It’s been a very hard few days for the Greenwood Bulldogs family and their fans. By now, most everyone knows what happened in the early morning hours last Wednesday on East Hickory Street in Greenwood. Around midnight a neighbor reported a house fire that ultimately took the lives of three family members, a mom and young daughter and her teenage son. The loss of Wendy Medrano, age 46, Vivian, age 5, and 18-year-old Isaiah Arrington, a senior at Greenwood High School, was a grave tragedy by any measure.

But Isaiah was no ordinary twelfth-grader. He was a star receiver for the Greenwood Bulldogs varsity football team in search of a second consecutive state championship. He also had a bright future as a college player next season, perhaps at Missouri State. His gridiron exploits have electrified GHS fans for three seasons with the 2024 playoffs just around the corner. But his untimely passing last Wednesday, just two days before his next game, cast a dark pall over the entire Bulldogs family. And yet, the coaches and players somehow pushed beyond their grief to rally around the memory and legacy of Isaiah Arrington to blow out the Mavericks of Fort Smith Southside, 70-28.

Game #9 of the 2024 season was played at Jim Rowland Stadium on the Southside campus under the shadow and grim reality of life and death, and the Reaper is no respecter of persons, gender, or age. To their credit, the Mavericks and their fans knew the gravity of the moment and were more than happy to join the Bulldogs and their fans to remember Isaiah and his short but meaningful life. By all accounts, Isaiah was a wonderful young man loved by all who knew him who became a Christian and was baptized earlier this year.

Friday night, a touching video tribute was played during the livestream pregame show and again during halftime. The coaches and many others on the GHS sideline and in the stands wore tee-shirts saluting Isaiah and his family. There was a moment of silence observed by both teams at midfield before kickoff. The spirit groups released balloons in Isaiah’s sister Vivian's honor who would've turned 6 on Friday. The Bulldogs also knelt in prayer on the field after their win. Next Friday is senior night at Smith-Robinson Stadium when Isaiah would have been honored along with other senior teammates. It will be another chance for fans to celebrate his life on their home turf.

The 6A #1 ranked Bulldogs entered the Southside game leading the west conference with a 5-0 league mark, 8-0 overall, still the overwhelming favorites to repeat as state champions. And their first half performance against the Mavericks did nothing to lessen those odds. Greenwood scored 70 points in just two quarters while the defense continued to hold opponents in check, still allowing only about 15 points per game. The GHS offense averages around 57 points per contest. The Bulldogs received the opening kick, and the fireworks started early, courtesy of Grant Karnes.

The senior receiver and return specialist fielded the ball just inside the 5-yard-line on the hashmarks, following them straight ahead through a gap in the defense until angling toward the right sideline at midfield, picking up blockers until he saw nothing but green turf ahead all the way to the end zone. He was soon mobbed by teammates celebrating the touchdown, no doubt many of them remembering their lost teammate, who was also an exhilarating return specialist. The extra point kick by Hudson Meeker was good for an early 7-0 GHS lead (11:46).

But the avalanche was just beginning. The ensuing kick return was botched by the Mavericks, allowing the Bulldogs to recover the loose football. Greenwood senior Zach Edwards fell on the slippery pigskin at the Southside 14-yard-line. The two teams then collaborated on a very special moment as the GHS offense lined up in a missing man formation with only 10 players on the field, highlighting Isaiah Arrington’s absence.

When the play clock expired and Greenwood was flagged for a delay of game penalty, the Southsiders politely declined the penalty. Quarterback Kane Archer then threw to Karnes at the 7-yard-line before connecting with junior receiver Champ Davis for the touchdown near the left pylon in the end zone. Meeker’s kick made it 14-0 at the 11:16 mark. But the Mavericks weren’t done helping the visitors out.

After a quick three-and-out on offense, Southside lined up to punt from its own 40, but the snap sailed over the kicker’s head, who was forced to pick up the loose ball and run for his life before kicking it away to the home 46-yard-line. With excellent field position, Archer and company needed just three plays to score again. On first down the GHS quarterback scrambled 26 yards to the Southside 20. He then passed to Davis, reaching the 7-yard-line, before Wesley Raggio carried in for the touchdown. Meeker’s kick was good again and Greenwood led 21-0 not even three minutes into the game (9:18).

After another three minutes the Bulldogs were back in the end zone again following another Southside punt, returned 16 yards by Champ Davis to the Mavericks’ 41. Wesley Raggio carried to the 34 before Kane Archer threw to Ben Hossley, reaching the home 19-yard-line. Archer connected with Grant Karnes to the 10 before Raggio moved the sticks on a fourth down run to the eight. Archer then passed to Davis just over the goal line on the left side for the touchdown. The extra point made it 28-0 at the 6:07 mark of the opening period.

The Greenwood defense continued to thwart the home team on their next possession when defensive back Zack Zitzmann intercepted a Southside pass with a short return to the visitors’ 32. On second down, Archer threw to Cooper Bland for 18 yards to the Mavericks’ 48, then found Grant Karnes for another nice gain to the 39. Bland then made a great catch over the middle near the 15-yard-line a step ahead of a defender before streaking into the end zone (2:48). The PAT made it 35-0, triggering the mercy rule for the second half.

Southside finally stopped the bleeding with its first touchdown before the first quarter ended. The 68-yard drive required seven plays, one a 14-yard pass completion and the other a 28-yard gallop that ended at the GHS 1-yard-line before the short touchdown run on the next snap. The Southside extra point try was good to break the shutout at 35-7 (:01).

A short kick was fielded at the Greenwood 26 by Champ Davis on the final play of the period. He returned the ball to the home 45 to set up the Bulldogs’ next score just 13 seconds into the second stanza. A short gain and a Southside penalty moved the ball to the 37 before Archer lofted a long pass to Davis down the left side. The junior receiver bobbled the ball at first before corralling it and crossing the goal line. Meeker’s kick was true again for a 42-7 GHS lead (11:47).

But the onslaught wasn’t over yet. After another Mavericks’ punt to the Greenwood 26, Archer passed down the right sideline to Grant Karnes for a big gain to the home 21-yard-line. Two snaps later the GHS quarterback rolled to his left before finding Champ Davis wide open in the end zone for the touchdown completion. Hudson Meeker continued to be perfect on extra points and the GHS lead expanded to 49-7 (9:52).

As the first half seemingly crawled by, GHS defensive coordinator Jason Gill and his staff and players maintained their dominance, once again stifling the Mavericks’ offense in three plays and forcing another punt to the Greenwood 33-yard-line. Back behind center, Archer reconnected with Grant Karnes, who battled a defender and made a spectacular one-handed grab down the right sideline, reaching the home 38. Archer then completed three consecutive passes to Hudson Meeker for four yards, to Cooper Goodwin for 19 yards, and finally to Ben Hossley on a crossing pattern at the 10 before scampering in for the touchdown. The PAT made it 56-7 (6:58).

Southside crossed midfield and reached the Greenwood 44 on its next possession, but failed on a fourth down pass, giving the ball back to the white-hot GHS offense with 4:14 remaining in the first half. After a short gain to the 48, Archer threw to Grant Karnes for 22 yards to the Southside 30. On the next snap, Archer handed off to backup QB/receiver Cooper Goodwin, who appeared to want to pass the ball to his right before changing directions and scrambling for 16 yards around left end. Archer then threw to receiver Scott Holland over the middle for the touchdown. The kick made it 63-7 with 2:50 left.

Still, the hometown Mavericks didn’t quit, driving 77 yards in eight plays, including a 21-yard pass completion and a 36-yard run to the GHS 30. Two more passes reached the 3-yard-line before a short TD pass moments later. The Southside PAT trimmed the Greenwood lead to 63-14 with 1:01 left in the second quarter, just enough time for the visitors to score again.

The Bulldogs’ final score required seven plays and included a 15-yard penalty on the Mavericks. The possession began with a long kick return of 31 yards by Grant Karnes to the Greenwood 41. Archer then scrambled to the home 44 before Southside was flagged for a personal foul, moving the ball to the 29-yard-line. Archer ran twice more to the 17 and then passed to Karnes at the seven with seven seconds left. After a Greenwood timeout, a penalty pushed the ball back to the 12, giving Archer and Karnes more room to work leading to yet another touchdown pass. Meeker’s final extra point was good again (:02).

After throwing for eight touchdowns in the opening half, tying a state record first set by Thomas Thrash of Pulaski Academy in 2001, Kane Archer and most of the GHS offense did not return in the second half and the Bulldogs did not score again, keeping the ball on the ground for the most part as the clock rapidly burned through the final 24 minutes. Greenwood’s defensive reservists did surrender a pair of Southside touchdowns in the second half, one in each quarter, and Bulldogs’ sophomore defensive back Thomas Newcity had a pass interception early in the third quarter. The final score was 70-28.

After the emotional victory, Head Coach Chris Young addressed his team on the field and players and coaches shared a time of prayer before departing. Young then talked with members of the media, recognizing his team’s impressive offensive execution in the first half. "It was an amazing performance when you think of everything they’ve been through," said Young. "As much as I was happy about how we played, I was even more happy about the smiles I saw on the kids' faces. We knew tonight could go one of two ways. It could go like it did where we played awesome, or it could be a tough night. [But] I’m not so sure we [weren’t] playing with 12 players on the field,” a not so veiled reference to the spirit of Isaiah Arrington.

"They are hurting, and they will be hurting for a long time,” Young continued. “We lost someone really special. It’s been a tough few days, but [tonight] was a good one for them. We still have tough times ahead of us. We’re going to bury a teammate next week. [But] we’re going to continue to celebrate the things he brought to this program [and] celebrate the lessons he taught us [and] the memories he gave us. He was an amazing young man, and he had a huge impact not only on our football team, [but] our school. We’re missing him.”

The win was Greenwood’s 22nd consecutive victory and clinched a share of the 6A West title for the Bulldogs (9-0, 6-0) and also assured them of a first-round bye in the state playoffs. Unofficially, QB Kane Archer threw for 365 yards and eight touchdowns on 22-of-26 passing. Champ Davis led all Greenwood receivers with four touchdown catches, while teammates Grant Karnes, Cooper Bland, Ben Hossley, and Scott Holland had one touchdown each. Karnes also had a kick return for a touchdown and running back Wesley Raggio scored once. Collectively, the GHS offense gained over 450 yards in the first half.

With one week to go in the regular season, the conference race is coming to a head and was further clarified by Friday’s results, which included wins by Mountain Home and Lake Hamilton and a loss by Shiloh Christian. Currently, Greenwood stands alone atop the standings with the Bombers of Mountain Home (8-1, 5-1) in second place with Lake Hamilton and Shiloh Christian tied at 6-3 overall and 4-2 in league play. However, the Wolves defeated the Saints last Friday, giving Lake Hamilton the edge in the first tiebreaker, if needed.

While Greenwood hosts Mountain Home this coming Friday, Shiloh Christian will play at Van Buren while Lake Hamilton will host the Russellville Cyclones. Like the Bulldogs, both the Saints and the Wolves will be favored to win their games, which could result in a three-way tie for second place between the Bombers, Saints, and Wolves, all at 5-2. But one of those three teams will emerge as the runner-up to Greenwood and claim the other first-round bye in the playoffs.