PINE BLUFF — Let the gauntlet begin.
Shiloh Christian successfully began one of the most ambitious nonconference schedules ever — especially for a Class 4A school — on Monday night with a dominating 54-22 win against Watson Chapel in front of 12,133 in Golden Lion Stadium at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
Watson Chapel was dropped a classification in the Arkansas Activities Association’s new two-year realignment and is strongly considered a favorite in Class 5A this season.
Shiloh also plays perennial Class 5A power Greenwood in Week 3.
In between, however, is the biggest challenge as the Saints travel to Arlington, Texas, to play Euless (Texas) Trinity — ranked No. 1 according to the USA Today rankings — in the Kirk Herbstreit Football Classic on Labor Day in the new Cowboys Stadium.
Shiloh’s game is one of four that will be played there Monday, with crowds expected to approach 20,000.
Four years ago, Trinity played Southlake Carroll in old Texas Stadium in a playoff game in front of a crowd close to 50,000.
While Shiloh can claim possibly three Division I players, Trinity is the top-ranked team in the talent-rich state of Texas and boasts six Division I players. Trinity’s enrollment makes them right at the same size as Bentonville, the largest school in Arkansas, and the Trojans won Texas state 5A titles in 2005, 2007 and 2009.
Another concern is depth and injuries against big-school competition. Shiloh has just 16 seniors on the roster and lost to injuries receiver Jon Hawes in practice on Friday along with running back Garrett Harper in Monday’s game.
Most believe that the Saints have bitten off more than they can chew against Trinity, but they have started the three-game run against top-flight competition in impressive fashion.
In the first half on Monday, Shiloh had six touchdowns in six possessions with 38 plays for 457 yards of offense and 18 first downs. The Saints first four plays were good for two touchdowns and 146 yards.
Shiloh’s defense was equally impressive, allowing just two offensive touchdowns and holding the Wildcats to 14 plays of lost yardage.
After the three-game gauntlet against bigger and stronger schools, the Saints will settle in against what will probably be a 12-week schedule against Class 4A schools.
Shiloh has won two straight Class 4A state titles and has played in the state championship game the last four years.