Head Coach Shannon Rhea and his staff and players have done it again. They have completed their season with a 9-0 perfect record, nearly duplicating their unbeaten 2020 campaign that saw them go 10-0. The GHS freshmen dealt with a jumbled schedule this fall due to a pair of cancellations and a weather-related postponement, missing one entire game. They also won their second straight River Valley Conference title and now own a 20-game winning streak dating back to the last game of the 2019 season. Last Thursday’s victims at Smith-Robinson Stadium were the Alma Jr. Airedales.
The visitors received the opening kickoff, but their initial possession was sidetracked by a holding penalty, forcing them to punt the ball away. Likewise, the Jr. Bulldogs came up short as well on their first offensive series, although a dropped pass cost them a touchdown. It was the only possession of the first quarter for Greenwood and it ended with a rare punt.
After Alma’s next punt early in the second period, the Bulldogs took over at their own 34 before embarking on a five-play drive that ended with the game’s first score. On second down, quarterback Kane Archer threw to Daniel Burton for 20 yards to the Alma 49 before Archer kept the ball on the next snap, reaching the 45. Running back Jeremy Lawyer then snapped off a 10-yard run to the 35 to set up the touchdown on a trick play.
Archer took the snap and handed the ball off to his brother, Cash, who was in motion. He then flipped the ball to Isiah Arrington, who tossed it backwards to Kane Archer. A moment later the Greenwood QB launched a deep pass downfield just inside the 5-yard-line to Daniel Burton, who made a great catch while battling a defensive back before proceeding into the end zone. The extra point by Jeremy Edwards was good, putting Greenwood on top, 7-0, with 5:08 left in the first half.
After the successful flea-flicker, the Bulldogs went back to work on defense, forcing a three-and-out by the Airedales followed by a punt that was downed at the Greenwood 29 with about two minutes remaining in the half, just enough time for the Jr. ‘Dogs to score again before the break.
A penalty on first down actually pushed the ball back to the 19, making it an 81-yard scoring drive in just seven plays, the biggest of which was a pass from Archer to Daniel Burton over the middle near midfield that the freshman receiver turned into a huge gainer all the way to the Alma 3-yard-line.
After the Alma defense stiffened to stop a pair of running plays at the 2-yard-line, Archer and Burton connected on a lob pass in the back right corner of the end zone for the touchdown. The extra point by Edwards was good with only 17 seconds left in the half and Greenwood led 14-0 at the intermission.
The Bulldogs also received the opening kick of the second half, and promptly turned it into a 20-point lead. Kaylor Jasna returned the kick to the home 33 before Jeremy Lawyer ran to the 41 on first down. Archer then threw to Isiah Arrington on the right side to the 50, though a penalty and a play for lost yardage moved the ball back to the GHS 46.
But Archer recovered those lost yards with a QB scramble to the Alma 41, just short of the first down. Lawyer moved the sticks on the next play with a big run down the sideline to the Alma 7-yard-line. But two failed passes left the ‘Dogs facing third-and-goal before Archer ran a QB keeper to the left side, reversing direction to the right to find an open path to the end zone. However, the extra point try failed, leaving the score 20-0 with 5:41 left in the third quarter.
With the game firmly in hand, the Greenwood defense finally gave up a score to the Airedales after an eight-play drive aided by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Bulldogs. Plays six and seven were completed passes for 38 yards to the 1-yard-line before the quarterback scored on the next snap. Alma’s two-point try failed, making the score 20-6.
Greenwood’s Jackson Cole returned Alma’s kick to the home 40 from where the Jr. ‘Dogs began their final scoring drive, culminating in a touchdown early in the fourth quarter (7:42). Jeremy Lawyer ran to the 43 on first down before Kane Archer ran a keeper to the Alma 49, moving the yard markers.
The drive then stalled due to a series of penalties on both teams, leaving Greenwood at its own 49. Facing third-and-23, Archer scrambled to buy time before passing to his brother, Cash, who stretched out but fell just short of the first down at the 27. Lawyer picked up the needed yardage and more on the next snap with a big run to the 11-yard-line, then twice more to the seven and the one. Archer completed the possession by scoring around right end, but the point after was partially blocked, leaving the margin at 26-6. The remaining highlight for the home team was a pass interception by Scott Holland at the Greenwood 2-yard-line, but neither team scored again.
“Alma is always [tough],” said Coach Rhea following the win. “Their offense shortens the game. If they get a lead on you and things don’t go your way, they can be pretty tough. They’re a capable team. [But] we were able to get that early lead, and that’s tough on their offense. When they’ve got to throw, we’ve got them where we want them to be.”
It was a spectacular season for the Junior Bulldogs, despite all the scheduling issues. The offense averaged 42 points per game while the defense allowed nine points per contest, and some of those points were scored against Greenwood’s #2 defense late in games. Also of note, eighth grade quarterback Kane Archer proved himself to be a very capable signal caller despite playing one grade level up. He managed the games well and protected the football.
Archer passed for 1,932 yards in nine games, or almost 215 yards per contest, according to Offensive Coordinator Luke Hales. Of course, much of that yardage came after the catch with the help of Greenwood’s excellent receivers, who caught 31 touchdown passes from Archer. The young QB also rushed for over 400 yards and seven touchdowns, and he completed 82% of his passes (119 of 146) with no interceptions, both stats a testament to his talent and to Greenwood’s short passing game.
“Everybody talks about his arm, but he does a pretty good job keeping the play alive,” said his coach. “He makes some plays with his feet and legs too. He’s got it all.” Regarding Archer’s future, Coach Rhea said, “That’s up to Coach Young. A lot of it has to do with injuries and how we get through the summer.”
So, it remains to be seen if Archer will return to the ninth-grade team next season or be promoted to the varsity squad as a backup for current Bulldogs’ quarterback Hunter Houston, who will be a senior in the fall of 2022. Archer could play in junior varsity games on Mondays and still be available on Friday nights as well, if or when needed.
Still, if all goes as planned, Archer will likely be Greenwood’s starting quarterback for three seasons beginning in 2023 through 2025. He is currently ranked among the best QBs in the nation for the graduating class of 2026 and has already received several collegiate offers, including one from the Arkansas Razorbacks. He could potentially be the best in a long line of Division-I college quarterbacks to play for the Bulldogs and only the second to start as a sophomore, the other being Brooks Coatney (1996-98). But only time will tell if Archer reaches such lofty heights.
Greenwood’s other skill players also made great strides this season. First among the receivers was Grant Karnes, who only played seven games, missing one due to illness before being promoted to the varsity squad prior to the Alma game. But in those seven games Karnes caught 42 passes for 781 yards, an average of 18.6 yards per reception. He also had 13 receiving touchdowns while rushing for 122 yards on four carries for another touchdown. Karnes has already seen limited action with the varsity over the past two weeks.
Fellow freshmen receivers Isiah Arrington and Daniel Burton were also offensive standouts, along with running back Jeremy Lawyer. Defensively, Scott Holland and Kaylor Jasna made names for themselves in the secondary with multiple interceptions. As for players who distinguished themselves this season, Coach Rhea mentioned Cash Archer, Sam Burton, and Cage Hanna, adding, “Zach Edwards did a great job kicking in special teams. He [also] had to change positions and play linebacker at the end of the year.”
Asked about any surprise performances, Rhea said, “I really thought a guy that went under the radar was Christian Fleming. We really didn’t have him penciled in as a starter at the first of the year. He’s our offensive tackle and he’s gotten bigger and stronger, and one day he might be a player for [the varsity]. I know Coach Sims has really worked with him. I thought our linemen really did a good job. It always starts with them.”
Another noteworthy change this past season was the arrival of Luke Hales as offensive coordinator for the Jr. Bulldogs, replacing Josh Holloway, who was promoted to the varsity staff. A former GHS quarterback, Hales knew the terminology and the playbook well enough to fit right in, and he helped lead the freshmen ‘Dogs to a great season.
“I was very blessed to be put in the situation I was,” said Hales recently. “I was really lucky to be able to work with Coach Young and Coach Rhea, and it’s been super fun. We had an awesome group of kids.” Like all members of the junior high staff, Hales has joined the varsity team for the playoffs and will be coaching the receivers, taking some of the load off Coach Young. The first-year GHS assistant believes the Bulldogs are primed for a strong run at another state title.
Having just completed his seventh season with the Jr. ‘Dogs, Head Coach Shannon Rhea has built quite a resume with at least 55 wins and fewer than 10 losses in that time. “I really don’t keep up with it,” he said of his won-loss record. “It’s [all about] the program. We’re consistent in what we do. We’ve got good kids and we’ve got a chance [to win] every year. It’s a different style [of offense]. We work hard on catching the ball and doing the things we do, and it’s paid off.”
The coach also revealed that more changes could be coming to the River Valley Conference. “It was good to win this one,” he said of the league championship, “[because] I think there’s going to be a change in conference next year. We haven’t heard anything [yet], but we might hear something before Thanksgiving.”
This past season Pea Ridge joined the league, and the four Fort Smith junior high schools consolidated their teams into two squads representing Northside and Southside. Those same two schools could leave the RVC, opening the door for the addition of teams like Shiloh Christian, Siloam Springs, or Farmington? The athletic directors from the River Valley Conference recently met to discuss possible changes, with an announcement expected soon.