It might not have been the “Clash of the Titans” Friday night, but it was as close as it gets in Class 6A football in Arkansas as #1 ranked Greenwood hosted #2 ranked Benton at Smith-Robinson Stadium. It was billed as the game of the week in the state, though the Bulldogs took charge early before cruising to a convincing 42-28 win.
“We’ve had a great week of practice and our kids are fired up,” proclaimed GHS head coach Chris Young in an interview prior to the game. “[Benton] got after us down there last year,” he said, referring to Greenwood’s 45-38 loss in 2019. That setback cost the Bulldogs a conference championship and forced them to play on the road in the state semi-finals, losing at Searcy. A week later Benton also lost to the Lions in the 6A championship game in Little Rock.
“They’re a very talented football team and well-coached,” said Young. “Coach [Brad] Harris does a great job. They’ve been in the state finals the last two years. They are as talented a team as we have played, especially offensively. They aren’t going to be scared coming to Greenwood.”
Historically, Friday’s contest was the seventh meeting between the two teams, with the Bulldogs winning six times. Pre-game festivities also honored this year’s seniors in their final regular season game at Smith-Robinson Stadium. Greenwood’s roster is populated with 25 seniors this season.
“We want to make sure this is not the last time they get to play on their home field,” said Young in his pre-game remarks. “If we take care of business tonight, it will probably give them another home game down the road. It’s a great group of seniors and I couldn’t be more proud of them. They’ve really taken on a leadership role. They’ve embraced the new [coaching] staff and have just had a great year so far.”
Playing conditions Friday night weren’t bad for late October, with game temperatures in the 50s, a dry surface, and a brisk north wind. The Panthers received the opening kick, but couldn’t muster a first down against the GHS defense. The Bulldogs got the football for the first time at their own 30 after the punt and a penalty. But they wasted little time in scoring.
Quarterback L.D. Richmond led a methodical 10-play drive for the game’s first points, the first of four GHS touchdowns in the opening half. The senior signal-caller also came out firing, completing his first four pass attempts to receivers Peyton Carter, Luke Brewer (2), and Jase Strozier, reaching the Benton 31-yard-line. After his first miss, Richmond threw to Strozier again at the 22.
Senior running back Hunter Wilkinson then ran to the 15, before Richmond kept the ball twice, first to the 6-yard-line and then to the goal line. On the next snap, Wilkinson carried in for the first of his four touchdowns in the game. Senior kicker Luis Morales added the extra point for a 7-0 GHS lead with 8:58 showing on the clock in the first quarter.
After the two teams traded punts, Benton started at midfield and tied the score with a quick strike on a long pass from quarterback Garrett Brown to receiver Cameron Harris. The play covered 29 yards with Harris making the catch near the goal line at the pylon before falling into the end zone. The kick tied the score at 7-7 at the 5:35 mark.
But that was as close as the Panthers would come to having a lead, as the Bulldogs scored twice more in the next seven minutes to take charge of the game, forcing Benton to play from behind. After going up 21-7 early in the second quarter, the visitors never seriously threatened the Bulldogs’ lead. Greenwood led by 20 points for most of the second half before a meaningless late Panthers’ touchdown.
After Benton’s first score, senior Caden Brown returned the kickoff 16 yards to the GHS 28, and the home offense trotted back onto the field, but this time the possession began with three consecutive rushing plays, two by Wilkinson for 13 yards and one by Richmond for 15 yards. Richmond then completed a pair of passes to Strozier good for 15 yards to the 29. One more pass followed to Luke Brewer, reaching the 20.
From there the Bulldogs ran behind their superior offensive line, bolstered by the return of senior tackle Braden Stein, who missed the last two games. Wilkinson ran four times for 12 yards and Richmond once for three yards. The sturdy tailback scored his second TD from the 3-yard-line and Morales added the extra point for a 14-7 Greenwood advantage (3:19).
Another defensive stand produced Benton’s third punt of the opening period, giving the Bulldogs the ball at their own 33 with 1:45 left in the quarter. What followed was a 15-play drive that consumed nearly four minutes, practically an eternity for Greenwood’s fast-and-furious offensive style. Wilkinson ran five times for 30 yards and Richmond twice for 10 yards. The senior QB also completed four passes, including the 14-yard scoring strike to Peyton Carter.
Aiding Greenwood’s cause, the Panthers were flagged for pass interference just prior to the touchdown, setting up the scoring opportunity. Luis Morales added the extra point at the 10:04 mark of the second quarter, putting the Bulldogs ahead 21-7, keeping the pressure on Benton.
Perhaps sensing the game might be slipping away from them, the Panthers regrouped offensively and marched 73 yards in 16 plays, mostly on the ground, to close the scoring gap to seven points once again. Along the way they converted on a fourth-and-short situation near midfield. The ‘Dogs also helped out with a penalty inside the 20 that advanced the ball to the 6-yard-line. The touchdown came on a one-yard run and the extra point made the score 21-14 (3:24).
But Greenwood responded with another score in less than a minute, rebuilding its two-touchdown margin at the half. Starting from their own 20, the Bulldogs needed just six plays to cover 80 yards, more than half of it by Hunter Wilkinson, whose 48-yard dash ended in the end zone. Richmond also ran twice for 27 yards and completed a short pass to Jase Strozier. Morales added the extra point for a 28-14 GHS lead.
Good defense by the ‘Dogs and a penalty derailed Benton’s hopes of scoring again in the final two minutes of the first half, forcing the Panthers to punt the ball away. The Greenwood offense had 48 seconds left on the clock, but chose to run out the time and take their 14-point lead into the locker room at the intermission.
The Bulldogs also received the opening kick of the second half, and soon increased their lead to three scores after a 12-play, 72-yard scoring drive. Richmond threw to Brewer for 10 yards on first down, followed by five straight rushing plays, four by Wilkinson and one by Richmond. From the Benton 29, Richmond passed to Strozier and sophomore Aiden Kennon for short gains sandwiched around another run by Wilkinson. Then from the 12, Wilkinson ran three times, the last one for the 2-yard TD. The extra point kick was good, and the Bulldogs had a commanding 35-14 lead (8:48).
Still battling, the Panthers responded with another score of their own, quickly traversing 65 yards in just four plays, taking advantage of a long pass play of 47 yards. The touchdown came on a short run by tailback Casey Johnson. The point after was missed, however, leaving the score at 35-20 (7:38).
For the next five-plus minutes the two 6A powerhouses struggled for offensive footing, battling over the ball in the middle of the field. Both squads eventually lost possession of the ball on downs to the opposing defense. When the smoke cleared, Greenwood had the ball again at its own 26-yard-line with just over two minutes left in the third quarter.
Wilkinson then set the tone for the series with two nice runs to the Benton 45. Three snaps later, after a penalty to the 50, Richmond ran for 23 yards to the Benton 27. He then passed to Caden Brown, who made a sliding catch in the middle of the end zone for a touchdown. Morales added the extra point, giving Greenwood a 42-20 lead with 44 seconds left in the quarter. All that remained was for the GHS defense to keep the Panthers in check until time ran out.
And that’s exactly what happened, as the Bulldogs frustrated Benton’s faint hopes for a fourth quarter rally. First, the Panthers failed on a fourth down pass, then later gave up a pass interception to Greenwood senior defensive back Jayden Jasna, who returned the ball 46 yards to the visitors’ 17-yard-line, though the GHS offense didn’t cash in on the turnover.
Benton also failed on fourth down after a 14-play possession that reached the Greenwood 15-yard-line. Trying to run out the clock, the Bulldogs were conservative and punted the ball away with just under a minute remaining to play. After the short kick, the Panthers took over at the GHS 35, scoring on a 6-yard pass four plays later. Receiver Cameron Harris made the TD reception and also carried on a reverse for a successful two-point conversion, making the final score 42-28.
But when the buzzer sounded ending the game, the Bulldogs (8-0) walked away as victors and the team to beat in Class 6A. All that remains in the regular season are two road trips to Van Buren (3-5) and unbeaten Lake Hamilton (7-0) before the post-season begins on November 13th.