The Greenwood Bulldogs remain undefeated this season after last Friday’s 42-0 shutout of the visiting Siloam Springs Panthers. A big crowd turned out for homecoming night with all the usual festivities conducted before the game began. The victory pushed Greenwood’s season record to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in 6A West conference play. They remain atop the Class 6A state rankings and are included among the top five best teams in Arkansas by the Associated Press, Sports Illustrated, and MaxPreps. The Bulldogs are seeking their third consecutive state championship and their 13th in school history, all since the year 2000. They have played in the state title game every year since 2020, winning three times (20, 23, 24).
The Dogs did most of their damage in the first half, scoring on almost every possession to lead 35-0 at the half, ensuring a running clock in the second half due to the 35-point mercy rule. The game was completed in less than two hours in real time and many of Greenwood’s starters were able to rest in the second half. But there was a significant injury in the game, adding to the list of walking wounded that has plagued the Bulldogs this season.
Super sophomore receiver Braxton Canada was helped off the field after going down on the Siloam Springs’ sideline and later appeared on crutches wearing a full-length leg brace. Other recent injuries of note included senior receiver Cooper Bland, who returned to limited action against the Panthers, senior defensive back D.J. Dobbins, who dressed out but did not play Friday night, and junior defensive end Jacob Berry, who was seen on the sideline wearing a walking boot on his left leg. All four players are starters and will hopefully return in the next few weeks. In the meantime, younger players will have to grow up fast.
The “next man up” philosophy has been the GHS mantra this season with a host of injuries that has included star quarterback Kane Archer, who bravely battled through a leg injury to lead his teammates to a crucial win over Shiloh Christian in the conference opener. The senior signal-caller has shown noticeable improvement since then and appears to be near full speed, baffling opposing defenses with his ability to buy time in the pocket or use his legs to escape while gaining huge chunks of real estate. He is the team’s leading rusher this season.
The reigning Arkansas Gatorade Player of the Year has never lost a game as the GHS starter, going back to his sophomore season. In fact, since he became the starter in 2023 his team has not lost a game, going 32-0 while continuing their long home winning streak, now stretching to 73 games. The school record for consecutive wins is 50, accomplished between 2010 and 2013, ending with a playoff loss to Pine Bluff. Coincidentally, the Bulldogs also had a state title three-peat from 2010-12, something they hope to repeat this season. They seem to be well on their way.
The GHS defense also made a statement against Siloam Springs with their first shutout of the season. Defensive Coordinator Jason Gill and his staff have worked hard to rebuild a defense decimated by graduation with only three returning starters from 2024. They have done so with a lot of inexperienced sophomores and upperclassmen who have never started before, and they have been getting better week by week. They very quickly forced the Panthers to punt after receiving the opening kick last Friday night.
The Bulldogs’ first possession began at the Siloam Springs’ 49 after the punt, giving them a short field on which to operate, and they quickly took advantage. On their first snap, Kane Archer threw to Brayden Renick at the 39, moving the sticks. Wesley Raggio carried to the 33 then Archer found Renick again at the 24 for another first down. Braxton Canada caught Archer’s next offering at the 17 before Cooper Bland made a catch at the 5-yard-line. Raggio then capped off the drive with a touchdown run up the middle. Kicker Landon Franklin added the extra point for a 7-0 GHS lead (8:49).
The Panthers’ second possession ended with another punt to the Greenwood 39 after a penalty on the Bulldogs. On first down, Raggio carried to the 36 before Archer passed to Canada at the 45, the play on which the receiver was injured and had to be helped off the field. When play resumed, Mario Dunbar carried to the 47 before Archer connected with Brayden Brewer for a pass completion at the 39. Two plays later Cooper Bland made a catch and reached the 9-yard-line for another first down. Raggio ran to the five on the next snap before Archer scored with a scramble to the right pylon and into the end zone. The point after kick was good for a 14-0 Greenwood lead with 4:50 left in the opening period.
Once again the GHS defense forced a quick retreat by the Panthers’ offense with the ensuing punt to the Greenwood 41 with 2:25 showing on the first quarter clock. A penalty pushed the ball back to the home 36, but Kane Archer’s pass to Benton Hossley erased that blemish very quickly, reaching the Siloam Springs 38, moving the chains. Two more GHS penalties followed, putting the ball at the 50 before Archer scrambled to the 43. He then passed to Cooper Bland, reaching the 31, bringing up a fourth down situation. Needing three yards for a first down, Archer executed a perfect quarterback draw that turned into another amazing touchdown run right up the gut, breaking three tackles along the way. The extra point kick made it 21-0 (1:43).
Siloam Springs finally got some offensive traction on its next possession, earning three first downs before punting the ball out-of-bounds at the Greenwood 29. The Bulldogs reached the Panthers’ 33 before a holding penalty derailed their possession and forced their first punt of the contest. With the Bulldogs’ top two punters both injured, the kick was short and took a bad bounce back into Greenwood territory at the 43. But the visitors were unable to move the ball and gave it back to the Bulldogs on downs a short time later.
Mario Dunbar got six yards on first down to the 49, then ran again to the Panthers’ 45 before Archer passed to Brayden Renick at the 38. Dunbar then carried twice more to the 31 to move the sticks. On the next snap, Archer connected with Brayden Brewer to the 13-yard-line, setting up the next play, a quarterback keeper for a touchdown around left end. Landon Franklin’s point after kick was good and Greenwood led 28-0 with 4:35 left in the second quarter.
Once again, the home defense proved impenetrable to the visiting offense and the Panthers quickly punted the ball back to the Bulldogs at their own 35. Archer then passed to Benton Hossley at the 50 before targeting Brayden Renick at the Siloam Springs’ 36. Two snaps later, Archer found Hossley again near the 20 and the GHS receiver carried tacklers inside the 5-yard-line. A facemask penalty then put the ball at the visitors’ 1-yard-line. Two plays later Archer carried up the middle for the score, his fourth rushing touchdown of the half. The extra point kick was good again and Greenwood led 35-0 at the half.
That would be all for Kane Archer, who did not play in the second half, giving way to backup Cruz Coatney. With the clock running almost non-stop, the final two periods went by quickly, but the Bulldogs managed to score once more on their second possession of the half. The drive started at their own 15-yard-line with Coatney at the helm.
His first target was Brayden Renick at the 26, moving the chains. The junior QB then found Benton Hossley on a sideline pass for a big gain to the Siloam Springs’ 35. Coatney then kept the ball for three yards to the 32 before passing to Brayden Brewer for another short gain at the 29. On the next snap, Wesley Raggio found a gap and burst through the left side of the Panthers’ defense for the touchdown. Landon Franklin’s extra point kick was good with about 1:35 left in the third quarter for a 42-0 GHS lead, accounting for the final score.
Unofficially, Kane Archer finished the game with 85 yards on seven carries, and his four rushing touchdowns give him 17 for the season. He was also productive and efficient through the air with 228 passing yards on 17 of 20 completions despite the rash of injuries sustained by his receiving corps in recent weeks. Greenwood’s best receiver, senior Champ Davis, has hardly played this season after suffering a pair of minor injuries. His expected return will certainly bolster the offense.
"We've had one of our top receivers (Davis) out for a while, then we lost our next two top receivers," said Head Coach Chris Young after Friday’s contest. "[But] we’ve had guys step up. We had some guys come in that started [junior varsity] games [last] Monday night, and they played most of the game. But they played well and made plays. They were efficient and protected the ball. I [also] thought they blocked well on the edge. We're not going to make excuses. If we have an injury, we've got to have somebody step up, and we had that."
As for Kane Archer’s antics, Young said, "I tell you what, we get spoiled around here when we see him make those plays every week. You just don't see those anywhere else. He's a special talent, with his understanding of the game and his ability to break down and make something happen." Indeed, as good as he is when things go right, Archer may be even more dangerous when things go south and he is forced to improvise with the football. His uncanny knowledge of the game, his field awareness, his legs and elusiveness, and his strong right arm make him a rare breed, and the Bulldogs are fortunate to have him.
Other unofficial stats included a pair of rushing touchdowns for Wesley Raggio on eight carries for 59 yards. Benton Hossley had four catches for 113 yards, or about 28 yards per catch. Brayden Renick had six receptions for 62 yards while Brayden Brewer had three catches for 32 yards. Cooper Bland caught three passes for 54 yards before leaving the game.
In his post-game comments, Coach Young also praised the work of his scout team for preparing the starters for the Panthers. “I’m proud of our kids,” he said. “Not only did we have a good week of practice with our starters, but our guys on the scout team, and our special teams [play] was good. We didn’t play great last week, and Coach [Josh] Holloway does such a great job preparing those guys. He really got after it with them this week, and so did Coach Gill and our defensive staff, and I thought we saw big improvements in our kicking game and defensively.
“Offensively, I think we executed. We scored on five out of six possessions in the first half. We had some young guys come in and step up and respond well for their first Friday night action. Rhett Holloway has been awesome the last couple weeks as the scout team running back, and Drake Little. It’s hard being the scout team running back when you’re 140 pounds and they’re hitting you every single play, and those two guys, not only have they gotten better, but they’ve made our defense better. That’s what’s special about Greenwood football. It’s not just the 22 guys who start, those other 70 guys on the sideline get after it during the week, and we’re fortunate to have that. And when you get injuries, it’s awesome to see them on the field on Friday night. Our coaches love the kids, and they coach the third string guy just as hard as the first string guy, and I think that helps us. When they get an opportunity, they are ready.”
The Bulldogs have four regular season games remaining, two at home and two on the road, starting with a trip to Lake Hamilton next Friday. The Wolves are struggling this season with a 2-4 record, 1-2 in league play. The Bulldogs then play back-to-back home games at Smith-Robinson Stadium, hosting Van Buren (4-2, 3-0) on the 24th and Fort Smith Southside (4-2, 1-2) on the 31st. Greenwood will close out its regular season schedule at Mountain Home (5-1, 2-1) on November 7th.