FAYETTEVILLE -- As Taylor Powell embarks on his final game as quarterback at Fayetteville, the comparisons might become less frequent.
Powell, a three-year starter at quarterback for the Bulldogs, has lived in the shadow of great Fayetteville signal-callers before him. Before he stepped foot on the Harmon Stadium turf, the names Brandon Allen and Austin Allen were linked with Powell.
Taylor Powell at a glance
SCHOOL Fayetteville
CLASS Senior
HEIGHT 6-1
WEIGHT 202
POSITION Quarterback
NOTABLE Class 7A record holder for career touchdown passes (109). … Second in school and Class 7A in career passing yards (9,148). … Only quarterback in Class 7A history and one of only two (Clifton Blunt, Pine Bluff 1992-94) in state’s highest classification to start three consecutive state championship games. … All-State selection as both sophomore and junior. … Committed to Wake Forest.
The Allen brothers had standout careers at Fayetteville before joining the Arkansas Razorbacks, and Brandon Allen now plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Powell, who began starting two years after Austin Allen's back-to-back championship runs in 2011 and 2012, couldn't avoid the comparisons.
"Brandon and Austin, I know them really well, and I've grown up with them and the comparison is always there and probably always will be," Powell said. "But I feel like we all do different things that we're good at.
"They won a lot of games when they were here, and I've won some games here. So they're great guys to look up to, but I'm sure that comparison will always be there."
In his sophomore season, Powell nearly led Fayetteville to a championship before a last-minute Bentonville drive left the Bulldogs as the 7A runners-up.
As a junior, Powell broke several records as Fayetteville's high-powered offense stormed through the playoffs, eventually beating Springdale Har-Ber 28-7 in the finals.
Powell is back at War Memorial Stadium tonight when Fayetteville (11-1) faces North Little Rock (12-0) in the Class 7A championship at 7 p.m.
Powell will be the first Class 7A quarterback to start three consecutive state championship games. Only one other quarterback, Clifton Blunt of Pine Bluff from 1992-94, started three consecutive championship games at the highest classification.
"I've not been around very many three-year starters at quarterback to begin with," Fayetteville Coach Bill Blankenship said. "Add to that the three championship games, and that's pretty special.
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"I think the term gym rat is overused and hard worker and all that because a lot of good quarterbacks do that. But [Taylor] is an elite worker to prepare himself. The way he studies film is in an elite category. He doesn't just prepare and study film, he really studies film."
Powell is the career record holder in Class 7A for touchdown passes, and the single-season record holder for touchdown passes and total touchdowns accounted for. And Powell ranks second behind Brandon Allen in Class 7A for career passing yards.
But it's the winning that matters most to Powell.
"It's pretty impressive that our class has been to three state championships," Powell said. "We don't take that for granted. We've worked hard for it, and I'm just proud of my guys for the hours of work we've put in to get there, and I'd say it's just the wins and the moments with my best friends.
"We have a chance to do something really special. You can throw away all the records and all that. If we don't win Friday, not many people are going to remember this (senior) class."
Sports on 12/02/2016