Wildcats, Seminoles set for clash

For the first time since 2015, Harding Academy is in the Class 3A state championship game.

The 2-3A Conference champion Wildcats (14-0) will face 3-3A champion Osceola (12-1) at 6:30 tonight at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

Harding Academy Coach Neil Evans, who was hired in 2016 to replace Roddy Mote, appreciates how the Wildcats have prepared for the Seminoles this week.

"It's been fun," Evans said. "A week like this has a lot of other stuff with it. So, as a coach, you worry about whether that can be a distraction. It has not been. I'm just super proud of our guys because I think we've handled the things we're supposed to handle, and that's making sure we're prepared to play the game.

"We've also done an outstanding job of making this fun and making sure that the guys still have that whimsy, because I think that's important."

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Harding Academy is averaging 50.8 points per game and is led by junior quarterback Caden Sipe.

"Caden is the catalyst," Evans said. "He makes the physical plays down the field. He's never rattled."

Sipe, who played wide receiver last season, has been one of the state's top signal-callers this season. He's completed 213 of 292 passes for 3,502 yards with 56 touchdowns and 5 interceptions.

The Wildcats' key offensive weapons include senior running back Stone Sheffield and junior wide receiver Ty Dugger.

Sheffield has rushed for 1,339 yards and 26 touchdowns on 151 carries, and he has caught 36 passes for 732 yards and 13 scores.

Dugger has a team-high 20 touchdown receptions and has hauled in 83 passes for 1,296 yards.

Sipe likes the balance the Wildcats have had this season.

"We can run the ball and we can throw the ball," Sipe said. "It's hard to defend both."

Osceola Coach Robert Hooks says Harding Academy's offense will be the best the Seminoles have faced all season.

"Sipe, he extends plays," Hooks said. "He's not just a throwing quarterback. He's not just a sitting duck. He can create mismatches in the run game and the pass game.

"He has a good crop around him. Sheffield is a very good player. Dugger is also a good player. He [Sipe] has weapons all over the place. It's going to be a challenge to stop them."

The Seminoles, led by senior quarterback M.J. Vance (38 touchdowns, including 24 rushing), have won 12 consecutive games since their season-opening loss to Valley View on Aug. 26. Vance's top receiver is senior Greg Hooks Jr., who has caught 41 passes for 880 yards and 10 touchdowns.

"The key for us is matching up with their receivers on the outside," Evans said. "Those guys have made big play after big play. They're the guys who are flipping the field and moving the sticks on explosive plays.

"Their quarterback has done an outstanding job of keeping the drives alive. Late in the game, he'll be the guy who picks up multiple first downs that just bleeds the clock. We have to stop them in that order. We have to limit big plays and we have to get hats to the ball to try to make an attempt to tackle their quarterback because he hasn't gone down to the first guy many times."

Osceola is playing in its second consecutive state championship game. The Seminoles lost to Booneville 35-0 last season at War Memorial Stadium.

Hooks is looking to lead Osceola to its first state title since 1997.

"It would be huge, not just for ourselves, but for the community," Hooks said. "This is not about self. This is about everybody as a whole. We want to do this for the community."

Sipe said that he's entering today's game like he has the first 14 games for the Wildcats.

"Just ignore the noise," Sipe said. "There's bigger stands. But that's the only difference. It's still a football game."

Sports on 12/14/2019