MVP Fulsom shines in the spotlight

Russellville quarterback Cole Fulsom, who passed for 249 yards and 2 touchdowns and rushed for 75 yards, was named the game’s MVP.
Russellville quarterback Cole Fulsom, who passed for 249 yards and 2 touchdowns and rushed for 75 yards, was named the game’s MVP.

Greenwood had the more heralded quarterbacks, but Russellville had the state championship-winning quarterback.

Senior Cale Fulsom earned MVP honors with 324 yards of total offense as Russellville (12-1) secured its first state championship since 1933 with a 37-23 victory over Greenwood in the Class 6A final on a raw, rainy Saturday night at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

Not bad numbers for a player who, as Russellville Coach Billy Dawson gently put it, has "nothing" in terms of collegiate scholarship offers.

"He's going to get some," Dawson said. "I've been telling people all year that the guy's a winner, man. I hope this turns some heads. The guy made like 27 on the ACT. He's impressive."

Fulsom rushed 18 times for 75 yards, including a 19-yard highlight-reel scramble late in the third quarter, and completed 18 of 24 passes for 249 yards and 2 touchdowns.

The 6-2, 170-pound Fulsom entered the rematch of 6A-West rivals -- Greenwood won the regular-season meeting 27-24 on Oct. 14 -- with 2,582 passing yards and 24 touchdowns this fall.

But Fulsom was seemingly playing third-fiddle since the Bulldogs had two quarterbacks who have already orally committed to major college programs.

Senior Luke Hales plans to sign with Central Arkansas. Junior Connor Noland is headed to Arkansas.

But pinpoint passing and the ability to extend plays with his legs landed Fulsom in the spotlight Saturday night.

"The quarterback played awesome," Greenwood Coach Rick Jones said. "He made plays with his feet. He made plays with his arm."

The biggest may have occurred late in the third quarter with the Cyclones leading 20-16.

Facing third and 14 from the Greenwood 38, Fulsom retreated to avoid a sack, broke away from a defender who had grabbed his jersey and raced along the sideline for a 19-yard gain.

The run led to a 19-yard field goal by senior Nate Turner and a 23-16 lead with 10:15 remaining in the game.

"Just tried to get the first down," the soft-spoken Fulsom said.

Fulsom put the game out of reach, 37-23, when he threw a 77-yard touchdown pass to senior Caleb Stokes with 6:28 remaining.

"It was a play we've run a lot this year," Fulsom said. "It was just a streak pattern."

Like Hales, Stokes, a physical 230-pound wide receiver, has orally committed to UCA.

But Fulsom, who moved to Russellville after playing in suburban Fort Worth as a sophomore at Saginaw High School, is still waiting to hear from a college recruiter.

"No one has offered," Fulsom said. "I want to play college football. I can play college football."

Stokes agreed.

"Honestly, I don't know why he's not being recruited," Stokes said. "He's got crazy leadership talent. You just watch him and it's like, 'I want to be like that guy.' "

Sports on 12/04/2016

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