Greenwood Head Coach Cory Chambers and his freshmen Bulldogs (7-1, 7-0) are on quite a roll, winning seven consecutive games in conference play, all of them by big margins. After falling to a big and talented Bryant team in their non-conference season opener, the Junior Dogs have outscored their league opponents by an average of 27 points or 36.7 to 9.7 points per game. Only one conference game remains next Thursday at Clarksville.

Getting off to a slow start

The freshmen Bulldogs won last Thursday at home at Smith-Robinson Stadium, defeating the Jr. Panthers of Siloam Springs in shutout fashion, 29-0. But things got off to a slow start with neither team crossing the goal line in the first quarter. The Panthers were forced to punt after receiving the opening kick, while Greenwood fumbled the ball away at the Siloam Springs’ 22-yard-line after a 41-yard drive, ending an early scoring threat.

The visitors then marched across midfield and into Greenwood territory before the home defense stopped the drive after an incomplete pass on fourth down at the Greenwood 43. With just under six minutes left in the second period, the freshmen Dogs put together their first scoring drive in just four plays.

The first of those snaps resulted in a short gain by running back Parker Spencer, reaching the 45. After a penalty on Siloam Springs moved the ball to the 50, quarterback Bentley Renick passed to Chase Bercher for 10 yards at the Panthers’ 40. Renick then kept the ball and rambled to the 22-yard-line before handing off to Spencer on the next snap. The Greenwood RB found room around right end all the way to the end zone. Kicker Leo Anaya added the extra point for a 7-0 lead (4:19).

Finishing with a flourish

But after the slow start, including the lost fumble and zero points in the opening quarter, the Bulldogs ended the first half with a bang, scoring twice in less than a minute at the end of the second period. After the Greenwood defense forced a Siloam Springs’ punt, Bentley Renick returned the kick from the home 47 to the Panthers’ 20-yard-line with 1:17 left in the half.

Back behind center, Renick then gave the ball to Parker Spencer, who ran off right tackle all the way to the end zone for six points. The extra point was true, putting the home team ahead 14-0 with 1:12 showing on the scoreboard clock. But the Junior Bulldogs weren’t done, scoring again just 39 seconds later.

The sequence began with an onside kick attempt that was recovered by Greenwood’s Mason Mizell at the Panthers’ 42-yard-line. On first down, Bentley Renick kept the football and got 19 yards to the 23. After a one-yard gain by Spencer, Renick found receiver Chase Bercher over the middle for a 22-yard touchdown pass. Leo Anaya’s foot made the score 21-0 with 33 ticks left on the clock before halftime.

After the break

The Junior Bulldogs added another touchdown in the third quarter on their first possession of the half after receiving the opening kickoff. Chase Bercher recovered a Panthers’ onside kick attempt at the Greenwood 48, setting up the scoring drive. Running back Truett Embree ran twice to the Siloam Springs’ 39 before Renick threw to Bercher at the 25. Another toss to Bercher reached the 17 before Renick kept the ball himself for 14 yards to the 3-yard-line. Embree scored on the next play, but the extra point snap was bad, forcing holder Bentley Renick to improvise, running right to the end zone for two points.

Leading 29-0 at the 6:27 mark of the third quarter, the game was essentially over. But there were highlights for each team. The Jr. Panthers next put together their most impressive drive of the contest, marching from their own 22 to the Greenwood 8-yard-line before the wheels came off for Siloam Springs. Facing fourth-down-and-six early in the fourth quarter, the visiting QB made a run for it but was slowed by linebacker Truett Embree before Coltyn Mourton knocked the ball loose to be recovered by fellow defensive back Porter Garcia. The home team then ran out the clock, allowing many offensive reserves to enter the game in the final few minutes.

Post-game comments

After the contest, Coach Chambers talked about the win, agreeing that the game started slowly. “They’ve shown that offense once or twice this year. But we weren’t sure if they were going to come out in the gun and run the triple option or run it out of the flex bone. It took us a minute defensively to get used to what they were doing with the straight dives and the whole backfield, but we settled in.”

He continued, “Once we got the ball back and scored, those last five minutes of the second quarter were a huge momentum swing. We scored, recovered an onside kick, and scored quickly again. After that, I told them that as long as the next five minutes of the third quarter went the way they should, we’d get the ball, score, and the game would be over.”

Asked about the botched extra point try, Chambers said, “That was not my plan. I didn’t watch it, but [Renick] either couldn’t get it on the block, or something happened that wasn’t planned. But it always helps to have one of your best players catching that snap. That way, if something happens, he’s got it, and we can do something with it.”

Regarding individual performances that stood out, the coach said, “[Coltyn] Morton had a good night offensively. He told me at halftime that he wanted to come out and block. When a receiver tells you, ‘Hey, I want to block,’ that’s when you’re going to get the football thrown to you. We threw him a touchdown right then, and he had a nice catch down here on the quick pass in the fourth quarter, too.”

The head coach also liked the play of his running backs. Parker Spencer played well again as he has all season. “He had a nice game with two touchdowns and some good chunk plays. Truett [Embree] had a good drive where he scored, but it got called back, I believe. Overall, it was a great team effort.”

Asked about the play of his defense, Chambers said, “After that first possession, the defense looked great. We limited them to some four-and-five-yard plays, and a four-yard play in the second half.”

The team is also quite healthy for this late in the season with one conference game remaining before ending their schedule on the road at Lake Hamilton. Asked about the status of the league race, Chambers refused to lay claim to the conference title, saying, “I’m not sure. I’m pretty sure I know, but I don’t want to say that. For sure, if we win next week, it’s a done deal.”