The Greenwood Junior High Bulldogs had some catching up to do after a helter-skelter start to their season due to the cancellation or postponement of three games, and they got it done last week with a pair of road victories. Last Monday the Jr. ‘Dogs defeated Fort Smith Northside, 48-14. On Thursday they made the long trip to Crooked Creek, beating the Jr. Goblins of Harrison, 42-21. The GHS freshmen are now 7-0 on the season with two games remaining.
Assuming they get to finish their remaining schedule, Head Coach Shannon Rhea and his team will play just nine games this season, but will complete their entire conference slate. Greenwood hosts Van Buren and Alma over the next two weeks to close out their 2021 campaign. They are also riding an 18-game winning streak dating back to the last game of 2019 and were unbeaten (10-0) last season.
A traditional football power in Class 5A, the Harrison Goblins have a solid program all the way down to the junior high ranks, and this year’s version of the freshmen Goblins were one of the better teams Greenwood has faced this season, certainly in River Valley Conference play. The two teams fought to a virtual stalemate in the first half. The game was tied at 14-all with a minute left in the second quarter before the Bulldogs scored a late touchdown for a 21-14 lead at the break. But the visitors put the game away in the second half, outscoring Harrison 21-7 for the win.
The Jr. ‘Dogs rushed for over 300 yards and passed for over 150 more against a good Harrison defense that gave the visitors all they wanted in the first half. Offensively, the Goblins also challenged the Greenwood defense with their powerful running game led by tailback and all-purpose player Owen Strode. But in the end the Bulldogs were the much better team.
On a cool evening in Boone County the home team attempted an onside kick to start the game, but Greenwood’s Cash Archer stepped up to grab the bouncing ball at the visitors’ 47-yard-line. Three penalties and eight snaps later, the Jr. Bulldogs scored the first of their six touchdowns. The biggest play of the drive was also the last, with Kane Archer running a quarterback draw to perfection, weaving his way downfield for a 30-yard scoring run. The extra point kick by Zachery Edwards was good, putting Greenwood on top 7-0 at the 5:55 mark of the opening period.
Greenwood’s next score came just over two minutes later, after the Bulldogs forced Harrison to punt on its first possession. The kick was downed at the visitors’ 30-yard-line. Two plays later from the 32, Archer gave the ball to Grant Karnes, who found space around left end, then used a stiff arm to ward off a would-be tackler before gaining the sideline and sprinting for the touchdown. Edwards’ kick was good, and Greenwood led 14-0 with 3:28 showing on the scoreboard clock.
But the Jr. ‘Dogs wouldn’t score again for 11 minutes, until just before halftime. Meanwhile, the Jr. Goblins put themselves back in the game with a pair of touchdowns, both scored by Strode, one on the ground and another through the air. After Greenwood went up 14-0, Harrison responded with a time-consuming drive covering 67 yards in 12 plays, taking nearly five minutes off the clock before scoring on a short run at the 6:48 mark of the second quarter.
Three punts followed, two by Greenwood and one by the Goblins before Harrison took possession at its own 37-yard-line with about two minutes remaining in the half. But the home team only needed two plays to score, both big gainers of over 30 yards each. The first was a 32-yard run by Strode, followed by a 31-yard pass to Strode for the touchdown.
With 1:01 remaining in the first half, the score was tied at 14-all. But Greenwood’s offense roared back to life, needing only 24 seconds to score and retake the lead for good. Kaylor Jasna returned the Harrison kickoff 18 yards to the Greenwood 39 to set up the scoring play. On first down, Kane Archer connected with his older brother at the 48, and Cash Archer found nothing but wide-open space ahead of him, sprinting almost unhindered for the touchdown. The PAT was good and both teams soon headed off the field at halftime.
When play resumed in the third quarter, the Goblins received the opening kick and gambled on fourth down, but came up short at the Harrison 45-yard-line, giving Greenwood great field position for their opening series. Three plays later the Jr. ‘Dogs doubled their lead at 28-14 and would never look back.
On first down, Karnes battled his way through the defense for 14 yards to the 31. Archer then kept the ball for a short gain to the 27, but really showed his chops by scrambling out of the pocket and slipping tackles down the right sideline for his second rushing touchdown of the game. Edwards’ kick made the score 28-14 (5:19).
Following another Harrison punt, Greenwood scored again after a 57-yard drive in five plays. The first four snaps resulted in 12 yards on four carries into Harrison territory. But on the fifth snap, Archer launched a deep pass downfield to Daniel Burton near the right sideline. The freshman receiver hauled in the catch at the 18-yard-line, then slipped a tackle at the five before crossing the goal line. The PAT made the score 35-14 with 1:32 left in the quarter.
The Goblins scored their third and final touchdown late in the fourth quarter, chewing up over seven minutes of clock time on a methodical 68-yard, 17-play drive that ended with a 1-yard scoring run by Strode. The touchdown came with 2:15 remaining on the game clock, just enough time for the Bulldogs to strike one last time.
The Goblins helped by trying another onside kick, but again it failed when Daniel Burton covered the ball at the Greenwood 48. On second down Jeremy Lawyer ran for eight yards to the Harrison 44. Two snaps later, on fourth-and-two, Archer completed a short pass to Grant Karnes, who caught the ball near the 40 before eluding a tackle and racing down the sideline for the game’s last touchdown. Zachery Edwards’ kick made the final score 42-21.
Back on defense with just over a minute left to play, the Bulldogs got their only turnover of the contest when Kaylor Jasna picked off a Harrison pass at the Greenwood 20 and returned it almost 40 yards to the Goblins’ 41. The Bulldogs then lined up in victory formation and took a knee on the game’s final play.
After an exhausting week that featured five games over four days, Coach Rhea talked about the experience and praised his freshmen for their play and perseverance while dealing with a crazy schedule, confirming that they will play only nine games this season. They will host Van Buren next Thursday night at Smith-Robinson Stadium at 6 p.m.
“It was an unusual week,” said Rhea. “We had a game about every night. It was kind of tough, but we got it done.” Not only did the freshman ‘Dogs play two games on Monday and Thursday, both on the road, but the seventh and eighth grade teams all played on Tuesday night at home again Van Buren Northridge. Greenwood’s two seventh grade squads split with Van Buren, while the Greenwood eighth graders won their game.
Asked about the chance of a tenth game for the freshmen, Rhea explained why that has now become an impossibility. “It’s just so hard to find anybody [to play] this time of year. Everybody is in their conference schedule, we’ve got basketball coming up, and we can’t play past the tenth week.”
As for last Monday’s second win of the season over Fort Smith Northside, the coach said, “I thought we played really well Monday. I thought we really looked quick and were running to the ball on defense and executing on offense. We were pretty much in control of that game.”
The Jr. ‘Dogs also played shorthanded in both games last week. Linebacker Cash Owenby was quarantined (Covid-19) and Isiah Arrington was banged up late in the game against Northside, and missed Thursday’s contest at Harrison. In addition, defensive back Scott Holland fell ill and did not play against the Goblins. All three players should be ready to go this week.
“I’m proud of our boys,” said Coach Rhea. “Quite a few of them had to play both ways. Grant Karnes had to play linebacker, running back, and receiver and Daniel Burton played safety for us on defense. We’ve been having to move guys around. I thought it was a credit to our team that we were able to plug guys in and they were able to do their job. Our schedule has been screwed up and I’m proud they’ve been able to adapt.
As for the win over Harrison, Rhea gave the Goblins a lot of credit. “The thing that makes Harrison tough is ball control. They run right at you. If they don’t make any turnovers, they are tough to stop. They’ve got big linemen and they try to run right down your throat. We know what they’re doing, but stopping them is another thing. They were a physical team and kind of smacked us in the face, but I thought we really responded well. Coach Daniels challenged the defense at halftime, and we shut them down in the third quarter and were able to hold our lead.”
As for the final two weeks of the season, coaches and players alike are just happy to be back at home. The freshman team hasn’t played at Smith-Robinson Stadium since September 23rd. “It’s going to be good to play at home and not have to travel against two of our local rivals (Van Buren, Alma). It’s going to be fun,” said the weary head coach.