“So far so good” should be the motto of the Greenwood freshmen Bulldogs after their 37-0 domination of the Alma Jr. Airedales this past Thursday night. The game was the home opener for the Jr. ‘Dogs at Smith-Robinson Stadium, and their first conference game after their 54-21 non-conference victory at Nashville a week earlier. The GHS ninth graders have scored 91 points thus far and have done so with seeming ease. Up next Thursday is a road trip to Pea Ridge, a league opponent.
The Jr. Bulldogs received the opening kick and Braxton Canada returned the ball from the Greenwood 23 to the 48, giving them excellent field position to start the contest. On the first snap, quarterback Jubal Parks threw to Canada on first down for 11 yards to the Alma 41. Three plays later Parks threw to receiver Lawson Leath for a 17-yard gain to the 20. Three plays after that, facing fourth-and-four at the 14, an Alma penalty advanced the ball and moved the chains for Greenwood. After two runs by Drew Dickinson, Parks scored the game’s first touchdown on a one-yard QB keeper. But the extra point was blocked.
Leading 6-0, the GHS defense took the field for the first time with five minutes remaining in the opening quarter. Alma got a long run on second down, reaching midfield, but then suffered a six-yard loss and soon punted the ball out-of-bounds at the Greenwood 25. The Bulldogs moved 30 yards in seven plays but were forced to punt for the only time in the game. Braxton Canada’s kick then took a fortunate bounce and rolled inside the 5-yard-line before being downed at the one by William Rye.
The Greenwood defense returned to the field salivating over the prospect of a safety, which is exactly what happened on the first snap when the Alma ball carrier was stuffed in the end zone by a host of Bulldogs. The safety came with just 26 seconds left in the period, giving the home team an 8-0 advantage. The free kick that followed set up another GHS score moments later, starting at the Alma 45.
Early in the second quarter the freshmen ‘Dogs faced another fourth down situation, needing two yards to move the sticks, and they got it on a six-yard rumble by Drake Little to the 31. Two snaps later Canada caught a pass from Dabin Gaines for 11 yards to the 14, followed by a pair of runs by Little, the last one for nine yards and the touchdown. But a bobbled snap on the extra point led to a two-point conversion pass from holder Drake Little to Drew Dickinson, giving Greenwood a 15-0 lead.
The home defense then held the visitors to a single first down followed by a punt out-of-bounds at the GHS 38. After a short pass to the 42, quarterback Dabin Gaines threw a deep sideline pass to a wide-open Braxton Canada. He caught the ball at the 33 and sprinted ahead to the end zone unmolested. This time the extra point kick by Grayson Cobbler was successful for a 23-0 Greenwood lead at the half.
The home team scored twice more in the second half while the defense continued to shut out the opposition. Alma started the half on offense, but quickly punted the ball away. The Bulldogs took over at their own 35 after a short punt return. But the possession didn’t last long. After Drake Little ran to the 39, quarterback Dabin Gaines threw a strike to a streaking Braxton Canada over the middle, catching the ball at midfield before continuing untouched for a touchdown. Cobbler’s kick was true, giving the Bulldogs a 30-0 lead with 4:28 left in the third quarter.
Another Alma punt soon followed, giving Greenwood the ball at the Alma 23 after a nice return by Braxton Canada with 1:57 left in the quarter. After an Alma penalty to the 18, QB Jubal Parks tossed another TD pass to Canada, who made a leaping catch over the defender for the score. The extra point kick was good, making the final score 37-0. With the mercy rule in play for the last quarter, the time went by quickly, and neither team reached the end zone.
Head Coach Luke Hales was proud of his players for notching their second lopsided win of the season. “Our kids played really hard,” he said. “We had an awesome environment here. We had the eighth-grade band and they were really loud and did a great job for us. [The crowd] was awesome. We had a lot of seventh and eighth grade guys and their parents who stayed around, and that was good.” The two schools played both seventh and ninth grade games Thursday night, while their eighth graders played on Tuesday. Greenwood won all three games.
“I want to emphasize our defense,” Hales added. “Coach [Brandon] Godfrey had a great plan. In both the seventh and ninth grade games, we had two shutouts, and that’s a credit to our [defensive coaches] working hard and spending the extra time getting our kids ready. They played awesome. They flew to the football. They were physical. They were in position. They were prepared. I think our defensive line played really well. Hunter Crawford, Gunner Flannery, and Keagan Rice did a really good job, and Jacob Pugh rotates in. Seth Wood and Landon Cooper did a good job. [Good defense] makes the offense’s job easy. It was a good night. They enjoy playing Alma.
Asked about next week’s opponent, Pea Ridge, Hales said, “They played Shiloh [Christian] last week and played them really well. So, we’re going to try and get prepared to have another good week.” In 2022 the Jr. Bulldogs defeated the Blackhawks, 28-6, but had trouble hanging on to the football, fumbling three times in enemy territory. They also beat Pea Ridge in 2023.