England football Coach Josh Anderson and his wife Ashlyn knew they'd be having their third child during the 2021 football season, but they weren't expecting what came within the coming weeks.
Brooks Anderson was born to the Andersons on Sept. 9, but 11 days later he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer that's much more common in children, according to the American Cancer Society.
With the diagnosis, the Andersons were thrown into a dire situation, but nearly six months later, their son is still fighting, and the family is feeling significant support from the England community.
"It's truly incredible, to be honest with you," Josh said.
Through the Lions' 2021 season, in which Anderson continued coaching, Brooks went through 12 rounds of chemotherapy before having two surgeries in January at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., which fully removed his tumor and any additional cancer cells. During the football season, Brooks and his parents spent 37 nights at Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock, about a 30-minute drive from England.
Brooks is currently going through 30 rounds of chemo at Children's. His main therapy should be finished by Aug. 16 and, if everything continues to progress accordingly, he should be cancer-free and no longer in need of treatment by Jan. 31.
"We have had outstanding community support," Ashlyn said. "There is no support like small-town support, and I would hold true to that day in and day out."
That support has come both off and on the field. The Haywood Street Market in England has held multiple fundraisers, according to Ashlyn, including a dinner, dance and donations event in early March that raised $20,000. The Education Accelerated by Service and Technology Program at the high school also held a "Brooks Day" fundraiser in October that raised around $7,000.
Even opponents last fall gave in support, as the Clarendon School District gifted Josh with a $100 gas card ahead of their game in October. Carlisle held a fundraiser that gave $1,500, and Des Arc did the same, raising $2,400.
Josh was complimentary of the England School District's support, and his assistant coaches -- Jared Willis, Jared Vire, Gage Johnson and JR Deniz -- who kept England's senior high, junior high and seventh-grade football teams running while Josh was away. The senior Lions finished 0-10 on the season, but their junior high program went 5-4, going undefeated in conference play and winning their conference title.
Being an England native, Josh said his roots in the city and desire to build up the football program were significant factors as to why he continued coaching throughout the fall.
"With everything that was going on, the kids can't control that," Josh said. "Our football team, that wasn't in their control. And obviously, we didn't have a very good season ... but these kids showed up every day, regardless. I felt like, through this, I still owed it to them and to the program to give everything that I could you."
BRYANT
QB competition
For the second season in a row, the defending Class 7A state champion Bryant Hornets will have a new face under center.
After replacing current University of Arkansas pitcher Austin Ledbetter last year with then-senior Carson Burnett, four players -- senior Tyler Pinney, junior Gideon Moates, and sophomores Ridge Southerland and Jordan Walker -- are set to be in competition to take starting mantle, according to Bryant Coach Buck James.
"I don't feel that bad about who we've got coming back," James said. "We just don't know the level of where they're going to be at yet, fundamentally and all that stuff. But I feel like, out of the four, we'll have a guy that does a good job."
Moates, Sutherland and Walker were all undefeated quarterbacks at the junior varsity level, James said. Moates, who is committed to play baseball at Arkansas, was also the Hornets' main backup last season before breaking his finger in a junior varsity game about halfway through the season.
While there will be a new face at quarterback, starting experience appears to be aplenty for the 2022 Hornets, something which the program had little of going into 2021. After returning five total starters a season ago, James said Bryant is expecting to return 13 starters this year.
EXTRA POINTS
Isiah Kendall (Newport), Quincy Rhodes Jr. (North Little Rock) and CJ Turner (Star City) have all gained traction as 2023 in-state Division I prospects since the end of the 2021 season. Rhodes, who verbally committed to the University of Arkansas on Feb. 15, is listed as a three-star recruit by Rivals and a four-star by 247Sports. Rhodes received his four-star ranking on Feb. 6. Kendall has received four-star rankings from both Rivals and 247 since the end of 2021. Turner, a four-star on Rivals and three-star on 247, received an offer from Jackson State in February and went on a visit to Mississippi State on March 5. ... Two 2024 in-state prospects have received star ratings recently, as quarterback Walker White (Little Rock Christian) and running back Braylen Russell (Hot Springs Lakeside) are both four-stars on Rivals. Russell verbally committed to Arkansas on Nov. 6, and White, who is still listed as undecided, has offers from Tulsa, Syracuse, Virginia and Mississippi. ... Arkadelphia's Donovan Whitten and Camden Fairview's Martavius Thomas have both been invited to attend the regional schedule of the Elite 11 quarterback camp. Whitten will attend the Baton Rouge Regional, which takes place today, and Thomas will attend the Dallas regional, which will be March 27. According to the Elite 11's website, "those who show the highest level of skill, acumen and desire" will have a chance to attend the Elite 11 finals this summer. Whitten finished 2021 with 3,605 pass yards and 43 touchdowns. Thomas, who's committed to play baseball at Arkansas, finished 2021 with 3,257 pass yards and 34 touchdowns in 2021. According to the Elite 11's website, alumni include 26 of the NFL's current starting quarterbacks and 14 of the last 15 Heisman Trophy winners.