Week 1 Arkansas high school football notebook: Buck James wins first game as Conway head coach
Buck James was very familiar with both teams on the field Friday night, when Conway opened their season against Bentonville in front of a packed house at Tiger Stadium.
James, the Wampus Cats’ first-year head coach, watched his team jump out to an early 28-10 lead, heading into the intermission, before having to rally at the end to pull off a come-from-behind 42-39 victory.
“There’s nothing better than winning, and I’m proud of our football team,” James said. “That was a good game, a playoff, state championship-type atmosphere tonight. Now, you’re 1-0, and that beats being 0-1. We’ve got a chance to win them all, if we win our first one.”
Conway’s Jackson Anderson made a diving catch in the end zone, on a 4-yard pass from senior quarterback Donovyn Omolo with 57 seconds left in the game, to retake the lead. The Wampus Cat defense then halted the Tigers’ final drive, before erupting in celebration.
“We didn’t play good all the time, we didn’t play smart and we made a lot of mistakes,” James said, also referring to himself getting an unsportsmanlike conduct flag, following a penalty on Conway late in the game. “But our kids overcame themselves and they overcame the coaching, and found a way to win.”
Ironically, the veteran coach ended both teams’ seasons a year ago, while leading Bryant to its fifth consecutive 7A State Championship. The Hornets dispatched Conway 42-21 in the state semifinals, and toppled Bentonville 36-7 in the championship game.
The Buck James Era at Conway started successfully with a big win at Bentonville. (Photo by Steve Andrews)
Conway jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead to hush the Bentonville home crowd, when Omolo tossed a pair of TD passes to Jaydon Gaines and Cris O’Neal.
After the Wampus Cats took the 18-point lead into halftime, future Arkansas Razorback CJ Brown quickly electrified the crowd and got the Tigers right back in it to start the third quarter. The speedy receiver and return man broke loose on the opening kickoff and soared 99 yards for a touchdown. Then on the following Bentonville drive, Brown caught a pass from Carter Nye and raced 81 yards for his third touchdown of the night.
“I was able to make some plays out there, but I’ve got to give credit to my team and my coaches for drawing it up really good,” said Brown, who explained that he switched places with other deep returner on the kickoff, at the last second, in order to field the ball. “I knew they weren’t going to kick it to me, but I caught the ball, saw a hole that my blockers gave me and was able to return it.”
That momentum shift spurred the Tigers to take a 39-35 lead in the fourth quarter, before the Wampus Cats struck back at the end. The Tigers are now 1-1 on the season, after blasting Broken Arrow (Okla.) 41-0, a week ago.
“We knew it was going to be a tough match,” Bentonville Head Coach Jody Grant said. “When we’ve played Conway the past seven or eight years, it’s been a battle. They got after us early, but we were please with how we responded in the second half. It’s not the result we wanted, but it’s not the end of the world. You have to take the positives you can get from a loss, and learn and grow from that.
“I think both of these teams are going to be contenders at the end of the season.”
Bryant playmakers sharing the football
Anyone who’s watched the Bryant High School football over the years, know the Hornets are not a one-man show on offense. The program prides itself with balance on offense, showing the ability to run the ball while throwing the ball.
After Friday night’s 45-31 victory over Christian Brothers College (Missouri), first-year coach Quad Sanders made a point that there are enough footballs to go around.
Based on the fact the Hornets had 23 first downs, 560 total yards (283 passing and 277 rushing), one would think the Hornets found a way to keep everyone happy.
Bryant's Daniel Anderson ran for 80 yards and a touchdown coming off the bench. (Photo by Jimmy Jones)
However, head coach Quad Sanders said he has to remind some players that the offense is not built around one man. One player in particular was running back James Martin who rushed for 168 yards on 14 carries and scored 2 touchdowns. He also caught a 60-yard pass that set up Jordan Walker’s 7-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
“James wants the ball every time. I tell him to calm down. You and Daniel (Anderson) need to work together and say, ‘When I’m tired, he can come in,’ they’ll be a two-headed monster that nobody will want to deal with.”
Anderson, who owns scholarship offers from Notre Dame and Mississippi State, did a great job complementing Anderson by rushing for 80 yards on 14 carries and scoring a 22-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
Senior wide receiver Mytorian Singleton opened the game by catching a 12-yard touchdown. He also caught a 67-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. Walker threw for 283 yards and with 2 touchdowns.
While CBC had 361 yards and 25 first downs, Sanders liked the fact his defensive line came up with five sacks with Ryan Reynolds getting two and holding Central Brothers to 40 yards rushing on 30 carries. He credited his defensive coordinator Travis Queck for keeping fresh players in the game at all times.
“When you pass rush and play the run that many times, you’re going to get gassed,” said Sanders. “I think the rotation was good.”
Next up for Bryant is defending Class 5A champion Little Rock Parkview and Sanders said he still finds a way to keep his club humble. “Our kids did a great job of being where they’re supposed to be and executing the game plan. I still think we have some things to clean up and be more consistent,” he said.
--Jeff Halpern
Shiloh Christian's offensive and defensive lines stepped up in a win against Little Rock Christian on Friday night. (Photo by Tommy Land)
Unproven players in trenches step up for Saints
Shiloh Christian entered its game at 6A power Little Rock Christian with plenty of question marks but may have left with some answers after a 43-22 win.
The offensive and defensive lines were two of the bigger areas of concern during the offseason and first-year Saints head coach Tucker Barnard mentioned earlier in the week that “eight or nine different guys” have been competing for spots on both sides.
Center Mason Harris and right tackle Jonas Nantze, both seniors, were the only returning starters on the offensive line, but were praised by senior running back Bo Williams via X (formerly known as Twitter) for their collective performance. The Saints defensive line also impressed, as did the defense overall snagging two interceptions.
Behind the revamped offensive line led by seniors Jonas Nantze and Mason Harris, along with newcomers Ben Carlyle, Andrew Dawson and Maddox Welborn, Williams ran for 400 yards and six touchdowns.
Freshman Cole Creighton started at quarterback for Shiloh, but left with an injury in the first half and junior Evan Baker, who in the offeseason probably didn’t dream he’d play QB this year finished the game.
Following three-year starter and Army signee Eli Wisdom’s graduation, Garyt Odom was the likely candidate to take over for the Saints under center. However, Odom moved to Las Vegas when his father, Barry, became UNLV’s new head coach following three seasons as the defensive coordinator at Arkansas. Talan Williams, Bo’s first cousin, was also a candidate before he transferred to Gentry over the summer.
That left Creighton and Baker. However, Baker will get the nod for the foreseeable future as Creighton will "be out for a while" per Barnard and it "could be a matter of weeks."
--Kyle Sutherland | @k_sutherlandAR
