Stakes remain high for rematch

The stakes for this year's Charleston-Smackover game are different.

Unlike last year, the Class 3A state championship isn't on the line. Instead, it's a second-round meeting Friday night in Smackover, with the winner moving on to face West Fork or Camden Harmony Grove.

"You remind yourself of what happened and where we finished," said Smackover Coach Brian Strickland, whose team lost to Charleston in the 3A championship last December at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. "But it's a new year and two new teams.

"They're not going to give out any trophies for this game. The winner moves on for another week and the loser goes home."

Last year, the Tigers beat the Buckaroos 33-26 thanks to Ty Storey's 4-yard pass to Taylor King with 17 seconds left. Storey, who is currently at the University of Arkansas, engineered a game-winning 10 play, 65-yard drive after Smackover fumbled with 4:55 remaining.

Almost one year later, Smackover has put itself in position for another run to the Class 3A state championship game.

The Buckaroos, led by senior running back Keiandre Purifoy (686 rushing yards, 13 touchdowns) and senior wide receiver Jordan Jones (546 receiving yards, 8 touchdowns), have been the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's No. 1 team in Class 3A all season long. They lost to 2014 champions in Class 4A Warren and Class 2A Junction City in a span of five days to start the season, but have won nine consecutive, earning the No. 1 seed from the 6-3A Conference.

Charleston Coach Greg Kendrick said Smackover one of the most explosive teams not just in Class 3A, but in the state.

"They are very athletic," Kendrick said. "They've got the fastest team speed I've seen in 3A. I'll put them up against anyone in terms of team speed."

Purifoy has 92 tackles at linebacker to go along with his production at running back.

"Purifoy is their heart and soul," Kendrick said. "He's a hard-nosed football player."

Junior quarterback Beau Burson has progressed in his first season as the Buckaroos' starter. Burson completed 10 of 12 passes for 147 yards and 4 touchdowns in Smackover's 53-16 victory over Manila last week.

"He's gained confidence every week," Strickland said. "He doesn't let things get him down. He's a competitor and he wants to win."

Charleston entered the 2015 season with a 29-game winning streak, but lost to Shiloh Christian in the season opener. The Tigers (7-4) are the No. 3 seed from the 4-3A Conference after winning the league the past two seasons.

Junior quarterback Jackson Rowland has completed 149 of 229 passes for 1,975 yards with 17 touchdowns and 8 interceptions this season.

"Jackson is the key for us," Kendrick said. "How he goes, we'll go. He's coming into his own. He's playing really good football."

Strickland said the Tigers are a different team this year, and he's appreciates the job Kendrick has done.

"They put you in so many mismatches," Strickland said. "If you line up wrong, they can beat you. He does a great job with his system. He puts pressure on your defense."

If the Buckaroos are to beat the Tigers, Strickland said they'll have to keep Charleston off the field. Smackover has been the No. 2 scoring defense in Class 3A behind Greenland, allowing 12.9 points per game

"They're a big-play offense," Strickland said. "We have to be physical and make them earn everything."

Charleston's Kendrick said he preaches perfection to his team and knows the Tigers will have to play one of their best games of the season to knock off the No. 1 team in Class 3A.

"You can't win championships without defense," Kendrick said. "We're known for our offense around here, but our defense has been stingy over the past three years.

"You see constant improvement. It took us a little bit to find that niche. It took them a little bit to find a fit in the puzzle."

Sports on 11/18/2015