NEWPORT — Newport was one of the state’s premier football programs from 1987-2014, a model of consistency as the Greyhounds qualified for the playoffs every year.
The long streak came to a halt in 2015, Mark Hindsley’s first season at the helm of the program, as Newport finished an obviously uncharacteristic 2-8.
But the Greyhounds bounced back impressively in 2016, finishing 12-3 and reaching the Class 3A state semifinals.
“The 2015 season was so tough because we are so tradition-rich,” Hindsley said. “We had a living legend [and former Greyhound coach] Bill Keedy die [Sept. 26, 2015], and that made the year so hard. We didn’t make the playoffs, which was hard on the town. We had challenges, and we had to overcome.
“I took over in June, so we didn’t have an offseason. The tough year also taught me what I wanted to do in the offseason, the culture we wanted to build. The offseason was everything. We didn’t just get bigger and faster and stronger; we tried to establish a culture.
“In 2016, I wanted to do everything the opposite [from 2015]. The kids bought into it, and we got the results.”
For the turnaround, Hindsley has been named the 2016 Three Rivers Edition Coach of the Year.
“I’ve been here 10 years, and I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t, and our school spirit was the best I’ve ever seen,” he said of the 2016 run. “We hadn’t seen people line the roads supporting us, and this year we had that. It was a good, positive buzz, and everybody was excited. Winning does that.
“We had a good environment. Our school and the town couldn’t have been more supportive. It was a good group effort, the best Newport I’ve seen since I’ve been here.”
The Greyhounds dropped a classification from Class 3A in 2016, and they took advantage of it.
A season-opening 20-14 loss to Class 4A Gosnell didn’t faze them.
“Coming off 2-8, we had a lot to prove in the first game,” Hindsley said. “When we saw Gosnell, we didn’t really know who we were. After we saw good competition against a good [Class] 4A team, we figured out real quick what our deficiencies were.
“Then we went on a roll.”
Hindsley said the plan was always to work out the kinks during the three-game nonconference schedule.
After the opening loss, the Greyhounds reeled off six consecutive wins: 40-6 over Greene County Tech, 47-6 over Lonoke, 43-0 over Hoxie, 28-8 over Walnut Ridge, 7-6 over Piggott and 6-0 over Corning. They lost at Rivercrest, 24-20, in Week 8.
“It was a close game the whole night, but we came up a little short,” Hindsley said.
Then they were off for another run that ended only in the state semifinals.
Newport beat Osceola, 35-0, and Manila, 27-26, to finish the regular season 8-2 and advance to the Class 3A state playoffs as the second seed from the 3A-3. The Greyhounds beat Mayflower in the opening round, 29-8; Harding Academy in the second, 13-9; and Atkins in the quarterfinals, 35-19, before falling at Prescott in the semis, 41-8. The Curley Wolves went on to beat Charleston for the championship.
Hindsley, 34, grew up in Marvell. After earning his degree from the University of Arkansas, he arrived at Newport in 2007 as a junior high assistant. He became head coach of the junior high team in 2009 and moved to the high school as offensive and defensive line coach in 2010. In 2013, he became defensive coordinator before being elevated to head coach in 2015 when Don Harrison went to Lincoln.
“I think everybody, for the most part, knew there was going to be a dip,” Hindsley said of his debut season. “When I interviewed, I told them I knew [the ’15 season] was going to be tough, but I didn’t want somebody else to come in who didn’t expect it.”
The Greyhounds were 0-4 and looking to Lonoke when Keedy, the longtime successful coach of his alma mater, died.
“His memorial was Monday or Tuesday; then we beat Lonoke on homecoming,” Hindsley said. “It was one of those fairy-tale endings. To us it was like an omen.”
But the Greyhounds wouldn’t win again until Week 10, against Southside Batesville.
And that’s when the real work began.
“The offseason was the key,” Hindsley said. “Obviously, we were the same team, give or take a few. We moved to a different conference. Having a good offseason helped, and people started buying into it.”
Although the Greyhounds moved down in classification, there wasn’t necessarily a corresponding move in competition.
“All we heard was how good Piggott was, and Walnut Ridge and Rivercrest,” Hindsley said, “but we don’t ever want to cower away from the competition. We strapped it up every week looking to win.”
And with just seven seniors returning for 2017, only half of whom saw significant playing time, Hindsley said the future is bright for the Greyhounds.
“The junior class has good ballplayers and a lot of them,” he said.
Larry Treadway, the Walnut Ridge coach, grew up in Newport, so he understands the pressures and the rewards Hindsley faced.
“He really brought them along,” Treadway said. “He got organized and convinced those kids they could compete. I understand the tradition, but when you go 2-8, sometimes you have to start the tradition over. We were pulling for them.”