There’s no doubt that numbers and athletics go together like turkey and dressing on Thanksgiving weekend, and Greenwood’s 63-45 victory over Benton last Friday night provides further proof of that axiom. The Bulldogs’ (12-0) victory advanced them to the 6A state championship game for the sixth consecutive time going back to the year 2020. Greenwood won it all during that very strange Covid-19 campaign and again in both 2023-24. With 12 state titles under their belts since winning their first championship in 2000, Greenwood has already won more state crowns than any other school in Arkansas since the modern playoff era began in 1970. Pulaski Academy is next with 10 titles.
Should the Bulldogs win this year, as most pundits expect, it will be their 13th state title. A win would also be their third three-peat in school history with prior back-to-back-to-back state championships in 2005-07 and 2010-12. The other titles came in 2000, 2017-18, 2020, and 2023-24. They lost in the title game in 1996, 2004, 2015-16, and 2021-22.
Greenwood will face fellow 6A West conference member Shiloh Christian in the championship game next Saturday, a rematch of the 2024 title game. Since the two teams joined the 6A West, the Bulldogs own three straight wins over the Saints, twice in regular season play besides their 61-35 championship victory last December. Also last year, Greenwood won 28-17 in the regular season then 35-24 earlier this season. The Saints (10-2) own playoff victories over El Dorado (24-21) last week and Sylvan Hills (52-28) this past Friday night. Shiloh Christian will also move up to Class 7A next season while Greenwood moves down to 5A, so the only way for them to meet again in the near future will be in non-conference play.
Looking deeper into the numbers, Greenwood has scored 584 points this season to 581 for the Saints. The Bulldogs’ revamped defense has held opponents to 234 points or 19.5 points per game compared to 240 by Shiloh or 20 points per game. Not much difference there, but it’s worth noting that in both categories Greenwood and Shiloh are ranked #1 and #2 among all 16 Class 6A teams in the state. Next Saturday, the Saints will have one last chance to derail the GHS dynasty.
Taking a numerical look at Greenwood’s home victory over the Benton Panthers, the two teams combined for nearly 1,100 yards (1,089 unofficially), with the Bulldogs getting 557 yards of that total. Playing at Smith-Robinson Stadium for the last time this season, the Bulldogs scored on nine of their 11 offensive possessions, led by senior superstar quarterback Kane Archer, also playing the final home game of his high school career. He recently committed to play college football for the University of Utah next season after putting together perhaps the best numbers of any quarterback in Arkansas history.
A four-year letterman and three-year starter behind center, Archer and his teammates currently own a 38-game winning streak and 77-in-a-row at home. He has never lost as a starter and hopes to add one more victory to that total next Saturday. Against the Panthers, Archer threw for 259 yards (unofficially) completing 21 of 27 passing attempts with four touchdowns, also running for 120 yards and two more scores.
After counting Friday’s totals, Archer became the only quarterback in Arkansas history to pass for over 10,000 yards and rush for another 2,500. He is also the only Arkansas QB to pass for over 100 touchdowns and run for over 50 with one game remaining. Allegedly, he also has more touchdown passes than incompletions in his career. Those are remarkable numbers for an American high school quarterback from any state. Obviously, he broke all QB records at Greenwood, including the all-time passing mark set by Brooks Coatney in the late 1990s, the only other GHS quarterback to throw for 10,000 yards. Ironically, it is Coatney’s son, Cruz, currently a junior, who will succeed Archer next season as the Bulldogs’ starter.
But it wasn’t only Kane Archer who put up big numbers against the Panthers. Fellow senior Champ Davis did it all, at times filling four different positions on the field – running back, receiver, kick returner, and defensive back. Davis, who transferred to Greenwood from out-of-state before last season to play with his friend, Kane Archer, rushed for 149 yards on 15 carries and three touchdowns besides catching 10 passes for an additional 79 yards and two more scores. Despite some injuries earlier this season, his performance over the past two years puts him in the same category as former all-purpose Greenwood stars Josh Bell, Drew Morgan, and Peyton Holt, among others.
"Davis and Kane. Oh my gosh, those two were phenomenal," said Head Coach Chris Young after his 71st head coaching victory against seven losses. "We had other guys make plays, but it starts with those two. We expect to score on offense every possession. We know it’s not possible, but we still want to chase perfection. Once we got the big lead, it put pressure on Benton because they could not be patient running the ball like they did in the first half. And give credit to our defense," he added. "They got some stops in the first half and then got stops to start the second half. That makes it a great team win tonight."
Other stats from Friday’s win include the numbers for running back Mario Dunbar with nine rushes for 37 yards, most of that right up the gut, including some key short yardage first down runs. The junior tailback also had one pass reception for 20 yards. Cooper Bland had just three catches but gained 94 yards for a per catch average of just over 31 yards and scored two touchdowns. Sophomore Braxton Canada had a pair of receptions for 20 yards. Junior receiver Brayden Renick had four grabs for 23 yards while senior Benton Hossley had a single reception for 18 yards.
“I’m really proud of our kids,” said Young. “That was a heck of a game. [Benton] is a good football team – very well coached. That quarterback and those receivers are really talented. It was a challenge for us, but we asked our guys at halftime if they were ready to be done [with the season]. I think if you saw their performance in the second half, our guys are not ready to be done. I’m so excited that we get another week together. This is a special group, and we enjoy being around them and we really care about them. It’s a fun group and we get one more week with them. [This win] is a credit to our kids and our coaching staff. They do such a great job. Our community and our support have been awesome and it’s great to be a Greenwood Bulldog.”
The Bulldogs were given time off Saturday and Sunday but got back to work on Monday in preparation for next Saturday’s championship contest at Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m. It will be Greenwood’s 19th trip to the state finals with 12 wins in their previous 18 appearances, a remarkable accomplishment by any measure.
Their first state title game was in 1996 under head coach Ronnie Peacock, a loss to Watson Chapel. Peacock’s Bulldogs returned in 2000 to defeat Hope for Greenwood’s first state title, but it was former head coach Rick Jones that really put Greenwood on the map, winning eight state championships during his 16 years at the helm. Coach Young tutored under Jones and has now done something even his legendary mentor never did – go to the title game for six straight years.
It’s also interesting to note that Young has now surpassed his own dad, the legendary Joe Fred Young, who took Fort Smith Northside to five consecutive title games. The elder Young, now retired, has been a fixture at Greenwood games even before his son became head coach in 2020. “I might be the third best coach in our family,” said Chris Young when asked about his family legacy. “But I’m alright with that,” referring to his mother, who coached high school soccer for many years.
Friday’s semifinal contest was played in very chilly, blustery conditions at Smith-Robinson Stadium with a stiff wind blowing from the south and southeast throughout the game. Thankfully, the rainy forecast for Friday night held off until after the game, but just barely as the raindrops began to lightly fall while media members were ending their interviews with Coach Young. A look at the long-range forecast predicts good weather for Little Rock next Saturday with a partly cloudy sky and a temperature around 50 degrees at kickoff.
Greenwood won the opening coin toss Friday night and elected to defer to the second half, taking the wind in the first quarter, kicking to the Panthers, giving the GHS defense a chance to force a quick punt, which they did. Starting from their own 20, the visitors gained just four yards in three plays and punted the ball away to Champ Davis, who returned it from the home 43 to the Benton 46, setting up Greenwood’s first scoring drive.
Davis also got the first carry for the Bulldogs, going in motion and taking a short flip pass from Kane Archer that reached the Benton 37-yard-line. Archer then bounced outside to the right for a first down at the 30. Two snaps later he connected with Benton Hossley over the middle to the 12 before running a QB keeper to the 3-yard-line. Davis then scored on a run up the middle for the game’s first touchdown. Kicker Landon Franklin added the extra point for a 7-0 GHS lead (10:16).
But the Panthers responded quickly, overcoming a pair of penalties with a long pass completion of 47 yards from quarterback Drew Davis to receiver Karson Collatt at the Greenwood 6-yard-line. Running back Brandon Murdock then scored the touchdown on the next snap and the PAT tied the game at 7-7 with 8:51 left in the opening period. But the fun was just getting started for fans of both teams, a large contingent of which made the trip from Central Arkansas.
The Bulldogs were forced to punt on their second possession and so was Benton, but the Panthers’ kick was foiled by a poor snap and the ball was shanked out-of-bounds at the Greenwood 43, giving the home team excellent field position from which to score their second touchdown. Kane Archer got seven yards on first down to the 36, then completed a pass to Braxton Canada at the 29. Another toss to Champ Davis reached the 20 before Mario Dunbar ran to the 18. Davis then caught another pass near the 15 before turning up field and racing for the score. Landon Franklin’s kick made the score 14-7 (5:52).
But the visitors would score the game’s next two touchdowns to take their only lead at 21-14 early in the second quarter. The first of those two scores came at the end of a 10-play drive that covered 73 yards. Brandon Murdock scored from one yard out and the point after was good to knot the game at 14-all with 5:52 left in the first stanza.
The Panthers’ next score came just under two minutes into the second quarter after a mistake in the GHS kicking game. A low snap was fielded by punter Braxton Canada, but in the process of picking up the loose pigskin, Canada was called down after his knee touched the turf at the Greenwood 37, giving the Benton offense a very short field to work with, and the Panthers took quick advantage with a six-play possession to put them on top. The touchdown came on a 4-yard run by Karson Collatt and Benton led 21-14 after the PAT with 10:03 left in the first half. But for the next 18 minutes it was all Greenwood as the Bulldogs took charge of the contest and put tremendous pressure on the Panthers, who were playing from behind.
Starting from their own 20 after the Benton kickoff, the Bulldogs needed nine plays to tie the game again at 21-all, even enduring a momentary loss of lighting on the field after a bank of lights went out. Kane Archer completed a pass to Champ Davis for nine yards before Mario Dunbar carried to the 32 before things went dim for a few minutes. With the illumination issue resolved, the drive continued with a pass from Archer to Cooper Bland at the GHS 49.
Another pass to Dunbar reached the Benton 33 for a first down, keeping the series alive. After a penalty pushed the ball back to the 38, Dunbar carried to the 35 before Archer hooked up with Cooper Bland at the goal line for the touchdown. Franklin’s extra point kick was good again to put the Bulldogs back on top to stay at 28-21 with 44 seconds left in the half. But that was just enough time for the Panthers to drive 41 yards after a kick return to the Benton 39. From the GHS 20 and with just two seconds left on the clock, Benton kicker Gabe Wilbur booted a 37-yard field goal, making the score 28-24 at the intermission.
But whatever momentum the Panthers may have accrued just before the half was quickly wiped out by a resurgent GHS offense in the third quarter. With the wind once again at their backs, Greenwood scored 21 uninterrupted points before Benton could catch its collective breath. Before the quarter ended, the Bulldogs led 56-31 and were well on their way to another appearance in the state championship game.
A Champ Davis kick return of 22 yards put the ball at the home 35 to start the second half. Davis then caught two Kane Archer offerings, reaching the Benton 49 before Brayden Renick snagged a pass at the 43. Archer then rolled to his right and fired a perfect pass to Cooper Bland near the 25. The senior receiver made the catch, eluded a tackle, then made a cut back toward the middle of the field to avoid another defender for the touchdown. Franklin’s kick increased the GHS lead to 35-24 (10:55).
The Greenwood defense then stepped up and forced a Benton punt against the wind, giving the football back to the GHS offense at the home 38. A pass interference penalty on the Panthers soon moved the ball to the visitors’ 48-yard-line. Mario Dunbar then carried three times to the 32. Two players later, from the 30, Kane Archer ran for 23 yards before Champ Davis finished off the drive with a 7-yard TD run up the middle. Landon Franklin’s kick was good for a 42-24 GHS lead (7:57).
But the hometown boys in blue-and-white weren’t done yet. After another Benton punt, the Bulldogs took over at their own 39, six plays and 61 yards away from a third unanswered touchdown to open the second half. On first down, Kane Archer ran to the Benton 44 for 17 yards. After a pair of short runs by Champ Davis to the 38, the GHS dynamo broke a long run to the 5-yard-line. He carried again for two yards on the next snap before Archer scored the touchdown on a three-yard run off right tackle. Franklin’s kick made it 49-24 with 3:54 left in the third quarter.
The Panthers finally got up off the deck on their next possession, driving 80 yards in five plays, the last being a long scoring pass of 41 yards from Drew Davis to receiver Will Carter. The extra point cut the GHS advantage to 49-31, but Benton still trailed by at least three scores (18 points) with time running out against the state’s #1 ranked team in Class 6A. Give the Panthers credit, however, they never stopped playing hard and scored twice more before game’s end.
Still, Kane Archer and the boys were relentless, scoring again before the period ended, and they needed just one play to do so. After Mario Dunbar returned the Benton kickoff 16 yards to the GHS 33, Archer gave the rock to Champ Davis up the middle before the speedy RB/receiver broke left toward the home sideline all the way for a touchdown – 67 yards. The extra point kick was good with 1:37 left in the third quarter and Greenwood led 56-31.
Benton’s next touchdown came less than two minutes later with 11:47 left in the fourth quarter. From their own 20 they marched 80 yards in eight plays, one of them drawing a flag for pass interference against the Bulldogs. Along the way Drew Davis completed a 34-yard pass to Karson Collatt, and the Panthers converted a fourth-down-and-two play inside the GHS 20 to keep the drive alive. Davis finally scored on an 18-yard run. The extra point made the score 56-38 early in the final stanza.
Taking nothing for granted, the Bulldogs’ offense returned to the field for their last scoring drive, keeping the pressure on the Panthers. From their own 20, the Dogs took their time, milking the clock, taking 16 snaps to score with 3:35 left to play. Along the way, Kane Archer ran for 56 yards on nine carries, including the 2-yard TD plunge. Champ Davis ran five times for 24 yards as the offensive line opened holes for both GHS runners, allowing Greenwood to chew up the clock without throwing a single pass. After Archer’s second rushing touchdown and sixth overall score (four passing, two rushing), Franklin added his final extra point, making the score 63-38 with 3:35 remaining.
Fighting to the bitter end, the Panthers opened their final possession by completing a long pass from their own 33 to the GHS 33, part of a quick four-play, 67-yard drive, entirely through the air. The touchdown came on a short pass from Drew Davis to receiver Jon Curtis Barger. The extra point made the final score 63-45 with 2:44 left on the clock.
An onside kick attempt followed, but the Panthers failed to let the ball travel the mandatory 10 yards, giving Greenwood control of the football near midfield, allowing the Bulldogs to run out the clock by getting a first down at the Benton 35. After one more snap, Archer and some of his teammates began celebrating, raising their arms, encouraging the crowd to cheer as the clock ticked down to zero. Moments later they lined up to meet the Panthers at midfield as both teams demonstrated their sportsmanship after a hard-fought contest. For Benton, their season was over. For Greenwood, War Memorial Stadium awaits.