Shiloh, Nashville Set For Showdown

By Chip Souza

Posted: November 27, 2009 at 4:12 a.m.

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SPRINGDALE — The calendar shows today is the last Friday in November. Tonight’s Class 4A playoff game probably would be better suited for mid-December.

Undefeated No. 2 Nashville will make the journey to Northwest Arkansas today, bringing Class 4A’s most dominant program this decade. And waiting in Champions Stadium is No. 1 Shiloh Christian, the program ready to stake its claim as the classification’s best.

Obviously a lot is on the line in this third-round matchup, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m.

Both coaches gushed about their opponent, but it would be hard not to. Nashville (12-0) has won 78 of its last 82 games with three state titles since 2005 under coach Billy Dawson.

Since 2000, Nashville has won more games than any team in the state.

Shiloh (10-1) is the defending 4A state champion, won the 3A title in 2006 and was the 3A state runner-up in 2007 under coach Josh Floyd. The Saints are the third-most successful team in the state in that timespan.

“I think they are the top 4A team this decade,” Floyd said. “It starts with their tradition. Their kids don’t think they are supposed to lose and they haven’t lost much.”

Dawson, the former Siloam Springs coach, was equally impressed with the Saints.

“They’re the complete package,” Dawson said. “It’s going to be, I hope, a heck of a football game.”

The Saints have not lost since their final nonconference game of the season way back in Week 3 against Greenwood. Shiloh won the 4A-1 Conference with relative ease, earning a bye in the first round of the playoffs before outscoring De Queen 56-35 on Nov. 20 in a second-round matchup.

Nashville has cruised to a pair of lopsided wins in the first two rounds, crushing Fordyce 52-6 and Prairie Grove 49-12. Tonight’s winner will advance to the state quarterfinals next week against either Stuttgart or Bald Knob.

And even though Shiloh will host tonight’s game, that means little to Nashville, which has won 35 straight road games.

The Scrappers are balanced on offense behind junior quarterback Cole Moore (2,800 yards passing, 23 touchdowns) and junior back Devencio Hawthorne (950 yards rushing, 14 touchdowns). Both played huge roles in last week’s romp over Prairie Grove.

Both teams average 43 points per game and allow fewer than 20 despite the fact that their starters often spent the second half of games on the sideline.

“Offensively they are very good,” Floyd said. “They can throw and run the football. They have a big, strong offensive line.”

Sounds familiar.

The Saints are also explosive offensively behind 6-foot-3, 215-pound junior quarterback Kiehl Frazier, a dual-threat on every snap and one of the state’s best offensive lines led by junior Travis Bodenstein (6-5, 285). Although Frazier’s run totals are down this year compared to his sophomore campaign, his 57-yard touchdown run three plays into last week’s game against De Queen shows he’s always a threat to take off.

On the year, Frazier has more than 3,000 passing yards and 40 touchdowns. His receivers are also extremely talented, led by junior Zann Jones and seniors Jon Hawes and Jake Scott.

“They really are as good as advertised,” Dawson said. “The part that worries you most about them is they’re so skilled. The quarterback is really good, and he can hurt you as much with his feet as he can with his arm down the field.”

As explosive as both offenses are, the game actually could come down to defense. Both teams have playmakers on that side of the ball. Shiloh’s Samuel Harvill (6-1, 262), who was injured in the first half of last week’s game against De Queen but returned in the second half, bench presses more than 500 pounds.

Keeping Harvill out of the backfield will be a huge task. Saints linebacker Mitchell Roberts is coming off a 15-tackle night against De Queen.

Nashville’s linebackers Brett Little and Robert Johnson will be the best defenders the Saints have seen since the opener against Shreveport (La.) Evangel.

“They have a good defensive line. They have a couple of guys that can play at the next level,” Saints center and four-year starter Josh Salsbury said. “I give them a lot of credit ... they are good. We like that. We like playing teams like Nashville, like Evangel and like Greenwood that are going to challenge us.”

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