It’s hard to believe, but the Greenwood Bulldogs are still winless after two games following last Friday’s 33-35 road loss at Pulaski Academy in Little Rock. Starting 0-2 is something that hasn’t happened since 1994, the program’s first season under head coach Ronnie Peacock. But lest we forget, that season was critical to the future of the GHS program. If you’ve forgotten or you weren’t around back then, here’s a brief recap.
After Peacock was hired to replace head coach Rick Rachel (28-31-2), the Bulldogs opened the 1994 season with back-to-back losses to Paris (22-27) and Waldron (19-23), not exactly high school football powers in Arkansas. No offense to the Paris Eagles or the Waldron Bulldogs. But those two losses were enough for Coach Peacock to make a bold decision to abandon the traditional “three yards and a cloud of dust” philosophy of most high school coaches in that era, the same style of play perfected by legendary Arkansas coaches Tommy Tice and Frank Vines, bringing championships to both Harrison and Alma.
Having played and coached in college with a brief stint in the NFL, Peacock decided to do something almost unheard of at that time in Arkansas football. He was going to run a “spread” offense and throw the ball around the yard, daring opposing defenses to stop his Bulldogs if they could. Luckily for Peacock, he had the personnel to make the change work, led by senior Travis McDaniel, a nimble, elusive quarterback with a strong arm who later played baseball for the Razorbacks. Snapping the ball to McDaniel was junior center Aaron Gamble, who replaced McDaniel at quarterback the next season. Oh yes, did I mention a receiver named Kris Weible, the only player in Greenwood football history to have his jersey number retired? He still holds the national record for yards per catch (23).
The whole team quickly bought in to the new offensive philosophy, and other receivers contributed as McDaniel went on to pass for over 2,000 yards as Greenwood won six of its next seven games, including a win over traditional gridiron power Harrison. Their only loss during that stretch was to Siloam Springs before their regular season finale against Alma, a 0-21 loss in a mud bowl at Airedale Stadium in the rain. But the Bulldogs qualified for the playoffs, losing 21-27 to Watson Chapel in the first round, finishing that season at 6-5.
Gamble replaced McDaniel the following year and the team improved to 7-3 overall but missed the playoffs due to the tiebreaker system. That was the last time Greenwood missed the post-season. Coach Peacock then took Greenwood to its first state championship game in 1996 with sophomore Brooks Coatney at quarterback, losing to Watson Chapel once again. But the foundation was laid for everything that followed leading up to Greenwood’s first state title in the 2000 season.
Eleven more championships have followed since and there’s no reason why the Bulldogs can’t return to War Memorial Stadium again this season, despite their shaky start. They have one more non-conference game remaining next Friday at home against the Rogers Mounties, also 0-2 on the season. Both teams were ranked in the pre-season top ten by many pundits but have been felled by other power teams in the first two weeks.
I also believe that had the Bulldogs played their first two games at home, they might have won both contests. Sometimes the margin of error on the road is extremely small when playing a quality team and Greenwood lost both games by a combined six points. So, while it’s natural to be concerned about the poor start to the season, it’s way too soon to panic, even if the Bulldogs lose Friday’s game with Rogers. The players and coaches are working hard to fix their mistakes and improve their performance. They will also have an open date on the 18th of the month, giving them additional practice time to make adjustments before the start of conference play on the 25th at Morrilton.
Remember, the Bulldogs are playing in the 5A West this season, not the 6A West, so the league schedule is not as daunting as in the past. I expect Greenwood to go unbeaten in conference play, and many others would agree with that assessment, I’m sure. But unbeaten or not, a first-place finish in the league is not out of the question, giving them an excellent chance of returning to the state championship game in December.
That’s my take, anyway, and I encourage all Greenwood fans to be patient with this team as they find their identity and fight together to turn their season around under the leadership of Head Coach Jason Gill. I have every confidence they will do so successfully. It’s true that the unparalleled success of the GHS football program over the past three decades has set a high standard, possibly an unsustainable standard after the departure of a generational talent at quarterback in Kane Archer, now at the University of Utah.
Archer was personally responsible for nearly 400 yards of offense every game his last two seasons at Greenwood, and that’s an impossible standard for any first-year starting quarterback to live up to. Cruz Coatney can lead this team in 2026 but must be given time and space to grow into the position without being unfairly compared to Kane Archer.
Neither should Coach Gill be unjustly compared to his predecessors, Chris Young or Rick Jones. Gill is an outstanding defensive coordinator and a proven head coach at nearby Mansfield with 13 years of experience at Greenwood. He was originally hired by Coach Jones and personally chosen by Young as his successor. He knows what he’s doing, and he has an excellent staff to assist him. They will get things figured out and put the Bulldogs back on a winning track soon, hopefully this coming Friday night against Rogers. So, GHS fans need to show up in force to support the Bulldogs in their home opener. See you there!