Purple’Dogs Look To Bounce Back
Posted: November 13, 2009 at 5:36 a.m.
Fayetteville junior quarterback Brandon Allen eludes Rogers Heritage junior linebacker Jason Rehblock during the first half Nov. 6 in Gates Stadium in Rogers.
FAYETTEVILLE — This season has been a roller coaster of sorts for the Purple’Dogs.
From a frustrating 1-2-1 start to the season, followed by a four-game winning streak and then a two-game losing stretch to close out the regular season, consistency has been hard to come by for Fayetteville.
Tonight, the Purple’Dogs hope to get back to their midseason winning ways when they host Conway in a first-round Class 7A playoff matchup at Harmon Field. Fayetteville, the No. 4 seed from the 7A-West Conference, enters the game with back-to-back losses: a 39-14 defeat to Springdale Har-Ber two weeks ago and a 49-20 loss to Rogers Heritage last week.
If the playoffs aren’t motivation enough, Fayetteville coach Daryl Patton hopes the Purple’Dogs can draw from the frustration of the past two weeks as they try to kickstart another winning stretch like they had midseason.
“If we want to play next week, this is what we’ve got to do,” Patton said. “We’ve got to go out there and play harder and want it more and play with a great deal of guts.
“If we do, we’ll get to play for another week.”
Awaiting Fayetteville tonight is the 7A-Central’s No. 5 seed Conway. The Wampus Cats, under first-year coach Clint Ashcraft, won four games this season — nearly totaling the five wins they had in the previous two years combined.
Conway (4-6) has won two of its previous three games entering tonight, including a 35-28 win over Little Rock Catholic last week, and it’s done so behind quarterback Xavier Acklin, who has thrown and rushed for more than 1,000 yards each. Acklin’s ability to scramble out of the pocket has caught Patton’s attention.
“We’re getting ready to play the best athlete we’ve played all year in Acklin,” Patton said. “That says a lot, because we’ve played (Bentonville’s) Courtney Haskell (who totaled 270 yards in a win over the Purple’Dogs earlier this season).
“We’ve played some very talented young men, and this kid here is the best of the bunch.”
Fayetteville, however, brings its own share of playmakers to the game — including receivers Michael Heintzman (60 catches for 992 yards and 13 touchdowns) and Demetrius Dean (46 catches, 572 yards, seven touchdowns).
Of course, the player getting those receivers the ball has had an outstanding season in his own right. Junior quarterback Brandon Allen, after struggling at times with interceptions last season, has thrown for 2,637 yards and 23 touchdowns against just three interceptions.
“On offense, (Fayetteville’s) scary,” Ashcraft said. “At any point, they can get you and Allen can throw it 70 yards.
“That’s scary.”
The winner of tonight’s game will advance to the quarterfinals, where it will travel to the Central’s No. 1 seed, Cabot, next week. It’s a trip Patton hopes the Purple’Dogs can make.
“We’ve got a hard first-round test, and we’re going to have to play well like we did 3-4 weeks ago,” Patton said. “We’ve got to play with enthusiasm and believe we can go out there and get it done.”
Today’s Class 7A Playoff Ticket
Conway at Fayetteville
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Harmon Field.
RECORDS: Conway Wampus Cats, 4-6; Fayetteville Purple Bulldogs, 5-4-1.
ON THE AIR: KHOG-FM 105.3.
COACHES: Conway, Clint Ashcraft; Fayetteville, Daryl Patton.
LAST WEEK: Conway defeated Little Rock Catholic 35-28; Fayetteville lost 49-20 to Rogers Heritage.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Conway, QB Xavier Acklin (5-9, 180), WR Jalen Jones (5-10, 165), OL Fadil Prelvukaj (6-5, 356). Fayetteville, QB Brandon Allen (6-3, 205); RB Dylan Hale (5-10, 195); DT Bobby Nefzger (6-0, 210); WR Michael Heintzman (5-10, 195).
HOOTEN’S RANKINGS: Conway is No. 11 in Class 7A; Fayetteville is No. 8.
HOOTEN’S LINE: Fayetteville by 1.
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Next Story »
Quarterback Showdown On Tap In Rogers
Rogers Heritage and Little Rock Catholic will have the same game plan when the two teams meet in Gates Stadium in a first-round Class 7A playoff game tonight. Read »
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