Shiloh Christian is 13-0, ranked No. 1 in Class 4A and averaging over 50 points per game.
The Saints' reward for such an impressive resume is a nearly 700-mile round trip from Northwest Arkansas to near the Louisiana border to play Crossett in a semifinal game. Crossett is 9-3 on the year after eliminating two-time defending state champion Arkadelphia 28-27 last week in a quarterfinal game.
Forcing a 13-0 team to travel to play a 9-3 team on its home field appears unfair, but the brackets are set each year on a rotating basis before the playoffs began. Last year, the top seed from the 4A-4 and the 4A-2 Conferences received the first-round byes. Crossett received the No. 1 seed this year after winning the 4A-8 Conference championship.
So, Shiloh Christian will complete the long trip to Crossett today after leaving on Thursday and spending the night in Little Rock. That plan will help diminish the home-field advantage for Crossett.
The Eagles have will more to prepare for after Shiloh Christian used its running game to defeat Nashville 49-29 last week. Cam Wiedemann was selected the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Player of the Week after he rushed for 201 yards and four touchdowns on 30 carries.
That type of production can make Shiloh Christian's prolific passing game even more effective with quarterback Eli Reece throwing to a receiving corps led by Truitt Tollett, who has 110 catches for 1,750 yards and 27 touchdowns.
Shiloh Christian fans shouldn't read anything into Crossett's three losses, especially after Arkadelphia won the Class 4A state championship last year with five losses.
The Eagles have won nine consecutive games behind senior quarterback Just Stokes, who has passes for over 2,200 yards and 22 touchdowns. A win over Shiloh Christian would add to a dream season for Crossett, which went 2-7 last year and was predicted to finish sixth in an eight-team conference this season.
Shiloh Christian has a history of winning championships, and the Saints will be back at War Memorial Stadium next week after making a long trip to south Arkansas tonight.
RICK'S PICK Shiloh Christian
Other games involving teams from Northwest Arkansas (selections are capitalized).
CLASS 4A
Ozark at JOE T. ROBINSON
LAST WEEK 2-3 (40 percent)
OVERALL 259-53 (84 percent)
Preps Sports on 12/06/2019