THREE RIVERS AREA — Walnut Ridge's 2008 campaign can be summed up in two games: a game against Mc-Crory on Sept. 26 and a game against Marked Tree on Oct. 10.
In the McCrory contest, Walnut Ridge was down by less than a touchdown with the ball and 30 seconds left in the final quarter. The Bobcats marched down to the 1-yard line and fumbled it away on the ensuing hand-off. Final score: 25-20.
The Bobcats were leading perennial power Marked Tree 21-7 with 10 minutes left in the contest. It was
their first lead over the Indians in seven years. Walnut Ridge had held all-star running back Michael Gray
to only 58 yards through the first three quarters. Trying to play conservatively, the Bobcats kept the ballon the ground and turned the ball over on a quarterback sneak. In the span between the turnover and the final whistle, Marked Tree scored 26 points and won 33-28. Gray ended the game with more than 200 yards on the ground.
Had the Bobcats won either game they would have made the playoffs.
"We blamed it on the football gods," Walnut Ridge head coach Larry Treadway said. "Why those things
happen I don't really know." This year Walnut Ridge will rely on the experience of returning starters and the lessons learned from
the mistakes of the past to book a ticket to the playoffs in the fall.
Standing in the way are several teams in the conference that rely on speed - one thing the Bobcats have
been struggling to combat on defense. Cross County, McCrory, East Poinsett and Augusta are four of the
teams Treadway points to as tops in a tough district.
"Other district kids were too fast and we just couldn't tackle them," Treadway said. "You're having to
try too many arm tackles on these big kids cause they're moving so fast you just can't square up on them." - For more Bobcats coverage, see www.ARpreps.com.
WALNUT RIDGE BOBCATSSept. 4 ..................Cave City Sept. 11 ...... at Cedar Ridge* Sept. 18 .........Cross County* Sept. 25 ........... at McCrory* Oct. 2 ...................... Salem* Oct. 9 ......... at Marked Tree* Oct. 16 ......................OPEN Oct. 23 .................... Rector* Oct. 30 ............................... at East Poinsett County* Nov. 6 ...............at Augusta*
Special, Pages 201 on 08/23/2009