Rick Jones has been locked in as Greenwood's coach since 2004.
It's that tunnel vision that has allowed him to lead the Bulldogs to six state championships in the 10 seasons he's been at the Sebastian County school.
Still, when Greenwood had to call on its place-kicker at Fort Smith Southside last October to help win its 46th consecutive game, it wasn't just any place-kicker Jones sent out to try to keep the streak alive.
It was his son, Kevin, who shouldered the pressure that came with the coach's decision.
Greenwood had started its final possession at its 24 with 1:28 left and had driven to the Southside 6 with two seconds remaining when Jones called on the field goal unit. Kevin Jones didn't disappoint, making the 23-yard field goal with no time remaining to send the Bulldogs past the Rebels 45-42 and extend the winning streak.
"The guy that's either going to win or lose the game is my son," Jones said. "That's a funny feeling to have. I've called on kids so many times in 37 years of coaching -- 'Hey, go win a game' -- and then all of a sudden, it's my son."
Not only was Rick Jones a proud coach, he was a proud father.
It was also an experience Kevin Jones will never forget.
"It's something you dream about your whole life," he said. "You never think it's going to happen, with the amount of fans we have here. But to do that, there's no words to describe it."
Kevin Jones kicked another game-winning field goal the next week at Conway, a 24-yarder, to give the Bulldogs a 27-24 victory over the Wampus Cats.
Now, 10 months later, Rick Jones said he is still amazed by the poise his son showed in both games.
"He would tell you that he felt more pressure because they were within his range," Rick Jones said. "He said that he expected to make those kicks.
"That's true, but for a lot of people, when the game's on the line, those goal posts have a tendency to shrink. He nailed them through."
Kevin Jones was Greenwood's second-leading receiver as a junior last season, catching 47 passes for 716 yards and 7 touchdowns. He made 63 of 67 extra-point attempts and 6 of 9 field-goal attempts, with his longest field goal covering 42.
Kevin was 8 years old when Rick Jones was hired at Greenwood in 2004. He played quarterback in Greenwood's Pittbulls program -- a program for children in grades 3-6 that serves an an introduction into Greenwood football -- before moving to wide receiver in the seventh grade.
Kevin Jones said he wasn't sure about playing football at first -- "I grew into it," he said -- and he readily admitted that being a coach's son has its ups and downs.
"But overall it's been a cool experience," he said. "I have a relationship with the coach, and I have a relationship with my dad at home. It intertwines."
Of course, even Kevin isn't immune to feeling the wrath of his father, the coach, during practices and games.
"It doesn't take as much to chew my butt as it does other people," Kevin Jones said.
Rick Jones said that during the heat of the battle he doesn't think much about seeing his son on the field.
"In some ways, it would be nice to sit up in the stands and watch it," he said.
He has been able to experience that somewhat in other sports. Kevin Jones plays basketball and soccer in addition to football for Greenwood. He also had a passion at one time for disc golf, with the family traveling across the Southwest for several disc golf events.
"I had a blast," Rick Jones said.
Now Rick Jones is ready to try and help his son add a second state title to his collection. Kevin Jones was a sophomore on Greenwood's Class 6A state championship team in 2012, and he would like nothing more than to help his father win his seventh state title.
Whether that happens or not, Rick Jones realizes this will be a special season for him.
"I'll just miss watching him play," he said. "It's always a thrill watching him play. He always does something memorable."
Sports on 08/24/2014