Since the arrival of Rick Jones in 2004, Greenwood High School football has not been the same. That’s not to slight the great work done by former head coach Ronnie Peacock from 1994-2000, who led his teams to two state finals (1996, 2000), winning the school’s first championship at the turn of the century. He got the ball rolling.
After Peacock left for Rogers High School in 2001, Harv Welch had three winning seasons, but it was Jones who ignited the fire that still burns hot on the GHS campus, taking his first four teams to the state title game, losing in 2004 before winning three straight crowns (2005-07). Another triumvirate soon followed (2010-12) as the Bulldogs moved up to Class 6A (2012) and the train has never slowed down.
Greenwood returned to the state finals in 2015-16, losing both years, before winning the next two years (2017-18). In 2019 the Bulldogs lost in the semi-finals in what turned out to be the last hurrah for Jones before moving on to the University of Missouri, leaving the program in the capable hands of longtime assistant and offensive coordinator Chris Young, who had passed on other job opportunities to remain at Greenwood. His patience paid off.
In his first season as head coach, Young and his revamped staff pulled off something of a minor miracle, going unbeaten (14-0) during a global pandemic while many other teams were scrambling to have enough healthy players to field a team. In fact, Greenwood had to find two replacement opponents just to complete their regular season schedule while playing one less conference game than normal, losing Little Rock Parkview to Covid-19. The season ended with Greenwood’s 49-24 victory over Lake Hamilton and the school’s 10th state title.
But so much for the recent history lesson. Does past success guarantee future success on the gridiron? It seems so, whether in the pros or the collegiate level or in high school. Great coaches and great programs churn out consistent winning results year after year. Yes, that success will wane over time as circumstances and coaches change, but it can often last for decades, as in the case of the New England Patriots, Alabama’s Crimson Tide, or it seems, Greenwood High School.
With the Bulldogs’ season opener just days away, Friday at Muskogee (OK), the time has come to ask, ‘What’s in store for Greenwood football this season?’ And GHS fans should be delighted to know that it’s more of the same – more thrills, more wins, and perhaps another state championship. At least that’s what the writers and publishers of Hooten’s Arkansas Football magazine think. They predicted a repeat for the Bulldogs in 2021, and who is to say they are wrong?
Like most successful head coaches, Young is both confident and modest, preferring others to sing the praises of his team while not putting much stock in pre-season predictions. When asked about Hooten’s forecast of a GHS repeat, he said, “The kids and parents enjoy [it], but those guys are selling magazines. They do a great job covering [football] and give an opportunity to read about other teams around the state. But they’re not going to put any pressure or expectations on us. We put plenty of pressure on ourselves and we know what our expectations are, and we’re ready to go out and prove it.”
Young knows that Greenwood is perhaps the gold standard of high school football in the state of Arkansas across all classifications, and that’s more than enough of a burden for his coaches and players to carry into each season. They take justifiable pride in meeting their own expectations, embracing the pressure that comes with it, and continuing to build on the legacy of GHS football handed down over the past three decades of excellence.
In fact, looking at the talent in the pipeline for Greenwood, its best days on the gridiron may yet be ahead. Last year’s junior high team went undefeated (10-0) and those players are now sophomores with three years of eligibility remaining. This year’s ninth grade team may be just as good or better, while interest and participation in football is at an all-time high in grades seven and eight. To put it mildly, the shelves are well-stocked with young talent.
“I think that’s a really special group we have,” said Young when asked about this year’s Jr. Bulldogs after their 53-19 rout of Fayetteville in last week’s pre-season scrimmage. “Coach [Brian] Sims has done a great job with the offensive line so we can throw the ball, and most ninth grade teams can’t do that, [and] that’s a credit to the big guys up front.
“But then they’ve got tremendous wide receivers, a great quarterback, and great running backs,” he added. “It’s just a very talented group that is executing at a high level early on, and that’s a credit to Coach [Luke] Hales and the work he put in with them this summer.” Hales is a former GHS quarterback and the team’s new offensive coordinator.
“I think both those groups are two really talented classes,” Young said of the 2020-21 freshmen teams, “especially with the skill kids. We’ve got to continue to develop linemen and get those guys to come out and stay out and get bigger and faster. [But] they are fun to watch,” he concluded.
Of course, it will be up to Young and his staff, both junior high and varsity, to motivate and mold that talent and continue the great tradition of winning football that’s been the hallmark of Greenwood High School since the mid-1990s.
Approaching his mid-40s, Coach Young should be around for a long time to come, ensuring that GHS football will remain at a high level for the next couple of decades, and Bulldogs’ players will continue to benefit from the powerful life lessons found on the gridiron.
Also, as the city and school district continue to grow, a larger pool of athletes will be available to fill the ranks of future Bulldogs who are proud to wear the “G” as were Aaron Gamble and his son Landry, both of whom were tragically killed in a car accident in June. Aaron had just been named the new high school principal at Greenwood, and Landry was a well-liked sophomore who played on the golf team.
“Aaron and I got hired at the exact same time, and we started coaching football together and teaching math at the junior high,” recalled Young. “I had the privilege of working with him for 21 years, so [his death] hit hard. As an administrator, there was not a better representative of Greenwood than Aaron Gamble.
“We talked to our kids about [the accident] – about making sure to take advantage of every day and the opportunities we all have. It’s about living life to the fullest extent and making the most of every day. It’s also about the people who help us. There are so many people in this community that go out of their way to provide us an awesome atmosphere. Aaron came and talked to our kids on several occasions. He was just a huge supporter of the Bulldogs. He promoted them in the community and on the air.” Gamble also served as the public address announcer at Smith-Robinson Stadium.
“It was hard for our kids and our coaching staff,” said Young. “We talked about just doing our best to represent him and play the way he would want us to play, act the way he would want us to act, and treat people the way he would want us to treat people. I think Aaron’s legacy will live on through that and will be a constant reminder of how we ought to live our lives. He did that on a daily basis. At some point we’re going to do some things to represent him and give credit to him and his family for the things he has done.”
That horrible tragedy puts the 2021 football season in a new perspective and presents an opportunity for dozens of young men in their teens to understand that life is about more than football, or fun, or the frivolous pursuits of many of their adolescent peers. Life is a precious gift. It’s sacred and not to be taken lightly. It’s also not guaranteed and can end at almost any moment, regardless of age or health. Those are lessons the entire GHS student body and staff should take to heart during this new school year.