CLASS 4A Ozark primed for deep playoff run

OZARK -- Like most coaches, Jeremie Burns says all the right things when asked about the conference his team competes in.

The Ozark football coach says every team in the 4A-4 Conference is well-coached, every team has tremendous talent, every game will be a dogfight. And all of that is true. What Burns doesn't say is that his Hillbillies are the class of the conference. That's OK; we're saying it.

Ozark was 9-3 last season and rolled unbeaten (7-0) through the 4A-4 despite injuries that kept a number of players who were expected to play major roles off the field. Daniel Woolsey, for example, was expected to carry the load at running back after a big sophomore season. Instead, Woolsey watched most of the season on the sideline with a leg injury. Eli Munnerlyn, a stalwart on the defensive line, missed considerable time with injuries. There were several others who also missed games.

Instead of complaining and making excuses, Ozark found more than capable replacements. Then sophomore Tyler Sanders emerged at running back and pounded out 1,187 yards and scored 13 touchdowns. Lawsyn Jackson stepped in for Munnerlyn and played exceptionally well until he went down with an injury. And that experience is what sets Ozark apart from the rest of the conference.

"Our depth is better, and we have a few younger guys coming this season that will help us," Burns said. "We have a lot of guys back on offense and defense."

In each of the last two seasons, the Hillbillies have been eliminated by teams that advanced to the state title game. The goal this season for Ozark, besides winning the conference title again, is to make a deep postseason run.

"We're trying to get over that hump, to get into that semifinal or even the finals," Burns said. "That's what we're shooting for."

Burns is right to praise the competition in the 4A-4 because there are some teams that will challenge the Hillbillies for the title. Dardanelle was also 9-3 last season and returns almost its entire offense and most of its defense. Dual-threat quarterback Jordan Metcalf ran for 800 yards and passed for 800 last season, and running back Blake Chambers rushed for more than 1,200 yards. Those two teams square off Oct. 11 in Dardanelle.

Mena has a new coach in Craig Bentley, who led Mansfield to an 8-4 mark last season in the ultra-tough 3A-1 Conference. The Bearcats also return a number of starters from an 8-4 team, led by quarterback Max Montgomery, who passed for more than 2,000 yards and 19 touchdowns as a sophomore. Ozark travels to Mena to open league play on Sept. 27.

"It's a tough league and the reason we try to schedule the teams that we do for nonconference," Burns said. "It gets us ready for the conference race. Our conference is tough top-to-bottom. I think several teams from our conference have a chance to compete deep in the playoffs."

4A-1 CONFERENCE

The 4A-1 conference has not produced a state champion since Shiloh Christian's three-year reign from 2008-2010, but the Saints came close a year ago until a stomachache derailed those chances.

Shiloh Christian was 12-1 when it was scheduled to host a Friday night semifinal playoff game against defending state champion Arkadelphia. The Saints had pounded Star City, Mena and Nashville in successive weeks, but the game was postponed by a day because of weather, moving the game to Saturday.

Hours before the rescheduled game, star running back Jaret Russ was hospitalized with appendicitis and underwent surgery to remove his appendix. Arkadelphia went on to a 30-17 win and claimed its second straight 4A state title the following week. Had the game been played as originally scheduled on Friday, the outcome could have been different.

There's no looking back for Shiloh Christian coach Jeff Conaway, whose team is the favorite in the 4A-1.

"We lost some really good seniors, a running back that was very dynamic," Conaway said. "We lost a couple of really good offensive linemen, two good receivers. What I like about this group is we've got 23 seniors. It's a big number, I think the biggest we've ever had."

Quarterback Eli Reece emerged last season and passed for 2,600 yards and 32 touchdowns. Top receiving target Truitt Tollett is also back after catching 77 passes for 1,183 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Shiloh Christian returns seven offensive and six defensive starters. That number would have been higher if Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Division II Newcomer of the Year Jaiden Henry had not moved to Van Buren when his father, defensive backs coach Moe Henry, was hired as the defensive coordinator there. The loss of Jaiden Henry was softened some with the addition of sophomore Kaden Henley, whose father was added to the coaching staff. Henley started at Lawton High School last season as a freshman linebacker.

The Saints may be the favorite in the 4A-1, but there will be plenty of opposition. Lincoln was 8-3 last season and hopes to make some noise before it slides down to Class 3A next season.

"We know we're a 3A team, the AAA has already told us," Harrison said. "But we're not focusing on that. We're focused on doing our job in 4A. We have a saying around here that we focus on our specifics and not our circumstances."

Specifically, Lincoln has five starters back each way from a team that had its best season since 2015.

Prairie Grove and Pea Ridge have each played in the state championship game in the past five years and will have a big say in how the conference shapes up. Prairie Grove had an un-Tigerlike season last year at 5-6 but should be in contention again. Pea Ridge, playing its final season in 4A before making the move to 5A, returns senior running back Sam Beard, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season.

"The 4A-1 is known for being a tough conference week in and week out, and that won't change this season," Blackhawks coach Stephen Neal said. "Our hope is that we can continue to do well in the 4A-1 against the top teams. By no means are we thinking about 5A. The 4A-1 is tough enough for us as it is."

Sports on 08/22/2019