It wasn’t the picture-perfect beginning they had hoped for, but the Greenwood Bulldogs overcame a poor start and an early 10-0 deficit Saturday against Lake Hamilton to claim their 10th state title in school history, all since the year 2000. Their first was under former head coach Ronnie Peacock (2000), while the last eight came under the recently departed Rick Jones, who led the ‘Dogs to the title game 11 times in 16 years, winning state championships in 2005-07, 2010-12, and 2017-18.

But Coach Jones is gone, and his replacement, former offensive coordinator Chris Young, deserves much credit for winning this season under the most unusual of circumstances during a national pandemic. An assistant coach in Greenwood for 20 years, the 42-year-old Young took over as head coach in February, just weeks before Covid-19 became a household word and the country was shutdown, including all schools and athletics. From then on, no one knew what to expect.

High school athletics in Arkansas did not reopen until June, but only with special precautions in place to safeguard the players and coaches – things like wearing masks, social distancing, and extensive sanitation measures. To their credit, the GHS players and coaches remained disciplined throughout the summer and fall, while other teams were dealing with periodic outbreaks of the virus. And even when two of Greenwood’s games were cancelled during game week, they were able to find other opponents to fill the void and complete a 10-game regular season slate.

With the support of Athletic Director Dr. Dustin Smith and the district’s administration, Coach Young hired some of the top assistant coaches in the state to fill vacancies on his staff last spring, and those moves paid big dividends. After Saturday’s 49-24 victory over the Wolves, every Greenwood player and coach was smiling from ear to ear, and no doubt some were shedding tears of joy. It was a long, difficult road, but these Bulldogs and the coaches who led them are worthy of praise for their perseverance, discipline, hard work, and the sacrifices they made to become champions.

The Bulldogs entered Saturday’s contest about as healthy as they could be, given the number of injuries they’ve sustained this season. “Fortunately, we’ve got all our guys back and healthy and ready to go this week,” said Coach Young prior to the championship tilt. “We’re at full speed and ready to go. Obviously, we lost [senior receiver] Peyton Carter a couple weeks back and [senior defensive lineman] Tayshaun [Leader] for the year, and some young guys that have been out for an extended time. But we’re as healthy as we can be right now, and we look forward to a good football game. The coaches and the kids are excited to be here. It’s been a great year and it’s an opportunity to finish up the right way.”

The coach also talked about his team’s offensive leader this season, senior quarterback L.D. Richmond, who has been magnificent, throwing for about 3,000 yards and running for well over 500 more, while protecting the ball and distributing it to Greenwood’s other playmakers. Not bad for someone who hadn’t really played the position since ninth grade. Richmond also stepped up running the ball in the last few weeks as well, expanding his game and causing headaches for the opposing defense.

“That’s another thing about the special year he’s having,” said Coach Young. “He’s not one-dimensional. He’s done it running the ball, throwing the ball, and distributing the ball. We look forward to watching him play one last time.” Richmond wasn’t spectacular, but had a solid game against the Wolves on Saturday and was recognized afterward by the media.

Young also talked about Lake Hamilton’s powerful Wing-t running attack, their bread-and-butter on offense. “They’ve got five or six plays they really base their offense around, and they do a great job running it,” he said. “Usually there’s a wrinkle or two they throw at us and change something up. But those guys do what they do, and they do a great job of it. So it’s a challenge for us as a defense. They’re going to line up and run right at us. We didn’t meet that challenge very well last time [we played], but our kids are excited about having a second chance. We had a great week of preparation and the defensive coaches have a plan they feel good about, and we’re ready to go.

“We’re grateful to be here and it’s been a heck of a ride,” continued Young. “It’s just a special group of young men in that locker room. It’s a really good coaching staff that’s done a great job preparing them. We’re just excited to have one more chance to get together on a Saturday night in Little Rock and get our crowd there and just see what we can do. Anytime you get this far in the season you just have to give it your best shot, and that’s what we’re going to do tonight.”

Greenwood (14-0) and Lake Hamilton (11-2), both members of the 6A West conference, played on November 6th in their regular season finale, with the Bulldogs winning 38-28, overcoming a late 10-point deficit in that game. Who knew a similar scenario would unfold Saturday night at Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium? The difference this time was that Lake Hamilton led 10-0 before Greenwood’s vaunted offense was even able to take the field.

The Wolves received the opening kickoff and promptly mounted a 48-yard drive to the GHS 20 before booting a 36-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead (8:53). Primarily known as a rushing team, with some of the best running backs in Class 6A, Lake Hamilton surprised the ‘Dogs by throwing the ball on its first two plays, the second of which went for 33 yards.

But moments later Greenwood turned it over when kick return specialist Jayden Jasna lost the handle on the football at the 20, allowing the Wolves to recover and return it to the Greenwood 14-yard-line. Two snaps later they scored their first touchdown on pass to a wide-open receiver in the end zone. The extra point was good (8:04).

But Jasna would get his revenge later, though the Bulldogs’ offense still needed some time to collect itself and shake off the unusual sensation of being behind so early in the game. Quarterback L.D. Richmond and company managed to make a first down, but their opening possession ended with a punt to the Lake Hamilton 27.

The Wolves returned the favor four minutes later after the GHS defense blitzed the Lake Hamilton quarterback and junior linebacker Parker Gill sacked Grant Bearden for a big loss near midfield, stalling the drive. After the punt, Greenwood started its next offensive series at its own 20 with 2:09 left in the opening quarter.

But from that point forward for the next 23 minutes, the Bulldogs completely dominated Lake Hamilton on both sides of the football, building a 35-10 lead late in the third quarter, scoring five unanswered touchdowns, the third of which came just seconds before halftime and dealt a severe blow to the Wolves’ hopes of staying in the game.

The first of those scores came at the 9:16 mark of the second quarter after completing an 80-yard drive in 13 plays, six of them through the air and seven on the ground. Richmond completed all his passes and all seven rushing attempts were by him as well, either on designed plays or scrambling out of the pocket. The touchdown came on a short pass to senior receiver Caden Brown that covered six yards. The kick by senior Luis Morales was good, making the score 10-7.

Feeling better about themselves, having survived Lake Hamilton’s quick start, the Bulldogs then returned to form, dominating on defense and scoring quickly and efficiently on offense. They also caught a break on Lake Hamilton’s next possession when a fourth-down punt went awry, giving them excellent field position. The Wolves’ punter accidentally dropped the ball, then kicked it without picking it up, and somehow the ball navigated through the mass of bodies and rolled 29 yards downfield, coming to rest at the 50-yard-line. The officials huddled, and Coach Young questioned them, but the play was allowed to stand. Just over a minute later the Bulldogs reached the end zone again.

Despite being flagged for offensive pass interference and retreating to their own 35, the Bulldogs quickly marched down the field. Facing third-down-and-21 from their own 39, Richmond completed a pass to senior Jase Strozier for a big gain to the Lake Hamilton 41, just short of the first down, which senior running back Hunter Wilkinson converted on the next snap, reaching the Wolves’ 39. Richmond then found his favorite target, junior receiver Luke Brewer, inside the 5-yard-line behind the defender for the score. Morales made it 14-10 with 6:48 left before halftime, and Greenwood never trailed again.

Undaunted, Lake Hamilton turned once again to its powerful running game, driving 53 yards to the GHS 16 before facing fourth-and-three with less than a minute left before the break. Disdaining a field goal try, the Wolves went for it all, throwing into the end zone to a wide-open receiver, but Bearden misfired and the pass fell incomplete. In retrospect, the play probably ended any real hope Lake Hamilton had of stemming Greenwood’s momentum and hanging with the Bulldogs.

But with 51 seconds left, the ‘Dogs weren’t about to sit on their small lead. A pair of Hunter Wilkinson runs moved the ball to the GHS 29 as the seconds ticked away on Greenwood’s hurry-up offense. On second down, Richmond dropped back and fired a deep bomb to an uncovered receiver streaking down the middle of the field. Luke Brewer caught the ball near the Lake Hamilton 30-yard-line and outran his pursuit to the end zone with just seven ticks left on the scoreboard clock. Morales added the extra point and the Bulldogs led 21-10 at halftime.

Leaving the field on his way to the locker room, Coach Young briefly spoke to the media, saying, “Our kids made some mistakes early and put us behind, but I’m proud of how we came back. Obviously, that was a big touchdown late. We wanted to stay aggressive. We knew we had a shot to run by them and we wanted to take advantage of it.”

Regarding his halftime message, Young said he would tell his players, “We haven’t done anything yet. All we’ve done it play two quarters. We’ve got to play a [complete] football game. We’re playing a good team. We’ve got to come out and be aggressive in the second half and put some points on the board and continue to play well on defense.”

Kicking to Greenwood to start the second half, Wolves’ head coach Tommy Gilleran, who has revived the Lake Hamilton program the last couple of seasons, ordered an onside kick, but the ball went out-of-bounds. The subsequent penalty gave the ‘Dogs the football at their own 46-yard-line. A short pitch-pass to Caden Brown reached the Wolves’ 48, followed by a series of runs alternating between Wilkinson and Richmond that reached deep into enemy territory.

A face mask penalty also aided Greenwood’s cause, moving the ball to just inside the 10-yard-line. Wilkinson then ran twice more, the first time for eight yards and the second time for the touchdown. The extra point was good, increasing the GHS lead to 28-10. Wilkinson, who rushed for only 25 yards in the first half, had a huge second half with over 120 additional yards as the Bulldogs relied more and more on the running game to add on and protect its lead.

The GHS defense really stepped it up in the early minutes of the third quarter as well, sacking Bearden twice on the Wolves’ next offensive possession, eventually forcing a punt, giving Greenwood the ball near midfield. Junior Tyler Crossno and senior Jordan Hanna combined for the first sack, while Crossno and senior Ty Cowan teamed up for the second one. A holding penalty on Lake Hamilton also helped Greenwood’s cause.

Starting from their own 40 after a penalty on the punt return, the Bulldogs drove 60 yards in just five plays, taking 2:27 off the clock. All five plays were runs, the first by Richmond for six yards and the remaining five by Wilkinson for 56 yards, the longest of which was for 31 yards, practically dragging a would-be tackler with him the last 15 yards. His final carry was for seven yards off left tackle for the touchdown. The extra point made the score 35-10 with 2:52 left in the quarter.

Having surrendered 35 unanswered points, the Wolves finally responded with their second touchdown, the first of two Lake Hamilton scores in the fourth quarter. After trading punts, the Wolves took over at their own 18-yard-line and drove 82 yards in eight plays, including a 32-yard pass to the GHS 40. Two plays later running back Kendrick Martin rambled 34 yards before fullback Tevin Woodley scored from eight yards out. The kick left the Wolves trailing, 35-17, but still alive.

Yet any hope they had of a miracle comeback quickly faded when Jayden Jasna atoned for his earlier miscue with a record-setting 98-yard kick return for a touchdown. The senior defensive back and special teams player picked up the football at the GHS 2-yard-line and raced almost unhindered down the GHS sideline, slowing only once to sidestep a defender, picking up numerous blocks from his teammates on his way to the end zone. Morales added the PAT for a 42-17 GHS advantage with 7:45 remaining to play.

But Lake Hamilton scored almost as quickly, driving 54 yards after a short Greenwood kickoff. The possession lasted just three plays, with the Wolves executing a nice double handoff to Martin, who galloped 31 yards for the touchdown. The kick made the score 42-24 (7:02). But one more GHS score followed, sealing the victory and the state title for the Bulldogs.

After another Lake Hamilton onside kick went out-of-bounds, the ‘Dogs took over at the Wolves’ 47 and pounded the ball on the ground, chewing up much of the remaining time. Wilkinson ran four straight times for 16 yards, followed by Richmond’s two carries to the 25. Wilkinson then ran twice more to the 16 before a pass interference penalty moved the ball to the Lake Hamilton 8-yard-line.

With just over two minutes left, the Wolves seemed to think Greenwood was going to down the ball four times to run out the clock, as they have done several times this season. Thus, the Wolves bunched their defense in the middle of the field. Instead, the ‘Dogs ran a normal play, giving Wilkinson the ball, allowing him to skirt around the right side of the line unchallenged for his third touchdown of the game, ending his career as the team’s all-time leader in touchdowns, breaking the record of former Bulldog and Arkansas Razorback receiver Drew Morgan.

 The PAT followed, accounting for the 49-24 final score. With the game decided and no timeouts left, the Wolves used up the remaining 1:57 on their last possession. And when the final second ticked off the clock the Chris Young era of Greenwood Bulldogs’ football was validated with the first of what GHS fans hope will be many more state titles to come.

After the game, the customary presentations were made to players from both Greenwood and Lake Hamilton, though somewhat muted due to social distancing requirements. Senior Braden Stein received one of the Brandon Burlsworth awards given annually for the best lineman on each team, and senior quarterback L.D. Richmond received the trophy for the game’s most valuable player. Seniors Jordan Hanna and Hunter Wilkinson represented the Bulldogs in receiving the 6A state championship trophy and banner before returning to share it with their teammates.

On winning the MVP trophy, Richmond said, “It’s amazing. My emotions are through the roof right now. I’m shaking. Me and these guys grew up together. We’ve been playing ball since we were tiny, and to go out like this is awesome.”

Asked about the team’s slow start to the game and his positive response to it, the Greenwood QB said, “I did it for them. They do it for me all the time. They tell me they’ve got my back, so I had to give it right back to them. We [the offense] didn’t get on the field until the third drive. I told [the defense] we’ve got their back. The offense will get going. We’ll get hot, so just stay calm and do their thing.”

"I am really proud of the kids," said Coach Young. "They’ve had a tough year with everything going on [with the pandemic], and they earned every bit of this. To see those guys smile and celebrate, and for a second be back to normal, is awesome. Our [players and coaches] have worked their tails off and put in so many hours. To see it turn out this way is so awesome.

The coach also acknowledged that his staff and players never wavered throughout the season. "Within our program, we never had a doubt. We knew what we were capable of," he said. "Our kids are special in Greenwood, and this is another example of that. I thought our kids never flinched. They had complete confidence in themselves on the sideline even after that [poor] start."

Asked about the long touchdown pass just before halftime, Young said, "A lot of teams [that] get the ball near their 20-yard line with 51 seconds left might take a knee, but not us. That’s not our style. That’s not how we play. It’s a tribute to our kids. They made plays. [L.D. Richmond] made a great throw, and [Luke] Brewer got loose down the sideline. Lake Hamilton had a guy open in the end zone and missed him, and then we scored. That was the difference in the game."

"We had to score right before the half," said Brewer, who caught two touchdown passes in the game. "You get up 21-10, two touchdowns before the half, [and] that's a game-changer." Brewer also had a 39-touchdown catch for the Bulldogs.

"Luke is a special athlete,” said his coach of the team’s top returning receiver in 2021. “They tried to press him up, and we hit him on some stuff early. He had a great ball game." Brewer is one of about 18 players, along with backup quarterback Hunter Houston, who should return next season with significant varsity playing experience, not to mention an unbeaten (10-0) freshman class moving up as sophomores.

"This win is all for the seniors," added Brewer. "They've had so much impact on my life, and I just wanted to do it for them and for [Coach Young], who's helped me out so much. He's a great coach."

With Saturday’s victory, Young became the latest first-year head coach to win a state title with an unbeaten record, the last being Greg Kendrick at Charleston (2013). Young's father, Joe Fred, also won a state championship at Fort Smith Northside in 1987. The Youngs now become the fourth father-son duo to each win state football titles in the Wonder State. "I know the reputation my dad has and how people think of him as a coach," said the son. "To share this with him is pretty special."

Reflecting on this strange season, Coach Young acknowledged the challenges faced by players, coaches, and everyone involved. “It was really tough,” he admitted. “We were on them, but our kids did a great job, just doing things different from what they’ve always done. They missed out on a lot of great things, but they didn’t miss out on a state championship.”