The Greenwood Junior High Bulldogs are off and running after a dominating performance over Shiloh Christian last Thursday night at Smith-Robinson Stadium. Starting their season a week earlier than normal, the Jr. ‘Dogs ran and passed their way to a convincing 35-12 non-conference victory, despite playing through a light rain.
An open date built into the schedule in October pushed the opener up a week, but the GHS freshmen didn’t seem to notice, executing well offensively and defensively. Head Coach Shannon Rhea voiced his satisfaction in post-game comments.
“I thought our boys gave great effort,” said Rhea. “Shiloh scored first in the game, and I was impressed [with] how we responded in coming back. L.J. Robins did a good job running the ball for us when the weather was not very good.
“I [also] thought it was big that we made plays with our defense. Andrew Bass made a big block on a punt which led to a scoop and score by Eli Whitaker. I thought [Braden] Skaggs played a great game. Not only was he the holder on extra points, but he made a couple of pass breakups on defense at safety. He also scored on a big punt return,” said the coach.
Indeed, the Jr. Saints scored first after Greenwood’s opening drive ended with a fumble at the Shiloh 8-yard-line, wasting a 41-yard run by Robins on the game’s first snap. The visitors then mounted an 11-play drive that ended with a 12-yard touchdown pass. The extra point try failed and Shiloh led 6-0.
But the home offense redeemed itself quickly, starting near midfield following a nice kick return to the 45. As the game moved into the second quarter, quarterback Slade Dean guided his teammates down the field in seven snappy plays to take the lead for good. Dean completed two of three pass attempts during the short drive.
He passed to receiver Peyton Presson on first down for nine yards, then later completed a screen pass to Robins for 17 yards and a critical first down, keeping the possession alive. Robins then scored on the next play, making a nice cut to daylight and the end zone to tie the score. Kicker Bodie Steinfeldt added the extra point for a 7-6 Greenwood lead.
The Junior Bulldogs scored twice more in the remaining minutes of the opening half, though the offense only logged one more possession that ended with a punt. Braden Skaggs returned a Shiloh punt 54 yards for Greenwood’s second touchdown, followed by a defensive score.
With Shiloh punting from near its own 20, Greenwood’s Andrew Bass rushed the kicker and blocked the punt, picked up by teammate Eli Whitaker at the 18 and returned for a touchdown. Steinfeldt added both extra points for a 21-6 lead.
But the visitors refused to go quietly, and added their second and last score just before the half ended. It came on a 40-yard pass and run to the end zone, capping off a six-play drive. Again, the two-point conversion attempt failed.
Leading 21-12 at the break, the Bulldogs’ defense dominated the second half, while the offense added two more scores. After the Saints moved across midfield into Greenwood territory, Braden Skaggs came up big once again, picking off a Shiloh pass at the 25-yard-line, returning it all the way to the visitor’s 27.
After an incomplete pass, Robins scored on a run to the left side after a nice cutback against the Shiloh defense. The PAT by Steinfeldt pushed the Greenwood lead to 28-12 early in the third quarter.
The home defense stopped the Saints on fourth down at the Greenwood 20, thwarting the visitor’s best and last scoring opportunity of the second half. The two teams then traded interceptions with Noah Chaser snagging the first errant pass for the Jr. ‘Dogs.
With Shiloh quickly back in possession of the football, the Greenwood defense refused to give ground when Brady Pettigrew and Peyton Presson combined for a quarterback sack on fourth down at the visitor’s 40.
Greenwood’s final touchdown soon followed when L.J. Robins tip-toed through the middle of the Shiloh defense before breaking into the open and sprinting to the end zone for 60 yards and six points. Steinfeldt made it 35-12 with 1:40 remaining to play. Robins finished the game with well over 100 yards rushng.
Up next for the Jr. Bulldogs is a trip to Russellville this coming Thursday, September 3rd. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. With coronavirus restrictions in place across the state, fans and families of players should contact the athletic department for information about tickets for road games. Information is also available on the Greenwood Dog Pound Facebook page. Look for videos posted by Greenwood Athletic Director Dr. Dustin Smith.