Centerpoint coach says consistency is key to success

— For the Centerpoint Knights, consistency has been the key to their recent success.

“In a large part, this thing got rolling last year and just continued into this season,” Centerpoint head coach Cary Rogers said. “We had some experience back, and our kids stuck with the program.

“We had 15 seniors this year, and most of them have been in the program since seventh grade.”

Centerpoint won a school-record nine games in 2016 and made it to the quarterfinals of the 3A state playoffs before losing to Charleston. For his team’s performance, Rogers has been named the 2016 Tri-Lakes Edition Coach of the Year.

“It has been a long steady process, rather than a huge sudden turnaround,” said Rogers, who just completed his 14th season at Centerpoint. “Last year (2015), we had a good group of seniors, but we only had six.

“This year, we returned a junior class that were some pretty good football players and have won a lot of games. They were very successful in ninth grade and have been to the playoffs all three years.”

In 2015, The Knights finished 8-4 — setting a school record at the time — and earned a first-round victory over Elkins before losing to eventual 3A state champion Harding Academy. The previous record was set in 2001 with seven wins.

“This is the furthest trip we have been, making it to the quarterfinals,” Rogers said. “We actually beat two district champions this year, finishing third in our own district.

“Unfortunately, we play in the SEC West of 3A football with Prescott and Glen Rose.”

This year, Centerpoint defeated Clinton in the first round and previous unbeaten Bald Knob in the second round.

“Not only do we want to do better, but now we also have an understanding of what it is going to take to get us there,” Rogers said. “It is going to take showing up in the summer when it is hot out and everybody sticking with it every year.

“Now the kids in the program have an understanding of what it is going to take in the future to either maintain our success or to even get better from here.”

Rogers said the biggest difference from previous seasons is the fact that kids are sticking with the program.

“It is a little bit of everything,” Rogers said. “Our coaching staff has been very stable as well. Most of us have been here for at least nine years, so there’s stability there.

“We have had a couple groups of kids who have wanted it more and have increased their effort in the summer and offseason — putting more into it and now starting to get more out of it.”

Rogers said the main thing is, “if they get into it in the seventh grade and go through all the offseasons, they will learn the continuity, and by the time they are at the senior high, we should see some results.”

Rogers graduated from Beebe High School in 1987 and from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway in 1992. He was the head coach at Fouke High School from 1992 to 2002, and before that, he was an assistant at Cabot High School from 1994 to 1998.

“We are a pretty young school,” Rogers said. “We have only been here for 20 years or so, and last year, we set a school record with eight wins.

“This year, one of our goals was to do at least one step better, and we did.”

Key contributors for the Knights included senior Cameron Clower, who plays linebacker and tight end. He is the school’s all-time leading tackler, Rogers said, and scored 13 touchdowns this season.

Quarterback Keenan Owens threw for more than 2,900 yards this season and has 7,300 yards in his high school career. Wide receiver Lance Chambers had more than 2,400 yards and 30 touchdowns in his three years.

“Matt Baker played rover for us on defense, and he was one of our top tacklers,” Rogers said. “He had a couple of interceptions, two fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles.

“He was a big playmaker for us.”

Rogers said senior guard Keith Lynchard gets overlooked some because of his size but does “a great job pulling for us on sweeps and pass protection.”

“Jett Tilley played cornerback for us, and he has a school record of 12 passes defended,” Rogers said.

Rogers said that with 15 seniors graduating in May, there will be a lot to replace next year, but he is not too concerned.

“It is the leading everything in school history— leading receiver, leading tackler, leading passer and everything,” Rogers said.

“But, with that said, we have a lot coming back. We have six juniors and 15 sophomores coming back. There are some pretty good football players there.”

Rogers said that most years, they would have played more, but “that senior class was just so big and good.”

“There are kids moving up that have won a lot of football games, too,” Rogers said. “And played quite a bit. …

“Of the upsides is these young kids have seen what it takes, not just the game-time production, but also the effort it is going to take in practice and in the weight room in order to keep this ball rolling.”

Upcoming Events