If you didn't attend the pre-season scrimmage at Fayetteville last Thursday evening, you might have a hard time believing the halftime score. After two quarters of varsity play, the visiting Class 6A Greenwood Bulldogs led 37-0 over the Class 7A Purple Dogs. A rash of Fayetteville turnovers was the biggest factor in the blowout.
The Purple 'Dogs regrouped at halftime and easily won the junior varsity portion of the scrimmage, scoring four times in the third quarter. They led 28-0 early in the fourth period before threatening weather forced a premature end to the scrimmage.
Six turnovers, including four interceptions and two fumbles, kept the football in Greenwood's hands for much of the first half. The first of those three picks occurred in the end zone on Fayetteville's first possession. After the Purple Dogs marched from their own 40 to the GHS 4-yard-line, a deflected pass was scooped up by Greenwood's Trey Woods before it hit the turf.
The Bulldogs then advanced into Fayetteville territory for the first time and would have scored a touchdown on a 35-yard run by Holt, but the teams were using the touch rule to protect the quarterbacks and the ball was put at the 29. The drive then stalled when the Bulldogs failed on a fourth-and-one play.
But another interception, this one by senior linebacker Travis Cox, soon had the ball back in the hands of the visitors at the Fayetteville 6-yard-line. After a holding penalty and a QB sack put the ball at the 19, quarterback Jace Presley connected with fellow junior Treyton Dawson, who made a great leaping, falling catch in the end zone. Senior kicker Grant Ennis added the extra point.
Moments later a third interception occurred when senior Aaron Ohl hit the receiver, causing a loose football that was gathered in by a diving Travis Cox at the Purple Dogs' 25, his second interception in the quarter.
The Bulldogs then scored quickly on their fourth series, with Holt at quarterback. He completed a pass to sophomore Peyton Carter at the 15, then threw for the touchdown to Carter on the next snap. The PAT by Ennis was good for a 14-0 Greenwood lead with 3:39 left in the opening period.
Fayetteville's next possession also ended with an interception, this one by Aaron Ohl near the GHS 30. The senior defensive back returned it to the Purple Dogs' 48. Greenwood then moved to the 25 with Holt at the controls, but had to settle for a 42-yard field goal by Ennis for a 17-0 lead.
But another turnover quickly put the ball back into the hands of the opportunistic Bulldogs. Travis Cox recovered a Fayetteville fumble at the home 29-yard-line, setting up another GHS touchdown.
On second down, Jace Presley completed a 21-yard toss to Dawson at the 2-yard-line. Three snaps later sophomore running back Hunter Wilkinson scored from one yard out. Ennis added the PAT for a 24-0 lead with 10:49 remaining in the second quarter.
The Purple Dogs turned it over again at midfield on their next possession, with senior defensive lineman Garrett Whitlock making a fumble recovery at the visitor's 49. But Greenwood failed to score on that possession or its next one, both ending in punts. Defensively, junior linebacker Jayden Martin also nearly picked off another Fayetteville pass.
The Bulldogs' next score came with Presley at the helm. He completed an 11-yard pass to junior receiver Lazaro Angel at the Fayetteville 47 on first down, then threw a strike to Luke Leonard over the middle. The senior receiver hauled in the ball near the 30 and raced for the touchdown. The kick was good.
Leading 31-0 with just over five minutes remaining in the opening half, the Bulldogs weren't done yet. With the defense forcing Fayetteville to punt on consecutive possessions, the GHS offense suffered a fourth down QB sack to end its next series, but scored again in the final minute of the half.
From their own 35, the Bulldogs needed just one play, a 65-yard TD toss from Holt to Hunter Wilkinson out of the backfield, who caught the ball down the GHS sideline near the 30 before galloping for the score. A poor snap exchange foiled the extra point attempt, but Greenwood went into the half leading 37-0.
The third quarter was set aside mostly for junior varsity players, and with its greater numbers and superior depth, Fayetteville dominated that portion of the scrimmage, especially after Head Coach Billy Dawson strongly admonished his team during the halftime break.
The Purple Dogs scored on four of their first five possessions in the third quarter, one of those following Greenwood's lone turnover of the scrimmage, a fumble. The pre-season rumble was halted very early in the fourth quarter when dark clouds and lightning could be seen moving toward the stadium from the West.