Four games into the 5A West conference schedule the Greenwood Bulldogs are 4-0 with four mercy rule victories over Morrilton, Harrison, Dardanelle, and now Farmington. So far, the 5-2 Bulldogs have outscored their league opponents by an average margin of 48-11. Last Friday’s 42-14 win over Farmington was Greenwood’s fifth straight victory and the 80th consecutive triumph at Smith-Robinson Stadium.
With three weeks to go in the regular season the Bulldogs are the overwhelming favorite to finish unbeaten in conference play with games remaining against Pea Ridge (2-5), Clarksville (1-6), and Alma (4-3). Next week’s contest at Pea Ridge is the only road contest left for Greenwood. That means the Bulldogs could play five consecutive home games to end the regular season and into the playoffs if they reach the 5A state semi-finals.
Against the Cardinals on Friday the GHS offense came out firing on all cylinders. Quarterback Cruz Coatney continued his fine play this season, finding his favorite target, Braxton Canada, repeatedly in the first half. The all-star junior had over 200 receiving yards while Coatney had nearly 300 yards passing. Greenwood built a 21-0 early lead before the visitors scored their first touchdown. Ahead 35-7 at the half, the Bulldogs invoked the mercy rule midway through the third quarter, 42-7, before giving up a later score to the Cardinals for the 42-14 final.
The only real glitch in the GHS offensive performance came on the game’s opening drive after Farmington kicked off to start the contest. The Bulldogs marched from their own 20 across midfield with Coatney completing three passes to Canada along with the running of Mario Dunbar and Rhett Holloway. However, a fourth pass attempt to Canada was tipped by Farmington and intercepted at the Cardinals’ 32.
But the GHS defense was up to the task, stopping the visitors on a fourth down play at the Farmington 44. Head coach Tommy Tice, who became a legend at Harrison, gambled early, knowing his team’s best chance of winning depended largely on keeping the ball away from Greenwood. The Bulldogs quickly turned a defensive stop into their first touchdown.
Mario Dunbar ran for two yards before Coatney passed to Canada over the middle for 20 yards to the 22-yard-line. Coatney then found Cooper Webb for five yards to the 17 before Rhett Holloway carried to the 11 for a first down. Next, Coatney ran a QB keeper around left end, reaching the one before Dunbar carried in for the touchdown on the next snap. Landon Franklin added the extra point kick for a 7-0 GHS lead (7:42).
After another quick defensive stop, the GHS offense took over at the home 21 after a Farmington punt. Coatney ran to the 25 on first down before a pair of runs by Mario Dunbar that included a facemask penalty on the Cardinals, moving the ball to the Greenwood 46. But a personal foul penalty on the Bulldogs quickly negated the Farmington flag, moving the ball back to the home 31-yard-line. Penalties were prevalent in the first half on both teams.
Coatney then passed to Canada near the visitors’ 42 before Holloway picked up the first down with a short gain on the next snap. Holloway carried again to the 34 and a facemask penalty advanced the ball to the Farmington 19. After a holding penalty on Greenwood moved the ball back to the 28, Coatney reconnected with Canada again at the 16 with the GHS receiver making a two-handed circus catch behind his head. Two snaps later, facing fourth down at the 15, Coatney found Brayden Renick at the five for the reception before he carried in for the touchdown. Franklin’s extra point kick was good (1:58).
Trailing 14-0 late in the opening period, the Cardinals’ offense was stifled once again by the Bulldogs’ defense, forcing another quick punt that rolled dead at the GHS 31. After the loss of a yard, the quarter expired and the teams exchanged ends of the field, but the Greenwood momentum was not blunted. On the next play, Coatney rolled to his right and fired a pass to Braxton Canada for 22 yards to the visitors’ 48-yard-line. The senior QB then launched a bullet over the middle to Canada, who caught the ball near the 20 before streaking for the touchdown. The extra point was good, making the score 21-0 (11:33).
Greenwood linebacker Bryer Hackler recovered a Farmington fumble near midfield on the Cardinals’ next possession, but 25 yards in penalties cost the GHS offense and forced a rare punt to the visitors’ 18-yard-line. Eight plays later the Cardinals scored their first touchdown on a 20-yard pass reception and run. Almost every play was a completed pass by Farmington quarterback Slade Norwood with receiver Jett Pierce catching the TD toss. The PAT was good (4:43).
Trailing 21-7, Coach Tice gambled again with an onside kick that paid off when the Cardinals recovered the loose pigskin at the Greenwood 47. Farmington got six yards on first down at the 41, but that was it. A play for no gain, an incomplete pass, and a quarterback sack at the 44 gave the ball back to the Bulldogs on downs. Six snaps later the home team was in the end zone once again.
Mario Dunbar ran twice to the Farmington 48 before Holloway got two yards to the 46, moving the sticks. Cruz Coatney then sought out and found his top target on a deep pass over the middle with Braxton Canada making a diving catch at the 7-yard-line. Coatney then connected with Cooper Webb over the middle on quick slant pass for the score (2:37). Landon Franklin’s extra point try was good, making it 28-7.
Needing more points, the visitors received the kickoff but were again muzzled by the GHS defense, even on a fourth-and-one gamble at their own 29-yard-line. The Bulldogs’ offense took over there and needed just six plays to score again. Coatney passed to Canada at the 21, then again to the 12 for a first down. Cooper Webb caught another toss to the 6-yard-line before Coatney found Canada for the touchdown in the right side of the end zone. Franklin’s kick made it 35-7 at the half.
The Cardinals bobbled the opening kickoff and were tackled at their own 11-yard-line. After reaching their 41, Greenwood defensive end Terry McGinister sacked the quarterback at the 34, forcing a Farmington punt to the GHS 41. But the Bulldogs were hampered by a personal foul penalty and faced fourth-and-19 at the Cardinals’ 43, sending Braxton Canada back to punt. His kick sailed high and deep and into the Farmington end zone, but a flag for roughing the kicker gave Greenwood new life and a first down at the visitors’ 28-yard-line.
Rhett Holloway then ran to the 25 before carrying again to the 13. After a loss back to the 17, Coatney found Ty Holt wide open in the left side of the end zone for six points. Franklin’s extra point kick was good with 6:33 showing on the third quarter clock, putting Greenwood on top by 35 points, 42-7, invoking the mercy rule, speeding up the final 18:33 of play with a running clock.
The #1 offense played one more series before being replaced by younger reserves and junior varsity players. Farmington’s second score came as the result of a long pass play of 57 yards with a couple of missed tackles by Greenwood’s #2 defense. The extra point made the final margin 42-14.
Unofficially, the Bulldogs had 435 yards in total offense for the game, 287 of that through the air. Cruz Coatney completed 21 of 32 passes that included five touchdowns. Braxton Canada had 13 catches – the same as his jersey number – for 226 yards and two scores. Brayden Renick, Cooper Webb, and Ty Holt also had solo touchdown grabs. Mario Dunbar ran 13 times for 40 yards and a touchdown, Rhett Holloway rushed eight times for 34 yards, while Coatney carried five times for 31 yards.
After the game, Bulldog Broadcast sideline reporter Richie “The Bald Barber” Cagle joined yours truly and other members of the media in talking with Coach Gill about the victory. “We challenged our kids all week,” said Gill. “We’ve been waiting on this one. I’m sure [Farmington has] too. But man, I’m so proud of our kids. They came out and put it together tonight. We need to clean up the penalties and some other stuff, but they were focused. They knew their jobs, and they did them well.”
The coach was then asked about Cruz Coatney and Braxton Canada. “Yeah, he’s special,” said Gill of Canada. “But that offensive line blocking for Cruz, and Cruz getting [Canada] the ball — I’m proud of all those guys. [Coatney] had a lot of pressure on him at the first of the year, and I couldn’t be more proud of him. He’s doing an awesome job.”
But Gill was just as happy with his defensive players. “I’m very proud of the defense tonight,” said the coach. “That’s one of the things I pride myself on. People have been doubting those guys, and they wanted to come out and show that we’re still Greenwood. We knew we had to get after their quarterback. They’re a great offense. We knew that if we could keep them off the field, our offense was going to do what it does every night. I said, “It’s up to us. It’s up to us to shut them down. They focused, watched film, and did a great job.”
The Bulldogs’ defense allowed Farmington just 10 yards on 12 plays in the first quarter to set the tone for the game. “We moved Bryer [Hackler] around a little bit tonight,” explained Gill. “And he did ‘Bryer’ things. But Charlie [Hudnall] in the middle and our defensive line really got after them tonight. I’m just so proud of them. They were locked in and focused on what was going on.”
Finally, the head coach was asked about the conference race in the wake of Friday’s win over the Cardinals. “If we can handle our business, we’ll be at home in the playoffs, and that’s huge,” said Gill. Reasonable speculation assumes that neither Greenwood nor Farmington will lose again this season, allowing them to finish 1-2 in the league standings, respectively. The league’s top team will then play in the top half of the playoff bracket while the #2 team plays in the bottom half.
"We knew [Greenwood] had a great team,” Farmington head coach Tommy Tice was quoted as saying after the game. “That offensive line is the best one that I've been on the field with. But we'll bury this [loss] after tonight. This one's over. We've got 28 seniors, and they'll bury it." It’s possible that Greenwood and Farmington could meet again this season, but it would have to be in the state finals in Little Rock on December 5th.