LITTLE ROCK — It’s not very often when you walk into a gymnasium and are met by a giant, inflatable helmet in the middle of the court.
That was the scene last week at Shiloh Christian, where the Saints were honored for winning their second consecutive Class 4A state championship and their sixth state title in 12 years.
The pep rally featured music, highlights and comments from Shiloh Christian’s players and coaches. The honors are still rolling in for Shiloh Christian, which routed Lonoke 56-20 at War Memorial last week to finish 13-1 for the second consecutive season.
The Saints finished the season ranked No. 1 overall in Arkansas. They are also ranked No. 25 nationally by USA Today and No. 1 nationally among private schools by the National Private School Athletic Association.
Shiloh Christian won 11 consecutive games after a 54-51 loss to Class 5A Greenwood, which included a 51-49 playoff victory over Nashville after the Saints had fallen behind 35-0.
“A lot of people wanted to give us the championship trophy before the season even started, and that’s tough,” Shiloh Christian Coach Josh Floyd said. “But we did a good job of staying focused each week, and we ended up meeting those expectations.”
So, what’s next for Shiloh Christian?
Shiloh Christian will be favored to win its third consecutive state title next season, and Floyd will soon be inundated by college coaches hoping to gain commitments from among several Division I prospects on the Saints’ roster. Quarterback Kiehl Frazier and lineman Samuel Harvill are the biggest targets, and both are braced for the onslaught.
“Some of that recruiting stuff will be fun, but it won’t get in the way,” said Frazier, who was named the Most Valuable Player of the state championship game after racking up a combined 365 yards rushing and passing and returning an interception for a touchdown. “Our goal is to win championships, and that’s not going to change.”
Shiloh Christian will remain in Class 4A despite the Saints being agreeable to moving up in classification.
“Unless things change, we’ll be in the same classification,” said Floyd, who agreed that the 5A-West Conference would be a good fit for the Saints if the rules were different. “We’ve asked to move up several times and have been denied each time. We’re not in charge, so there’s nothing we can do.”
Shiloh Christian is in control of its nonconference schedule and the Saints will continue to seek out tough competition.Greenwood is back on the schedule, but Shiloh Christian will have to find replacement games for Shreveport Evangel and Tulsa Lincoln Christian, both of which won state titles this year after losing to the Saints.
“Greenwood has been a great series, and we get them up at our place next year,” Floyd said. “Other than that, we’re not for sure yet as far as nonconference games. It’s still to be worked out.”
Most fans in Northwest Arkansas would love to see a matchup between Shiloh Christian and 7A-West champion Springdale Har-Ber, but nothing is in the works.
The only certainty is that Shiloh Christian will continue to be a football power in Arkansas, regardless of classification.
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Sports, Pages 27 on 12/20/2009