FAYETTEVILLE -- Fayetteville's playoff win over Conway at Harmon Field provided another platform for Kaiden Turner to display the skill and passion he brings to the game.
Conway was down to its last play after Graham Witte drilled a 40-yard field to put Fayetteville ahead 23-21 with four seconds remaining. Conway's plan was to use a series of laterals to advance the ball downfield but Turner stepped in and snatched a lateral out of the air that was recorded statistically as a fumble recovery. But instead of going to the ground to end the game, the senior linebacker powered past everyone in his way and scored to put an exclamation point on a 29-21 victory.
"I knew they were going to pitch it and I took it and decided, hey, I'm going to score my last touchdown at Harmon," said Turner, a senior linebacker who also scored on a 2-yard blast at halfback against Conway.
The semifinal win earned Fayetteville (10-2) the right to challenge Bryant (11-1) for the Class 7A state championship at 6:30 p.m. today at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. Bryant is the three-time defending state champion in Arkansas' largest classification and the Hornets will carry a 41-game winning streak against in-state competition into the game.
Making big plays is nothing new for Turner (6-2, 220 pounds), a three-year starter who plans to sign with Indiana on Dec. 15 during the early signing period. Turner leads Fayetteville with 77 tackles (32 solo, 45 assists), including eight sacks and a total of 20 takedowns for losses. He's a leader of a senior-dominated team at Fayetteville that will play for a state championship one year after finishing 4-7.
Fayetteville linebackers coach Jeff Bowerman has watched Turner's development as a sophomore who broke into the starting lineup to an All-State linebacker as a senior who'll continue his football career in the Big Ten Conference.
"Indiana is getting a steal with KT," Bowerman said. "I've coached other elite linebackers but he is special. He is gifted athletically, there's no doubt about that. But what makes him elite is that he is a coach on the field, a true leader. He demands perfection out of himself and that becomes contagious with the rest of our defense, making the entire group play at an exceptional level. Coaching a young man like him occurs once in a lifetime. He has been a tremendous blessing to this team."
Mani Powell, who is expected to sign with the University of Arkansas on Dec. 15, saw up close the intensity Turner brings to a team when he joined the Bulldogs after moving with his mother from Ohio to Fayetteville before the season. Powell started at linebacker with Turner before he suffered a season-ending knee injury several weeks ago.
"He's a big-time baller," Powell said. "You can tell by the way he plays that he loves the game and he has an eagerness to win. He's a humble type of person but, on the field, you can tell he's a dog."
Turner began turning heads immediately as a sophomore when he earned a starting position over a senior who was a really good player, Bowerman said. He made all-conference as a junior at inside linebacker after making 95 tackles with 5.5 sacks. As a senior, Turner has more than fulfilled expectations after being projected as one of the top college prospects in the state. He's provided many highlights, including the 10 tackles and a batted pass he had against Conway. He also had a big game against Rogers that included three sacks.
"He's an unbelievable player who's a blue-collar type kid and the ultimate leader," Fayetteville Coach Casey Dick said. "He's the hardest worker on our team who's here first and stays late. Our kids follow him and respond to him and that's awesome to see."
Turner said his passion for football began soon after he was introduced to the game by his father, Joe Turner, at a very young age.
"I've been playing football since I was in kindergarten," Turner said. "It's really been a part of my life and my family's lives for a long time. I play the way I do because I feel like there's no point in doing something if you don't put out a full effort."
Turner and his Fayetteville teammates will have to play their best game of the year to have a chance against Bryant, which is one win away from claiming a fourth consecutive state championship in Class 7A. The challenge is daunting but
"Nobody thinks we're going to win, so it's us against the world," Turner said of the Bulldogs, who were also the underdogs in the semifinals against Conway. "We just have to go out there and prove ourselves."
