So, what happens when the best team in Arkansas Class 6A football for the past 14 years gets demoted to Class 5A? As you might expect, that team will dominate its new conference and quite possibly the entire classification for years to come. Of course, we’re talking about the Greenwood Bulldogs who were pushed down to Class 5A this season after appearing in six consecutive state championship games on the 6A level and 11 times during their 14 years in Class 6A.
After a head coaching change during the off-season and two narrow non-conference losses on the road against 7A opponents, the Bulldogs have now won six straight games, including five in a row against 5A West league members. Furthermore, they have won those games almost exclusively in mercy rule fashion by 35 points or more.
Last Friday’s 56-7 victory at Pea Ridge is a prime example of the imperfect system created by the Arkansas Activities Association (AAA) to bring competitive balance to the upper levels of Arkansas football, and particularly to a handful of private schools with top-notch gridiron programs. Those schools include Springdale’s Shiloh Christian and the two Central Arkansas teams, Pulaski Academy and Little Rock Christian.
For those schools, enrollment numbers don’t matter because for years they dominated everyone on the field while playing 3A, 4A, or 5A football, forcing the AAA to act by gradually moving them up in classification until now the top private schools have nowhere else to go. They are already in Class 7A and are doing well, especially Shiloh Christian (7-1) this season, recently ranked as the best team in the state. As of last week, Greenwood was ranked #9 in that same Associated Press poll.
But the Bulldogs’ placement in Class 5A for the 2026 season was beyond their control. Ever since joining Class 6A in 2012, Greenwood High School had been one of the smallest schools in the classification, based on enrollment, despite their recognized excellence on the gridiron before and after that time.
The truth is that there is no perfect way to classify every school and team under supervision by the AAA. There has been and always will be power schools in each classification that tend to dominate the competition, and it has little to do with student enrollment numbers. Community support, tax dollars, tradition, and coaching play a huge role in creating and sustaining a consistently solid football program. Greenwood has perfected that system for the past 30 years, as have a few other schools.
Hence, the Bulldogs have rolled to five consecutive mercy rule victories in the 5A West, winning by an average of about 40 points per game while usually pulling their starters sometime during the third quarter. That dominance will almost certainly continue over the next two weeks as Greenwood wraps up conference play at home against Clarksville (1-7) and Alma (5-3).
Winning the league title and the top seed from the West also entitles the Bulldogs to home field advantage all the way through the state semifinals. In other words, Greenwood could host five straight home games between now and the state title game in December. That’s quite an advantage, especially since the Bulldogs have won 80 consecutive games at Smith-Robinson Stadium. Even looking ahead, Joe T. Robinson, last year’s 5A champions, are still unbeaten (8-0) and could be the only team that might derail the Bulldogs in their quest for a 13th state championship in program history, all since the year 2000.
First half ends with mercy rule
Friday’s win at Pea Ridge began with three consecutive touchdowns, one by the GHS defense and two more offensively before adding two more at the end of the first half, building a 35-0 lead at the break, invoking the mercy rule for the second half. They quickly built a 49-0 lead in the third quarter before the Blackhawks finally scored on an interception return. The #2 Greenwood offense then added another touchdown to account for the 56-7 final.
The Dogs played the game without starting offensive lineman Alex Vanderwatt, out for the second time this season with an injured leg. But a recent returnee from a spring injury is senior linebacker Griffin Mourton, who will provide additional depth for an improving GHS defense for the end of the regular season and the playoffs. Otherwise, the Bulldogs are very healthy for this late in the season.
But it wasn’t the GHS offense that scored the Bulldogs’ first touchdown. That honor went to the defense, or more specifically to the punt return squad. After kicking off and forcing the Blackhawks into a quick punt from their own 20, Greenwood blocked the kick and not only recovered it but returned it for a touchdown. Junior Drew Dickinson was credited with the block, causing the ball to be popped high into the air, allowing senior linebacker Rodney Wirth to cradle the pigskin unhindered before racing the 17 yards to the end zone. Landon Franklin added the extra point for a 7-0 GHS lead (10:56).
A second defensive stand and another quick Pea Ridge punt finally put the ball in the hands of quarterback Cruz Coatney and the GHS offense at their own 46. Ten plays later, the Bulldogs were in the end zone again. Coatney passed to Ty Holt on first down, reaching the Blackhawks’ 37. Another pass to Braxton Canada netted three yards after a penalty. A second toss to Holt reached the 29 before Rhett Holloway ran to the 23. Mario Dunbar carried to the 17 before Holloway ran twice to the 5-yard-line. After a 1-yard loss, Dunbar carried in for the score from six yards out. Franklin’s kick made it 14-0 (5:05).
Another three-and-out by Pea Ridge gave the ball right back to Greenwood moments later. Ty Holt returned the punt nine yards to the Blackhawks’ 43. Dunbar ran to the 38 before Coatney threw to Holt at the 29. Holloway got 10 yards to the 19 for a first down before a short pass to Canada gained the 16. Coatney then found Ty Karnes on the right side near the 10-yard-line before the sophomore receiver ran in for the score. The extra point made it 21-0 later in the first quarter.
As the game moved into the second period, the Blackhawks finally got some offensive traction, moving deep into GHS territory at the 18 before losing possession of the ball on downs. But the two teams traded punts over the next few minutes before the Bulldogs’ fourth possession started at the visitors’ 44 with just under five minutes left in the half.
Coatney passed to Cooper Webb at the 49 before Braxton Canada made a spectacular leaping, diving catch at the Pea Ridge 45. Mario Dunbar then ran for two yards before Coatney passed to Ty Holt at the 33. Brayden Renick got three yards after a short pass and catch before grabbing a screen pass for 15 yards to the 15-yard-line. Rhett Holloway got two yards before Coatney passed again to Renick at the 10. Offensive coordinator Stephen Hogan then called the same play again, this time for a touchdown after Renick bounced off a couple defenders and into the end zone. The PAT made it 28-0 (1:21).
The Greenwood defense then clamped down again, with Head Coach Jason Gill using a timeout to stop the clock, preserving 55 seconds for his offense to try and score again. Pea Ridge punted the ball to the Bulldogs’ 34-yard-line with no return. It took just two plays to score Greenwood’s fifth touchdown to activate the mercy rule for the second half.
Cruz Coatney scrambled for a nice gain of 14 yards to the 48-yard-line on first down, moving the sticks. But another first down proved unnecessary when Braxton Canada got behind a defender deep down field and ran underneath a perfectly thrown ball by Coatney. He caught the pass just inside the 15-yard-line before waltzing in for the touchdown. Landon Franklin’s extra point kick was good, making the score 35-0 at the half.
Second half highlights
Greenwood’s first two scores of the second half came very quickly. Starting from their own 35 after receiving the opening kickoff, the Bulldogs again needed just two snaps to strike gold in the end zone. A Coatney pass to Canada got four yards to the 39 before the Greenwood QB handed off to Mario Dunbar in the backfield. The stout but diminutive running back took contact before spinning away and breaking through the middle of the Pea Ridge defense and streaking unimpeded for six points. It was the longest run of the season for Dunbar and perhaps in his high school career. The PAT was good (11:18).
Leading 42-0, the Bulldogs’ defense had another stellar moment when linebacker Coltin Lacy stripped the Pea Ridge quarterback of the football. After a scramble, Lacy also recovered the ball at the home 13-yard-line. Coatney followed with a short swing pass to Ty Holt to the left side, with the senior receiver battling his way down the sideline all the way to the end zone. Reserve kicker Grayson Cobbler then made it 49-0 with the clock ticking almost continuously.
Moments later, the Blackhawks scored their lone touchdown of the game on defense, returning a Joey Young interception 42 yards for six points. Young had replaced Coatney at quarterback. The Pea Ridge extra point was good. But Young and the rest of Greenwood’s #2 offense had their moment in the spotlight, scoring the game’s final touchdown after a 57-yard drive that extended into the fourth quarter.
On first down, Young connected with receiver Bentley Neece at the Pea Ridge 43 then found Ty Karnes for a completion at the 35. That’s when reserve running back Drake Little took over, rushing four times in succession, the last one for five yards and six points right up the middle. Cobbler’s extra point kick made the final score 56-7.
The Blackhawks did mount one last scoring threat late in the game, reaching the Greenwood 2-yard-line. But the Bulldogs’ #2 defense rose to the occasion and stopped them short on fourth down and inches, preserving some Bulldog pride and the 49-point Greenwood victory. The Bulldogs then ran out the remaining time.
Post-game analysis
Unofficially, Cruz Coatney completed 17 of 21 passes for 171 yards and four touchdowns. Braxton Canada, Brayden Renick, Ty Karnes, and Ty Holt were the recipients of those scoring tosses. Canada had 65 yards on five catches, most of that coming on the one touchdown reception. Ty Holt had four receptions for 46 yards while Brayden Renick had four grabs for 32 yards. Ty Karnes had two catches for 24 yards and a score. Mario Dunbar ran five times for 77 yards and two touchdowns while Rhett Holloway carried eight times for 36 yards. Drake Little had seven carries for 51 yards and a touchdown.
Coach Gill talked with the media after the game, saying, "Getting off the field quick and scoring [those] three touchdowns really set the tone. I’m so proud of how our team responded after a big win [last week] over Farmington. You really never know how a team responds after a big-time emotional win, but our team certainly played well tonight."
The coach added that his team needed to keep playing hard despite the big halftime lead. "We still wanted to play with a sense of urgency and told our guys it was 0-0 at halftime," said Gill. "Mario [Dunbar] hit the hole well and credit to Coltin [Lacy] recovering the [fumble] to set up the short field for another score."
Following the complimentary statement of Farmington head coach Tommy Tice regarding the play of Greenwood’s offensive line a week earlier, Pea Ridge head coach Max Hotelling said, "Hats off to Greenwood. All they have done is win for the last 20 years, but our team is fighting and is getting better here at Pea Ridge.” It seems that the Bulldogs are making quite an impression with their fellow 5A West conference members, and for good reason. Two more conference games remain.