Lake Hamilton Coach Jeremy Reed wasn't sure what to expect from the Wolves in the 2016 season when he was hired in February.
Reed, who won an Oklahoma Class 5A state championship last season at Altus High School, admitted he went into the Lake Hamilton job blind.
"I didn't know a whole lot about the state of the program," Reed said. "Going into the season, I felt like if we progressed in certain places we could be competitive."
The Wolves (6-3) have been one of the state's most surprising teams. They are tied for second place in the 6A-West Conference with Russellville at 5-1. The Pearcy school has clinched at least one home game in the Class 6A playoffs at Wolf Stadium.
The Wolves were 1-2 with losses to Class 4A Malvern 35-33 and Class 7A Bryant 24-21, but they have won five of their past six games, with their only loss coming at Russellville, 47-23, on Oct. 7.
"It's been a very up and down year," Reed said. "We started out with two losses in weeks 2 and 3 by five points. We had two failed quarterback snaps.
"Those two games could have derailed the season. But we won some close games to El Dorado (27-21) and Sheridan (14-7)."
Lake Hamilton had its most impressive victory of the season Friday at Benton, topping the Panthers 36-33. Senior wide receiver Ramar Easter scored on a 20-yard run with 59 seconds to play, and Lake Hamilton survived when Benton had a bad snap on a field goal as time was running out.
"Success is big when you're trying to turn a program around," Reed said. "We've got that. We have a chance to play for a conference title with this group."
Lake Hamilton has been led by senior running back Johnathan Buss, who has rushed for 911 yards and 6 touchdowns on 174 carries.
"Buss was a big-time player last year," Reed said. "He continues to be that for us this year. He's tough, and he's done some great things for us in the backfield."
The Wolves travel to Class 6A power Greenwood (9-0, 6-0 6A-West) on Friday with an opportunity to win the 6A-West title. If Lake Hamilton defeats Greenwood and Russellville loses to Siloam Springs, the Wolves earn the 6A-West crown and a first-round bye in the Class 6A playoffs.
"We're going to put all our chips in and see what happens," Reed said. "What a special opportunity to see the No. 1 team in Week 10. You can see where you stand. You see them at their home field and see their environment. Those are great moments if you use them right."