wood had another nice run of 10 yards to the 23. He then ran twice more for 11 yards, sandwiched around the second offsides penalty, before Noland carried around left end from seven yards out for the TD. The kick by Ennis was good for a 7-0 GHS lead with 6:22 left in the opening quarter.
A temporary stalemate followed, as both teams had trouble moving the football, resulting in a series of punts. But on their fourth possession of the game, the Bulldogs found traction once again, marching 69 yards for their second score, and the last one before halftime. This drive also required 11 plays.
Facing third-and-eight at the GHS 33, Noland passed to Holt for 13 yards and a first down at the 46, jumpstarting the drive. A penalty then moved the ball into Texarkana territory at the 49 before Kenny Wood ran on four successive plays, the second of which went for 24 yards to the 22. Runs three and four put the ball at the 8-yard-line. Three plays later from the same spot, Noland passed over the middle to Holt at the goal line for the score. Ennis added the extra point and the Bulldogs led 14-0 with 4:59 left in the second quarter.
Greenwood had one final shot to score before the half ended, but a near quarterback sack and a lost fumble ended the chance at mid-field. Texarkana got the ball back with 27 seconds left, and misfired on four straight pass attempts, either overthrows or well-defended by the Bulldogs, sending both teams to their locker room at the intermission.
But if the Razorbacks felt good about themselves trailing by only 14 points at the break, they soon learned the ugly truth as the Bulldogs methodically put them away in the second half. At that point, Texarkana had not scored against Greenwood in four consecutive quarters, dating back to their September meeting, a 38-17 GHS win in which the Razorbacks led 17-13 at the half.
The ‘Dogs punted on their opening possession of the third quarter, but the defense came up big moments later, stopping a fourth-and-short quarterback sneak at the Texarkana 49. Back on offense, Greenwood made quick work of the good field position. Noland completed a six-yard pass on first down, but Wood followed with a big run all the way to the 18-yard-line.
With hardly enough time to catch his breath, Wood rushed three more times, reaching the 10 before Grant Ennis was summoned to kick a 27-yard field goal, making the score 17-0 (6:39). But the reprieve for Texarkana would be short-lived. The Bulldogs would score again in the third quarter and twice more in the fourth to blow the game open.
The teams swapped punts as the third quarter rolled on, until Greenwood took possession of the ball at its own 20 with 3:22 remaining. Three rushing plays netted 16 yards and a first down, and the fourth play of the series was a pass from Noland to a wide-open Zane Harmon along the GHS sideline near mid-field. The big senior receiver reached the Texarkana 23 before being dragged down.
Noland kept the ball for five yards on first down, then gave it to Wood twice, reaching the six-yard-line. Senior backup tailback Jackson Webb then entered the game and carried in for the touchdown. Ennis added the PAT, and with :40 left in the quarter, Greenwood led 24-0.
The Bulldogs’ final offensive touchdown came just over three minutes later with 9:23 left to play in the game. A 61-yard drive that included seven plays and 20 yards of penalties on the Razorbacks ended with an eight-yard TD pass from Noland to senior Kade Orlicek. The extra point pushed the score to 31-0.
But the fans hardly returned to their seats before Greenwood scored again, this time on defense. Following a touchback on the kickoff, Texarkana lost five yards on a penalty to the 15. On the next snap, Greenwood defensive lineman Jon Womack pressured the quarterback, forcing him to get rid of the ball, which was picked off by defensive back Nick Vota, who returned it 10 yards for a pick six. The extra point kick made the score 38-0 (8:19) and the 35-point mercy rule got the clock moving fast.
Against Greenwood’s second team defense, the Razorbacks were able to move the ball on their next possession, picking up the last three of their total of eight first downs in the game, but ultimately the drive stalled and Greenwood took over on downs.
The second team offense entered with senior QB Easton Barrett at the controls. Running backs Marc Jones and freshman Hunter Wilkinson got one carry each, with Wilkinson running for 14 yards, before Barrett took a knee in the victory formation as time expired.
Statistically, the Bulldogs amassed 404 total yards, 273 on the ground and 131 through the air. Kenny Wood carried the ball 31 times for 176 yards and Connor Noland ran 10 times for 60 yards. Both players averaged about six yards per run. Noland also completed 13 of 22 pass attempts for two touchdowns. His favorite target was Peyton Holt with five catches for 60 yards. Zane Harmon also had two receptions for 56 yards.
On defense, linebacker Nick Vota had another big game, leading the team with 10 total tackles, including three solo stops, two quarterback sacks, and the interception for a touchdown. Defensive lineman Hunter Webb had seven tackles, six assisted, and linebacker Camden Beshears had six stops, five assisted. Seniors Ethan Escalante, Josh Maze, and Jon Womack also had four tackles each. Among his tackles, Escalante had three solo stops from his defensive back position.
After his post-game meeting with his team, Head Coach Rick Jones spoke to members of the press about the win, lauding the play of his defense. “Texarkana has [several] dangerous guys,” he pointed out. “[They] are really explosive and fast. They can make you miss and they turn the corner so well. But our guys played so well fundamentally. Our coaches had them so ready to go. Our kids worked really hard and I just can’t say enough about our defensive coaches. They had a great plan for [Texarkana], and our defensive kids just played awesome. I was so proud of them.
“We were able to make their quarterback uncomfortable,” he continued, “and what I really liked was [their receivers] weren’t running wild behind us. Our [secondary] kept them inside and in front [of us].
“Offensively, we didn’t play nearly as well as I wanted too or hoped too, but I’m proud of the job our defense did. Our offense competed and got after it, and we got better as the game went on, but Texarkana gives us fits. Coach [Barry] Norton does a great job. We just need to get better next week and get ready for West Memphis. We’re thankful to be practicing on Thanksgiving,” said Jones.
When asked about the performance of running back Kenny Wood, the coach remained generous with his praise. “When in doubt, give it to Kenny,” he said. “That’s about the best you can do. He’s just tough and physical. He worked like crazy during the off-season and gained 10 to 15 pounds. He started off slow with an injury that just nagged him forever, but he looks full speed right now.
After his performance against the Razorbacks, Wood now has 1,485 rushing yards on 214 carries for the season, or 6.94 yards per run. “They are hard-earned yards too,” said Jones. “He doesn’t run too many times without being tapped pretty good.” He also has 28 receptions for 400 yards.
The coach also explained the expanded use of quarterback Connor Noland in the running game, something he tried to avoid during the regular season. “It’s just time, the way we look at it,” said Jones. “We tried to sort of [protect] him during the regular season, but we don’t have a next week if we don’t win, so the gloves are off. We’ve got to use everything we have, and it was good to have Connor on a couple of those carries.”
Finally, asked about the coming clash with the West Memphis Blue Devils, Jones admitted to being mostly in the dark. The teams have never met on the gridiron before. “We don’t know a lot,” he said. “They were about 19 points ahead or something like that, so if they handled Benton by that much, it makes [them] a little more scary.” The final margin was 18 points (39-21), though the game was tied 21-all at one point.
“We saw them [on film] against Marion, so I’ve watched them play some. I know they are real fast on defense, similar to what we saw tonight, except they are a little bigger up front. Offensively, I’m not quite sure. But if they beat Benton, they’re going to be plenty to handle.”
The Bulldogs will follow their normal practice routine early in the week, with no school Wednesday through Friday due to the Thanksgiving holiday. On Turkey Day, the public is invited to attend practice at 9 a.m. with coffee and doughnuts being available.
The starting time for Friday’s semi-final contest is set for 7 p.m. at Smith-Robinson Stadium, and the early forecast is calling for ideal weather. The survivor will advance to face the Pine Bluff-Searcy winner in the 6A state championship at Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium on Friday, December 1st, at 7 p.m. Remarkably, the Bulldogs are trying to make their 10th appearance in the state finals in 14 seasons under Coach Jones.