Prep football report

GRAVETTE

Young Lions showing growth

Gravette coach Kelby Bohannon saw his young team take several steps forward in last week's 34-13 win over Jay, Okla.

The Lions (1-2) took a 28-0 halftime lead and cruised to the win, despite having a kickoff return for a touchdown wiped out by a penalty.

"Our kids are resilient," said Bohannon, who is in his first season as the Gravette head coach. "They are pretty tough, and I think they are buying into some of what we're teaching, and I think you saw some of the results of that last Friday."

That's big for a team, which has only four seniors see significant playing time, Bohannon said.

The Tigers did much of their damage on offense through the air. Quarterback Cy Holger threw for 270 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for another score. Senior Mason Dagley had eight receptions for 121 yards and two touchdowns.

But Bohannon, who served as the Lions defensive coordinator last season, also praised the work of outside linebacker Trenton Durham. The junior wreaked havoc on the opponents from Oklahoma. He finished with 15 tackles (3 solos), 1.5 sacks and 4 tackles for loss.

"That's one of the best defensive performances I've seen since I've been here," Bohannon said. "I really like where we are as a team. Getting a win is incredibly big for us."

The Lions play host to Lincoln to begin 4A-1 Conference play on Friday.

-- Paul Boyd • @NWAPaulB

OZARK

Injury bug bites Hillbillies, again

A year ago Tyler Sanders emerged as a playmaker for the Hillbillies after multiple players went down with injuries. Ozark coach Jeremie Burns may be looking for others to step forward after the team suffered another recent rash of injuries.

Running back Daniel Woolsey suffered not one, but two knee injuries against Clarksville. RB/LB Kayne Satterfield and junior Jacob Larsen each suffered broken bones. Satterfield suffered a broken arm, and Larsen broke his leg. LB Trevor Moore also suffered a season-ending knee injury in practice before the Clarksville game.

Ozark (2-1) bounced back with a 27-7 win over Charleston last week despite the injury woes.

"We're pretty beat up," Burns said. "But we feel confident with the guys we've got. We've got some guys playing both ways and things like that. We're getting some guys involved that we weren't necessarily counting on. They did a good job against Charleston, and they'll gain confidence as we go."

Even Sanders, who rushed for almost 1,200 yards and earned all-state honors, tore his meniscus in the offseason and isn't full strength yet. Instead, the Hillbillies are rotating several backs, and it's working out well, Burns said.

Burns is holding out hope that Satterfield might return later in the season, but that's far from a sure thing.

Ozark opens 4A-4 Conference play at Mena on Friday.

-- Paul Boyd • @NWAPaulB

FARMINGTON

Unbeaten teams to collide

A matchup between teams that failed to make the playoffs last season is now a one of the top games this week in Northwest Arkansas.

Clarksville and Farmington are both 3-0 heading into Friday's 5A-West Conference opener at Cardinal Stadium. Clarksville owns victories over Booneville, Paris and Ozark, while Farmington has beaten Prairie Grove, Gravette and Pea Ridge.

Friday's game is homecoming for the Cardinals, who beat Pea Ridge 24-7 last week after losing 42-0 last year to the Blackhawks.

"Homecoming can be a distraction sometimes for your players but our players will be focused on (Clarksville) after seeing how good they are," Farmington coach Mike Adams said. "They've got 18 starters back, and they average 300 pounds on the offensive line. Their starting noseguard is 6-foot-5, 303 pounds, and their backup at noseguard is 6-3, 320 pounds."

Clarksville has been on a roll, starting with a 41-35 victory over defending Class 3A champion Booneville, and the Panthers had an off week after beating Ozark 15-12. Clarksville has a run-oriented offense led by quarterback Miles Castleman, wingback Colby Burkett and halfback Nicholas Buckner.

Farmington will counter with quarterback Marqwaveon Watson and receiver Drew Sturgeon, who scored four touchdowns in a win at Gravette. But the Farmington defense rose to the forefront with three interceptions after a slow start by the Cardinals' defense at Pea Ridge.

"Defensively, we created four turnovers but we didn't take advantage on offense," Adams said. "Our offense was inconsistent all night. We have to improve and be a lot more consistent."

-- Rick Fires • @NWARick

CEDARVILLE

Pirates hope to continue hot start

It's been a historic start to the season for the Cedarville Pirates. After a 3-0 start to the season for the first time since 2008, the program hopes to continue making history as it opens 3A-1 Conference play this week at Lamar (3-0).

"Our team is excited for this challenge," Cedarville coach Max Washausen said. "We know it's tough to go to Lamar and play. They are one of the top teams. But we went into this season expecting this. We know it will be tough, but we want to leave with a win."

Cedarville, which last finished with a winning record in 2008, has patiently waited to develop its current core of players, and it is paying off for the Pirates.

"If you look at the history of Cedarville football, there have only been four or five winning seasons," Washausen said. "This start is one for the history books for our program. It has all come together for us. I've coached these kids since seventh grade. They believe."

Cedarville has run wild against its initial three opponents in Westside, Mountainburg and Bigelow to open the season. The Pirates have rushed for 1,338 yards on 97 carries so far.

Darryl Kattich (409 yards, 3 TD) and Kelin Mitchell (379 yards, 2 TD) have led the way. But Cedarville has seven players with at least 80 yards rushing. Tommy Metcalf (129 yards), William Henson (96), Hayden Partain (95), Bruce Turney (94) and Darien Skinner (82) all have found success as well.

"We have a lot of talented running backs," Washausen said. "Kattich and Mitchell lead the way for us. They are the big names. But there are other guys that fit in there also. They have done a great job for us. We have a lot of kids we feel comfortable getting the football."

The offensive line has been key for Cedarville. Kolbye Beals, Kevan Jones, Alex Ascencio, Brayden Russell, Taylor Humble, Elijah Cox and Nathaniel Smith all have been providing plenty of running room while playing in the trenches.

"You can't have this level of success without an offensive line," Washausen said. "We are a lot bigger than we have been in the past with our size. We have a lot of depth that we are able to rotate guys in and out. I'm proud of the way our line has played."

-- Harold McIlvain II • Special to the NWA Democrat-Gazette

VAN BUREN

Pointers hope to rebound from loss

Nonconference play didn't end the way the Pointers had hoped, but they are now thankful for the opportunity to learn from a tough loss heading into 7A-West Conference play at home this week against Rogers High.

Van Buren opened the season 2-0 for the first time since 2014 but then fell to Fort Smith Northside, 44-6, on the road. The Pointers entered the game averaging 44 points on offense but turned the ball over six times against the Grizzlies.

"I hope that was a wake-up call," coach Crosby Tuck said. "I hope that we are figuring out the importance of the little stuff we are coaching up. We hope to be a little crisper this Friday. I feel like we were at our best against Siloam Springs to open the year interestingly enough. We played well against Alma, but we made mistakes. You do some of that same stuff against Northside and you run into not having much success at all."

Van Buren's offense has been led by quarterback Gary Phillips, who has passed for 644 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also has rushed for 178 yards with 5 touchdowns. Running back Brayden Rivas has 191 rushing yards with 2 touchdowns. Jude Bartholomew (204 receiving yards) and Jaiden Henry (175 receiving yards) have been key targets as wideouts.

Tuck couldn't help but notice a lot of critical matchups in the initial week of 7A-West Conference play. That includes the Rogers (0-3) at Van Buren (2-1) game.

"It's very interesting to look around the conference, and it's a big week for a lot of teams for different reasons," Tuck said. "Everybody wants to start conference play on the right foot, but there are big games for a lot of teams like our game. Both teams really need that win. You know neither team will hold anything back. Both teams will show their best look."

Heading into conference play off a bye, Tuck will take any advantage it gives his program in a critical week on the field.

"Having that Week 3 bye week is ideal because it separates your nonconference and conference games," Tuck said. "It gives you a head start on the game plan against Rogers and allows you to be more rested. It's nice having both of those things heading into a big game for us."

-- Harold McIlvain II • Special to the NWA Democrat-Gazette

BENTONVILLE WEST

Wolverines head back to basics

West has had two weeks to prepare for its 7A-West Conference opener Friday against Fayetteville, but coach Bryan Pratt said his players spent the majority of that first week to take care of themselves.

The Wolverines' last game, a loss to defending state champion Bryant, brought out the need to do such a thing.

"We were so upset at the way we played at Bryant that we just focused on ourselves," Pratt said. "We went back and used last week's practices just to get some things right. We went back to the basics, and there was more competition. We were more physical and practicing hard.

"I think we got away from that the first couple of weeks. Now this week, we're more focused on Fayetteville. With our kids, you don't have to hype it up. They know it's a big game, and they know it's the opening of conference. I hope our kids are mature enough to understand they need to come out and play well."

West has also spent the two weeks between games trying to find a replacement for Luke Miller. Miller suffered a leg injury during the Bryant game and will be out for 4-6 weeks.

"We're trying to get Luke well because he's still a big part of our team," Pratt said. "He's a kid that starts on both sides of the football. He'll be tough to replace, but you have to play with the hand that is dealt to you.

"You don't get to choose somebody or draft somebody else. You play with the ones you have, and somebody else will have to step up. They always do."

-- Henry Apple • @NWAHenry

HACKETT

Hornets coming together

Familiarity breeds success at Hackett, which has won three consecutive since a loss to Mansfield on Aug. 29.

"We started the year with a brand new staff and new kids," said Michael Meador, who is in his first year as head coach at Hackett. "We have seven new starters, and we're coming together as a team, more like family."

Junior Avery Hester threw for 234 yards and four touchdowns last week in a 34-27 victory over Panama, Okla. Junior Fischer Shipman caught two passes for 43 yards, rushed for 66 yards, and added six solo tackles and seven assists on defense. Senior Briar Goins has emerged as a leader in the trenches for the Hornets, who open 2A-4 Conference play on Friday against Magazine.

"Briar bought in early and he's doing a great job," Meador said. "Avery and Fischer are doing a good job, as well. Avery is positive with the guys and becoming more of a leader at quarterback for us."

-- Rick Fires • @NWARick

HARRISON

Goblins welcome open week

Harrison jumped out to a 3-0 start through the nonconference portion of its schedule before being idle last week, but the open date couldn't have come at a better time.

Goblins coach Joel Wells said a break right before the 5A-West Conference opener Friday against Morrilton was what his team needed to get some people healthy. Colton Shaver, a senior receiver/defensive back, had been dealing with some injuries and was able to get healthy, as did junior tight end/defensive end Breckin Duck and senior tailback Gabe Huskey.

"Those three are all good to go," Wells said. "This is a big game between two of the top five or six Class 5A teams in the state. I'm sure everybody is going to pull out the stops for this one. The winner of this game has a good chance to control its destiny, while the one that doesn't may have to end up rooting for somebody else."

With no game last week, Wells said he shortened the team workouts each day and did it again Monday before going back on the regular schedule Tuesday as the Goblins prepare for their showdown with the Devil Dogs.

"The biggest deal is we don't want to be peaking too early," Wells said. "We hope to have things polished and not show any rust from being off. During that open date, we tried to get better in all phases of the game, and we're hoping that can show some improvement."

-- Henry Apple • @NWAHenry

Sports on 09/26/2019