Little less drama would suit Shiloh

— After maybe the greatest comeback in Arkansas high school football history, Shiloh Christian Coach Josh Floyd said he is hoping for a little less stress when the top-ranked Saints host No. 2 Bald Knob in the semif inals of the Class 4A playoffs Friday night at Champions Stadium in Springdale.

Shiloh Christian (11-1) advanced to its fourth consecutive playoff semifinal with a 51-49 victory over previously unbeaten Nashville. The Saints trailed 35-0 early in the second quarter before outscoring the Scrappers 51-7 over the next 25 minutes.

“Hopefully, we will never have to do that again, but I think our guys did gain some confidence that they are never really out of a game,” Floyd said. “We also talked about it being a great life lesson for these guys - to never quit.”

The victory moved Shiloh Christian one step closer to its third state championship in four seasons.

Bald Knob (13-0) is enjoying its best season in school history. The 2-4A champion Bulldogs advanced with a 12-10 victory over conference rival Stuttgart. They trailed 10-0 at halftime.

Now, it’s a chance to shock the state by taking down Shiloh Christian.

“They’re very explosive, they’re big, they’re fast,” Bald Knob Coach Paul Johnston said. “They’ve got everything you want on a football team, but we’re not going up there to lay down. We’re going to play our hardest and see what happens.”

Shiloh Christian averages 472.7 total yards and 44.1 points per game.

Junior quarterback Kiehl Frazier has completed 197 of 310 passes for 3,374 yards and 44 touchdowns. Frazier, who has thrown only 10 interceptions, also leads the team in rushing with 553 yards and 10 touchdowns on 100 carries.

Bald Knob is led by senior quarterback Nick Glaze, who has rushed for more than 1,000 yards and thrown for more than 2,000 yards this fall.

The Bulldogs have used their quickness and speed on defense to create a huge positive in turnover margin.

“Their defense is really good,” Floyd said. “They are very well-coached and are very physical on defense. Their quarterback, Glaze, does a great job in the passing game. But he also is a big threat to run, which worries us. Their offense is very balanced.”

Johnston said one of his biggest concerns is his team’s ability to combat Shiloh Christian’s size advantage, particularly in the offensive line. Junior tackle Travis Bodenstein (290 pounds), junior guard Sam Harvill (260) and senior center Josh Salisbury (240) have all started since they were freshmen.

“They’re giants,” Johnston said. “To defeat that, you’ve got to use quickness. There’s different things that we’re going to try, different blitz packages and stuff to try and keep them off balance.

“You’ve got to do that and stay within the means of your players or you’re going to give up a touchdown right then.”Bald Knob at Shiloh Christian WHAT Class 4A semifinals WHEN 7:30 p.m. Friday WHERE Champions Stadium, Springdale RECORDS Bald Knob 13-0; Shiloh Christian 11-1 RANKINGS Bald Knob is No. 2 in Class 4A; Shiloh Christian is No. 1 in Class 4A and No. 1 overall

Sports, Pages 22 on 12/03/2009

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