ELKINS -- Trevor Shumate doesn't have the eye-popping statistics that attract college recruiters, but he does have talent and an attitude every coach covets.
"I don't ever come off the field, and I love it," Shumate said. "I don't want breaks."
Shumate appears all over the field as a receiver, running back, linebacker and the player who handles all the kicking for Elkins (7-2), which finished third in the 4A-1 Conference behind Shiloh Christian and Prairie Grove. Elkins will host a first-round playoff game Nov. 20 against the winner of Friday'sgame between Green Forest and Bald Knob.
Shumate is an all-around athlete who also plays baseball and competes in track and field, where he won the 60-meter hurdles at the state indoor track meet in Fayetteville last year. He's put together a standout senior season in football with 26 catches for 609 yards receiving; 265 yards rushing on 38 carries; and 45 tackles with 4 interceptions on defense.
"[Shumate] is definitely a very dynamic athlete," Gentry Coach Justin Bigham said. "You have to know where he is on every play."
Elkins opened the season with six consecutive wins before losing 49-28 to Shiloh Christian, which is ranked No. 1 in Class 4A. Elkins controlled the first half before the Saints unleashed their running game to pull away for the win.
Elkins fought hard against Prairie Grove last week, but fell 28-20 in the battle for second place in the conference. Shumate caught a 35-yard pass from Kain Johnson for a touchdown. He also made 11 tackles, including a sack, and recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown.
"[Shumate] is one heck of a football player," Elkins Coach Bryan Hutson said. "Running back, receiver, on defense at linebacker or safety, he does it all for us. We were out here the other day at practice when it was so windy, and Trevor literally kicked a 65-yard field goal."
While recruiters have been slow to take notice of Shumate, he turned some heads during a playoff game last season at Warren -- a small-school power that's sent plenty of players onto the Division I level. Elkins lost the game 34-19 but Warren Coach Bo Hembree and others were complimentary of Shumate, who ran for 82 yards and caught 7 passes for 104 yards.
"The Warren coaches came up to me afterward and said, 'That guy can play,' " Hutson said. "They loved the fact he plays so hard."
Shumate was focused on the game, but he did notice a former Warren and current University of Arkansas star watching nearby.
"Treylon Burks was actually on the sidelines for that game," Shumate said. "It was pretty fun to get to play in front of those guys from Warren. I gave it my all."
Shumate will have an opportunity to display his talent more in this year's playoffs. He's hopeful Elkins can go far, and he's thankful for the opportunity to play his senior year when so much was in doubt because of the coronavirus pandemic.
"For a while there, I didn't think we were going to play at all," Shumate said. "I'm just happy we made it this far to where we get to be in the playoffs."
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Playoff schedule
All games begin at 7 p.m.
CLASS 7A
FIRST ROUND
FRIDAY’S GAMES
Rogers Heritage at Bryant
FS Northside at Springdale Har-Ber
LR Central at Fayetteville
Springdale at Conway
Rogers at Cabot
FS Southside at North Little Rock
LR Catholic at Bentonville West
FIRST-ROUND BYE Bentonville
CLASS 6A
FIRST ROUND
FRIDAY’S GAMES
West Memphis at Greenwood
Mountain Home at Pine Bluff
Van Buren at Jonesboro
Marion at Benton
Russellville at Sylvan Hills
Searcy at LR Parkview
Sheridan at Lake Hamilton
Siloam Springs at El Dorado
FIRST-ROUND BYES None
CLASS 5A
PLAY-IN ROUND
FRIDAY’S GAMES
Farmington at Valley View
Pea Ridge at Magnolia
Brookland at Greenbrier
Nettleton at Maumelle
Hope at Morrilton
Alma at Texarkana
Beebe at Camden Fairview
Jacsonville at Batesville
Hot Springs at White Hall
Watson Chapel at Vilonia
Clarksville at Greene Co. Tech
FIRST ROUND
FRIDAY, NOV. 20
Farmington-Valley View winner at Pulaski Academy
Pea Ridge-Magnolia winner vs. Brookland-Greenbrier winner, site TBD
Nettleton-Maumelle winner at Wynne
Hope-Morrilton winner vs. Alma-Texarkana winner, site TBD
Beebe-Camden Fairview winner at Harrison
Jacksonville-Batesville winner vs. Hot Springs-White Hall winner, site TBD
Watson Chapel-Vilonia winner at Hot Springs Lakeside
Clarksville-Greene Co. Tech winner at Little Rock Christian
CLASS 4A
PLAY-IN ROUND
FRIDAY’S GAMES
Heber Springs at Trumann
Bauxite at Huntsville
Jonesboro WS at Hamburg
Gravette at Mills
Green Forest at Bald Knob
Star City at Arkadelphia
Fountain Lake at Pottsville
Clinton at Blytheville
FIRST ROUND
FRIDAY, NOV. 20
DeWitt at Shiloh Christian
Heber Springs-Trumann winner at Malvern
Bauxite-Huntsville winner at Dumas
Gosnell at Dardanelle
Jonesboro WS-Hamburg winner at Stuttgart
Gravette-Mills winner at Joe T. Robinson
Ashdown at Ozark
Lamar at Pocahontas
Waldron at Nashville
Green Forest-Bald Knob winner at Elkins
Star City-Arkadelphia winner at Mena
Lonoke at Warren
Fountain Lake-Pottsville winner at Rivercrest
Clinton-Blytheville winner at Prairie Grove
Gentry at Monticello
Crossett at Central Arkansas Christian
CLASS 3A
PLAY-IN ROUND
FRIDAY’S GAMES
Hackett at Mountain View
Walnut Ridge at Lake Village
Baptist Prep at Corning
FIRST ROUND
FRIDAY, NOV. 20
Smackover at Harding Academy
Harrisburg at Jessieville
Hackett-Mountain View winner at Booneville
Osceola at Pine Bluff Dollarway
Mayflower at Charleston
West Fork at Glen Rose
Centerpoint at Rison
Camden HG at Piggott
Drew Central at Prescott
Cedarville at Melbourne
Bismarck at McGehee
Lincoln at Atkins
Walnut Ridge-Lake Village winner at Hoxie
Baptist Prep-Corning winner at Newport
Salem at Paris
Perryville at Greenland
CLASS 2A
FIRST ROUND
FRIDAY’S GAMES
Bearden at Mount Ida
Winner to play Des Arc in second round
England at Bigelow
Hampton at Cross County
Mountainburg at Dierks
Cedar Ridge at Poyen
Magnet Cove at McCrory
Marked Tree at Junction City
Mineral Springs at Carlisle
Winner to play Gurdon in second round
Johnson Co. WS at E. Poinsett Co.
Murfreesboro at Quitman
Earle at Fordyce
Parkers Chapel at Clarendon
Hazen at Magazine
Hector at Foreman
FIRST-ROUND BYES Des Arc, Gurdon
Rick Fires can be reached at rfires@nwadg.com or on Twitter @NWARick.