The 2021-22 basketball season is upon us, and as usual the Greenwood Bulldogs are missing a key part of their roster with eight players still involved in football as the gridiron team seeks yet another state championship. If all goes as hoped, they won’t make the transition to basketball until the second week of December after the title game at noon on December 4th.
GHS boys basketball head coach Donnie Husband knows this and expects it every year, given Greenwood’s gridiron success over the past couple decades. Since his arrival in 2018 the Bulldogs have reached the state finals in football every year except for 2019, winning each time. It’s virtually a fact of life at Greenwood High School.
Parker Gill, Peyton Presson, Hunter Houston, Joshua Ligon, Aiden Kennon, Brady Mackey, Landon Nelms, and L.J. Robins are all still playing football, and half of them are starters for the 7-3 Bulldogs who host Mountain Home next Friday in the state quarterfinals. Those eight players represent a lot of athleticism and talent in both sports, so Coach Husband has learned to be patient.
“When they get done winning the state championship, then we’ll worry about basketball,” he said recently in an interview with Tim Terry, the voice of the Bulldogs. That’s a healthy attitude for the coach to have, and one not shared by every head coach in his position across the state. But the GHS enrollment isn’t large enough to provide many one-sport-only athletes, so coaches from all sports must share the talent.
In football Greenwood remains one of the smallest schools in Class 6A consisting of 16 teams. But even among the 32 teams in Class 5A basketball, Greenwood ranks among the smaller schools based on student population. That makes Greenwood’s success over the last 20 years even more remarkable across all sports, with over 50 state titles won.
However, that success has been somewhat slow in coming to the varsity boys’ basketball program, with only one winning campaign since the 2012-13 season. But Coach Husband believes the program is making positive strides as he begins his fourth season at the helm after a long and successful career in Oklahoma, including 599 wins and a pair of state titles.
With no returning starters his first season, Husband’s Bulldogs had only single digit wins in each of his first two years, but increased their total from year to year. Then the 2020-21 team won 11 games and nearly qualified for the state tournament, missing out by one game. With several players coming back from last year, the prospects for the new season are looking up, though uncertainty remains.
The 2021-22 Bulldogs have eight seniors listed on their roster of 21 players, but only one of them, guard Sam Forbus, has varsity experience as a starter. Aside from him, the team’s most experienced players are juniors Aiden Kennon and Hunter Houston. Kennon started most games last season and Houston was usually the first player off the bench. But neither will be available until football is over. There are also eight sophomores on the squad and there is talent among them.
“They won the conference championship [last season as freshmen],” said Coach Husband of his tenth graders. “We didn’t have a regional championship last year [due to Covid], but they would have had a chance to compete [for it]. I think there is [talent], but they are still sophomores. Most of them have played a lot of basketball, and I think they will be able to make a contribution.”
So, there is depth, some talent, and returning experience, but until all 21 players are together on the court for a few days of practice, Husband and assistant coach Dexter Pearcy won’t know for sure exactly what they have. But one thing is certain, the Bulldogs need a solid season from Sam Forbus, who will be a three-year starter and the team’s best outside shooter.
“He’s the one that’s played the most,” said the coach of his senior floor leader. “He’s been a starter for two years and the expectations for him are pretty high. He’s been through it a little bit and he’s been our best outside shooter for two years. He can be a vocal leader, but sometimes he can get down on himself. I think a lot of shooters are like that if the ball is not going in. He’s also been one of our better on-the-ball defenders and he’s gotten a little bigger and stronger. I think he can do a lot more and find different ways to score this year than just being a shooter. I’m optimistic.”
Another senior, forward Chase Beshears, is expected to contribute more this year, and played the post position in the Bulldogs’ recent benefit game against Lavaca. “Chase played quite a bit last year,” said Coach Husband. “He’s having to play a little bit of post right now. He’s undersized, but he jumps well and he’s quick.”
“[Seniors] Micah Lensing and Lance Marek played a little bit last year, so we’ve got some kids with experience who played junior varsity,” said the coach. “They are getting the opportunity right now to prove they can get the job done.
“[Senior] Jay [Wright] played a lot last year early in the season,” continued Husband. “He’s had a really good fall and he’s as good a vocal leader as anybody we have. He really understands what we’re trying to do offensively. He’s stronger and has gained some confidence. He’s got a chance to cement his place.
“[Senior] Joe Russell played a little bit last year and he’s capable of doing some things. He’s in the mix too,” said the coach. Josh Terry and Chayce Blankenship are also seniors, and both have a chance to add something to the team and earn some minutes if they continue to work hard and find some consistency.
But another senior with a big upside and an opportunity to make a real difference is Parker Gill, a starting linebacker and defensive lineman for the football team. Gill started as a freshman, though he hasn’t played basketball since then, but did practice with the team over the summer when not doing his football work. He is one of the taller Bulldogs at 6’2” with a big frame and long arms and will play the post for Coach Husband, providing some much-needed girth in the middle.
“Parker came back this summer and wanted to play,” said his coach. “He played as a freshman but not as a sophomore or junior. I think he always wanted to come back. He’s a good player at the post and did a good job this summer. He’s strong and has a wide body, and hopefully can give us a chance against some of those bigger post guys, and we know he will compete. He’ll be fine. We’ll throw him in there and see.”
The team has only four juniors on its roster, but two of them are critical players, while the other two have the potential to step up their roles this season. Receiver Aiden Kennon and quarterback Hunter Houston have certainly made their reputations on the gridiron the past two seasons and were key pieces for Coach Husband on the hardcourt as sophomores. Reserves Gavin White and Dawson Holt have junior varsity experience and the talent to show significant improvement this season, says their coach.
“Kennon started last year, and Hunter was usually our first guy off the bench,” said Husband. “You figure both those guys are going to contribute right away. Dawson Holt is another junior that has a chance and Gavin White started in the benefit game. Those guys came off pretty good junior high teams too, so they’ve got a chance to do something [good].
The eight sophomores on the roster have demonstrated their talent and potential the last three years in junior high basketball, winning the River Valley Conference title last season as freshmen. But there’s a huge difference between ninth grade basketball and the varsity level. It will likely take some time for them to become acclimated. Still, there is reason to hope that one or more of them can blossom this season.
One excellent candidate to do just that is Brenden Chick. At 6’3” he is Greenwood’s tallest player with the chance to add a couple more inches to his height over the next few years. He was promoted to the JV squad last season to play post and gained some valuable experience as a result. “He made a lot of progress,” said his coach. “He would have helped us a lot Saturday if he had played (out with a concussion). He’s a hard worker and is getting better.”
Another impact sophomore could be L.J. Robins, who is having a breakout season on the gridiron at receiver and will take the floor as a small guard for Coach Husband. Robins is quick, athletic, confident, and a good shooter who is already accustomed to playing on a big stage. Other sophomores on the roster include Cody Nave, Brady Mackey, Landon Nelms, Joshua Ligon, Peyton Presson, and Christian Wheeler.
“We have eight guys in football, so we’ve only got 13 guys right now,” says the coach. “We’ve probably got 15 or 16 guys that we’ve got to look at to see what our best lineup is, and it could change on a daily basis until we get to conference play in January. We’re playing five games before we have our full squad together. We have 11 games before we get to conference with the full squad. It’s going to be interesting to see who steps up. We expect to contend again for a playoff spot.”
Asked if he might change schemes offensively or defensively to fit this current group of players, Husband said, “I think it’s too early to say. Offensively, we changed a few things because we really don’t have a dominant guy in the middle like Braden Stein was last year. We’ve tried to open up the floor and create more movement and take advantage of the fact that we’ve got more guys on the floor that can shoot and drive it.
“We may have to play a little more zone defensively,” he added. “We’ve tinkered with a lot of stuff in the pre-season. But that’s the hardest thing. Until we get all 21 guys together and start playing, we really don’t know exactly what’s going to be best. But we’ve got 11 games and 20 practices to figure that out.
“We’re going to have to be really good at team rebounding,” he added. “We’ve got more depth at guards then we’ve ever had before, but less big guy depth. We’ve got a lot of six-foot dudes – a lot of tweener guys – but that can be a good thing. I don’t think there’s any question that we will put guys out there that will compete on the boards against bigger [opponents]. It’s something you’ve got to like to do. You’ve got to take it as a challenge.
“But we may still be able to play man [defense]. There’s probably more question marks and possibilities than in past years. We just don’t know how it’s all going to fit together. That’s the beauty and challenge of it – to find how they fit together best, putting them in the best situations to succeed.
“I think we’re more athletic than before, but smaller,” Husband added. “If we are hungry and active, we can make up for the lack of size. Top to bottom it’s a more athletic team, but it’s an inexperienced team playing together. This team has not played together on the floor yet. We’ll have three days [all together] before we have to play [our next game].”
The coach admitted that this year’s team may need to focus more on offense than defense. “It might be more beneficial to spend our time on the offensive end to see if we can improve there,” he said. “There’s a lot of 6-to-10 point [differences] in games. Can we hold [the opposition] to six points less or score six more [ourselves]?”
Asked if this year’s team could play to at least a .500 record, Coach Husband said, “If we’re going to go anywhere we’re going to have to be around .500 in the conference. Can we be tough enough to win close games? We’ll have good guard play. Can we knock down some shots and not turn the ball over and get a rebound?” he mused.
“Competing to go to the state tournament is a good goal for this group. By conference season we could be pretty good. We have that potential. But can we get the right players and put them in the right places to succeed? [Come] January seventh, who are going to be the five guys out there?”
Husband sees the usual suspects – Russellville, Siloam Springs, and Vilonia – as the chief competition in the 5A West. “Mountain Home lost a couple of their better players and Alma has a couple guys coming back. Van Buren lost their two best offensive players,” added the coach.
“I think [the Bulldogs] are going to play really hard and be a fun bunch to watch,” he offered. “I think they will get after it. I think they will share the ball and be able to push the pace. I think our guards can get us down the floor if we can get a rebound off the glass. There are a lot of question marks and things we’ve got to work through and figure it out. But [the players] work it out. That’s what makes it enjoyable. It will be interesting.”
Husband also revealed that the freshmen team is expected to be good again, potentially competing for another River Valley Conference title and maybe a regional crown. “It’s just transferring that to the next level,” he said. “To me [the program] is on an upward arc. I feel good about it. We’ve got three really good coaches working with me every day. They work so hard with the kids and they’re good men. We’ve just got to put it all together over a sustained period of time.” Besides Husband’s varsity assistant, Coach Pearcy, the junior high team is led by Jake Hindman and assistant coach Michael Possage.
As part of the annual basketball breakout at H.B. Stewart Arena, the Bulldogs played the Lavaca Golden Arrows on Saturday, November 7th, in a benefit game, but lost, 67-46. While Greenwood played shorthanded due to the absence of its football players, Lavaca had its full complement of players, according to Coach Husband.
Chase Beshears led the Bulldogs in scoring with 13 points, followed by Micah Lensing with nine points, Gavin White and Jay Wright with six points each, and Sam Forbus with five. Altogether, nine Greenwood players scored in the game. The loss will not count toward the Bulldogs’ final season record.