Four is a chore: Junction City out to extend state title streak

Junction City's football team has an opportunity to accomplish something that hasn't been done since 1990, but Coach David Carpenter isn't interested in talking about it.

The Dragons open the playoffs chasing their fourth consecutive state championship, which no school in Arkansas has accomplished since Barton capped its four-year run as state champion in 1989.

Just don't expect Carpenter to talk freely about it. The Dragons play host to Johnson County Westside tonight in the opening round of the Class 2A state playoffs, and that is where he wants his players focused.

"Back at the start of the year, on the first day of practice, I told our team, 'We're going for four in a row. That's the last time we're talking about it," said Carpenter, who has won six state titles at Junction City.

Six schools have had a shot at winning four consecutive state titles since Barton's run from 1986 to 1989, but all of them have fallen short. El Dorado was the most recent school to win three in a row but lost to Greenwood in the Class 6A semifinals in 2012.

"If you start sitting and talking and worry about that, then you're not focusing on who you're playing," Carpenter said. "We have to focus."

From 2012 to 2014, Junction City boasted one of the state's most talented players regardless of classification.

Running back Jaqwis Dancy, tight end/defensive end Jamario Bell and quarterback Randall Holyfield finished their high school career 40-1 and were the catalysts for all three state titles. Dancy rushed for more than 5,300 career yards and 60 touchdowns before signing with Louisiana Tech, and Bell is redshirting this season at Arkansas.

Carpenter is the first to admit that Junction City was fortunate to have the athletes it had over that three-year period.

"That was truly a 20- or 30-year thing, to have that many athletes at once," he said.

This year's team isn't as experienced as the past three teams, but the Dragons aren't being overlooked by anyone in Class 2A.

"You've got McCrory and Rison," Cross County Coach Steve Williams said. "But you can't never count out Junction City."

Junction City went into the season riding a 40-game winning streak that dated to 2012. The Dragons held off Class 3A Smackover 13-7 in the season opener, but they lost for the first time in three years when Rison defeated them 15-14 on Sept. 11. Then came a 33-20 loss at home to Haynesville, La., and suddenly the Dragons found themselves sitting at 1-2.

Carpenter said he scheduled Haynesville, La., to help prepare his younger players for the postseason.

"We're playing a lot of young guys who got playing time over the last couple of years, but not a lot of them started for us," Carpenter said. "Let's get out and play the best and get these young guys experience for when playoff time comes around. All of that has helped us out."

Junction City has won six consecutive since losing to Haynesville, allowing an average of only five points per game as they rebounded to earn the 8-2A Conference's No. 2 seed. Senior linebacker Matthew Freeman -- one of the few starters left from the Dragons' 2013 and 2014 state title teams -- has 106 tackles this season and is second on the school's all-time tackles chart 358.5, trailing only Josh Armstrong's 378 from 2012-2014.

"He recognizes everything," Carpenter said. "He's been there. The younger guys are starting to see those things."

Junction City lost senior quarterback Will Smith for the season after he sustained a concussion two weeks ago against Woodlawn. Smith passed for 1,120 yards with 15 touchdowns and 6 interceptions before the injury.

Junior Joe Lowe started at quarterback last week against Strong, passing for 96 yards and rushing for 69 more.

"He did an outstanding job of moving our offense," Carpenter said.

C.J. Johnson, a junior, rushed for 120 yards and 2 touchdowns on 21 carries last week, which pushed his season totals to 624 yards and 4 touchdowns on 89 carries.

Sophomore linebacker Terrell Gibson has 116 tackles, including nine for a loss.

It has taken that type of team effort to keep Junction City in the hunt for a fourth consecutive championship.

"They're doing everything we're asking them to do," Carpenter said. "This is not last year or the year before. They have to step up like they're supposed to."

Carpenter downplays his role when it comes to Junction City's success.

"Folks talk about coaching, but guys get out there and play," he said. "If they believe in themselves and what they're doing, the coaching is the easy part. Just get them on the bus."

Sports on 11/13/2015