LITTLE ROCK — Games of this magnitude haven't been as frequent for Little Rock Christian as they have for its opponent this week.
The Warriors host Greenwood on Friday night, with first place in the 5A-West Conference and a likely league title at stake.
Little Rock Christian comes in 8-0 overall and 5-0 in the 5A-West, fresh off conference victories over Harrison and Siloam Springs. It's all made for quite a frenzy around campus.
"It's been building since about the fifth game when we [started out 5-0], and we've never had anything like that," Warriors Coach Johnny Watson said. "It's exciting for our community here at Little Rock Christian, and we're not very big, so it's a big deal for K-12."
For Greenwood, it's just another step down a road it knows well.
The two-time defending state champion Bulldogs (7-1, 5-0) are trying to make their fourth consecutive trip to the state championship game. Greenwoodcomes into Friday's showdown ranked No. 3 overall and No. 1 in Class 5A.
Big games come and go for the Bulldogs, but the routine around Smith Robinson Stadium rarely changes.
The sixth-ranked Warriors, only two years removed from Class 3A, have a chance to shift the balance of power their way Friday.
Little Rock Christian has passed all of its tests this season. It conquered fierce crosstown rival Central Arkansas Christian in nonconference play, then set itself up in conference play by holding off hard-charging Vilonia, rolling impressively at Harrison and outscoring Siloam Springs.
"We feel like we've invested a lot in playing hard every Friday," Watson said. "We've earned our spot and don't want to give it up."
The Warriors have the offensive weapons to stay with the Bulldogs should the game turn into a shootout.
Wide receiver Tyler Weddle has nine receiving touchdownsand will likely go over the 1,000-yard mark this week. Sophomore Michael Dyer ran for 261 yards and scored 3 touchdowns last week at Greenbrier. He has 18 touchdowns for the season and has surpassed the 1,500-yard rushing mark.
"I've not seen anybody tackle [Dyer] consistently," Greenwood Coach Rick Jones said.
The Bulldogs counter with quarterback Tyler Wilson (2,478 yards, 24 touchdowns) and productive receivers C.J. McCraney (40 catches, 6 touchdowns), Zach Turpin (28 catches, 9 touchdowns), Josh Hogan (36 catches, 3 touchdowns), Travis Sandifer (28 catches, 4 touchdowns) and Spencer Harris (20 catches, 1 touchdown).
The Warriors have reason to believe they can stay with the Bulldogs, but there is a reason Greenwood players practice in T-shirts that sport a bullseye in the back. Going 24-2 in conference games and 13-2 in the postseason since 2004 makes the Bulldogs a weekly target for anyone wanting to snatch away their momentum.
Sports, Pages 20 on 10/25/2007