The GHS coaching staff and their players remain undefeated after eight weeks of competition against all comers, including wins over three Class 7A schools in non-conference play and a perfect 5-0 mark in 6A West conference play. Their latest gridiron victims were the Van Buren Pointers in league play, a 63-14 mercy rule blowout, their seventh such victory this season. It also pushed the Bulldogs' current winning streak to 21 games.
Only conference foe Shiloh Christian avoided a landslide loss to the Bulldogs, losing 28-17 in late September. All other opponents have been down by at least 35 points to Greenwood, invoking the mercy rule. Up next for the Bulldogs is a trip to Fort Smith Southside (3-5, 0-5) next Friday before closing their regular season at Smith-Robinson Stadium against Mountain Home (7-1, 4-1) on senior night.
Greenwood has been the consensus #1 team in Class 6A all season and shows no signs of slowing down, averaging 55 points per contest while sitting its #1 offense for most of the second half of its games. Their rebuilt defense is allowing just 14 points per outing despite playing the starters for less than three quarters per game. The Associated Press ranks only unbeaten 7A powers Bryant and Conway ahead of Greenwood statewide. As a result, the ‘Dogs of South Sebastian County are the overwhelming favorites to repeat as 6A state champions in Little Rock on December 7th.
Last Friday night, Van Buren won the coin toss and elected to receive the opening kick and go on offense to start the game. But the GHS defense was super stingy on the Pointers’ first six possessions and the home team trailed 35-0 in the first half before they were able to reach the end zone. On the other hand, Greenwood (8-0, 5-0) needed hardly more than 15 offensive snaps to take a 49-7 halftime lead with a little help from an opportunistic defense. The Bulldogs had touchdown passes of 20, 47, 37, 54, 31, and 8 yards. Greenwood’s two rushing scores were for nine and 56 yards.
Champ Davis returned the first Van Buren punt 26 yards to the home 20-yard-line, setting up Greenwood’s first touchdown one snap later. QB Kane Archer flipped the football ahead to Isaiah Arrington in motion from left to right and the senior receiver cut back at just the right moment to find an open pathway to the end zone for the score. Kicker Hudson Meeker added the extra point for a 7-0 GHS lead (10:27).
After another defensive stop and Van Buren punt, the Bulldogs took over at their own 47. Once again, Archer connected with Arrington on a short pass to the Pointers’ 49. From the 47 moments later, the GHS quarterback lofted a deep pass down the left sideline to a wide-open Arrington, who slowed long enough to make the catch and fall into the end zone. Meeker’s kick was good again for a 14-0 Greenwood lead (8:23).
The home team finally earned a first down on their next possession, but soon kicked the ball away a third time with the rock rolling dead at the GHS 17. But a trio of failed passes also forced the Bulldogs to punt the ball for the first time in three games, and the D.J. Dobbins kick was high and deep to the Van Buren 9-yard-line. The Pointers’ offense then reached the 26 before disaster struck in the form of a 44-yard interception return for a touchdown by GHS defensive back Kaylor Jasna. The extra point try was successful, and Greenwood led 21-0 with 2:09 still remaining in the opening quarter.
Yet another pass interception set up the Bulldogs’ next scoring opportunity just a few plays later. After reaching midfield early in the second period, the home team was victimized again by an aerial turnover, this one a nifty pick by Greenwood junior Lawyer Thornsberry at the Van Buren 34-yard-line.
Running backs Wesley Raggio and Mario Dunbar then rumbled for 29 yards to the Van Buren 37, setting up Greenwood’s next score. It came on a pass from Kane Archer to Champ Davis, who was left uncovered over the middle. He made the catch just inside the 10-yard-line and waltzed in for the touchdown. Meeker’s extra point kick was good for a 28-0 Greenwood advantage with 9:37 showing on the scoreboard clock.
But there was much more to come for the visiting offense as the Greenwood defense forced yet another Pointers’ punt out-of-bounds at the Bulldogs’ 44. On first down, Archer rolled to his right and found former Van Buren receiver Jaydn Johnson for a solid pickup to the home 26-yard-line. Johnson transferred to Greenwood last spring but has been mostly relegated to junior varsity play while learning the GHS offense. He is one of many receivers capable of playing at a high level for the Bulldogs, posing a good problem for the coaching staff, finding playing time for all their pass catchers.
Archer then completed a short toss to Isaiah Arrington, who turned it into a nice gain to the Van Buren eight, setting up the touchdown on the next snap. With his primary receivers covered, Archer found running room and scrambled for the score. Hudson Meeker’s kick was good again, invoking the mercy rule in the second half, now leading 35-0 (8:17).
But the Pointers weren’t ready to surrender, and finally found some offensive traction, marching 62 yards in 10 plays for their first touchdown, aided by a 15-yard penalty on the Bulldogs. The score came on a fourth-down 14-yard run by Cameron Keller, and the extra point was good, temporarily cutting into the GHS lead at 35-7 (4:05).
But the Bulldogs weren’t deterred for long, responding with another lightning-quick scoring drive of 80 yards in just three plays, two through the air and one on the ground. Archer threw to Grant Karnes twice for nine and five yards, reaching the 44-yard-line. Wesley Raggio then got the call and the ball, but when the way ahead closed on the right side, the small and shifty running back reversed course and picked up some blockers on the left side all the way to the end zone. Meeker’s extra point kick was good, making the score 42-7 (3:18).
After the Pointers crossed midfield to the GHS 46, an incomplete pass on fourth down turned the ball over to the Greenwood offense with just over a minute left in the half. But the Bulldogs needed only nine seconds to notch their seventh touchdown of the game on just one snap. Kane Archer and Champ Davis repeated their earlier play, completing another pass over the middle for the easy score. The extra point made it 49-7 at the intermission.
With the clock running virtually non-stop in the second half, Greenwood had time for two additional scores while the home team scored once against the #2 GHS defense. Receiving the opening kick, the Bulldogs drove 80 yards in six plays for the touchdown. Archer passed to Grant Karnes for 21 yards to open the possession. A short flip pass to Karnes then reached the home 39 before a series of short gains to the 31. Facing fourth down and needing two yards to move the sticks, Archer rolled to his right and found Karnes down the sideline near the 10-yard-line and in for the touchdown. The extra point kick by Landon Franklin was good, making the score 56-7.
Van Buren’s next possession ended with Greenwood’s third pass interception, this one by defensive back Radley O’Neal, returning it from the home 45 to the 29. Next, reserve quarterback Cooper Goodwin handed the ball to Mario Dunbar for a big run to the 19-yard-line. Goodwin then passed to Jayden Johnson at the eight, before finding Scott Holland in the end zone for the touchdown on the next snap. Franklin’s kick was good, ending Greenwood’s scoring at 63 points late in the third quarter.
The Pointers added their second and final score in the fourth quarter after a long kick return to the Greenwood 22-yard-line. Five plays later the home offense scored on a seven-yard touchdown pass to Trenton Cooley with about ten minutes left in the game. The extra point kick was good, making the final score, 63-14. Under the direction of sophomore quarterback Brandon Brewer, the Bulldogs did drive deep into Van Buren territory as the remaining time slipped away. Facing fourth down and goal from the home 5-yard-line, a final running play came up short of the goal line at the two, ending the possession.
Unofficially, Kane Archer completed 13 of 17 passes for 307 yards and five touchdowns. He also had three carries for 31 yards and a score. Isaiah Arrington and Champ Davis had two TD catches each while the other went to Grant Karnes. The GHS quarterback has thrown for over 2,000 yards and dozens of touchdowns so far this season, despite playing in about half of his team’s 32 quarters. He has also run for hundreds of yards and numerous touchdowns as well. The junior is one of the premier quarterbacks in the state and the nation.
Greenwood’s Grant Karnes (six catches for 98 yards and a score), Champ Davis (two grabs for 91 yards and two scores) and Isaiah Arrington (four receptions for 88 yards and two touchdowns) all had big games and continue to demonstrate why the Bulldogs have the most talented trio of receivers in Arkansas high school football this season. And not to be forgotten, junior running back Wesley Raggio also had two carries for 68 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, the Bulldogs had three interceptions by seniors Kaylor Jasna, Radley O'Neal and junior Lawyer Thornsberry. Jasna returned his first quarter pick 44 yards for a touchdown. Van Buren (3-3, 2-3 6A-West) was led by senior running back Cameron Keller (29 carries for 134 yards) and senior wide receiver Trenton Cooley (10 catches for 49 yards).
Following the game and after addressing his team on the field, Head Coach Chris Young talked with members of the media. “It was a good night,” he said of the victory. “I thought our kids played hard. We made some mistakes early, but we tried to force some stuff offensively and didn’t take what they gave us. [But] we made adjustments and played a lot better after the third series.”
“Defensively, [Van Buren] was able to run the ball [against us],” said Young. “They have a really good running back (in Keller). You’ve got to give him credit. He’s a really good football player. They got some [receivers] open early, and I thought our coaches made some adjustments to fix that. Overall, it was a good night. There’s still stuff to fix and we’ve got to take a step forward each week. We’ve got a big game next week at [Ft. Smith] Southside. We haven’t played those guys in a while, so we’ll be excited to go down there and play them and they will be excited as well.” Greenwood has a significant winning streak going against the Mavericks that stretches back more than a decade.