Class 6A

'Business' remains as Greenwood rolls

GREENWOOD -- Greenwood has earned another opportunity to add to its list of state championships.

Kenny Wood scored four touchdowns as the Bulldogs built a big halftime lead and rolled past West Memphis 45-14 Friday in a Class 6A semifinal game at Smith-Robinson Stadium. Greenwood will face Pine Bluff in the championship game Friday at War Memorial Stadium.

It will be the third consecutive appearance in the state final at Little Rock for Greenwood, which lost to Russellville last year and Pine Bluff the previous year. The Bulldogs have won seven state championships, the last in 2012.

"We've had a great season, but we've got to finish our business," Greenwood Coach Rick Jones said. "Our guys are hungry and they've been there before. They know what it takes to get the job done."

[HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD: Results + recaps, photos and more]

Greenwood (12-0) dominated West Memphis (10-2) from the outset and spoiled a homecoming of sorts for West Memphis Coach Billy Elmore, a Mansfield native and former Greenwood assistant under Ronnie Peacock when the Bulldogs went 13-1 and won the Class AAAA state championship in 2000.

Wood scored four touchdowns on runs of 17 and 14 yards, and catches of 21 and 20 yards. He finished with 128 yards rushing and caught 4 passes for 56 yards. Connor Noland completed 21 of 30 passes for 220 yards and 4 touchdowns.

"You've got to have somebody in front of Kenny to keep him from falling forward," Jones said of Wood, who kept drives alive with tough inside running. "He breaks tackles, and he's been so tough as a runner."

The Greenwood defense, which shut out Texarkana 30-0 the previous week, allowed short touchdown runs by quarterback Michael Troxler in the first quarter and late in the forth quarter.

Josh Barlow caught an 11-yard touchdown pass with four minutes left in the third quarter to put Greenwood ahead 45-7.

"We played great in all three phases," Jones said. "We didn't give them anything easy, and I was real proud of that."

Greenwood built its big halftime lead on three touchdown passes by Noland, a touchdown run by Wood, and a 26-yard field goal from Grant Ennis.

The Blue Devils contributed to their demise. West Memphis fumbled on its own end to set up a 30-yard touchdown catch and run by Wood to put the Bulldogs ahead 24-7 in the second quarter. Wood added a 17-yard touchdown run before West Memphis drove all the way to the Greenwood 1 with 2:37 left before the half, but the Blue Devils fumbled at the goal line and Greenwood took over with a 31-7 lead.

Sports on 11/25/2017

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