SPRINGDALE — Warren wasn’t supposed to run into a team like Shiloh Christian in the first round of the playoffs.
A lot can transpire in the course of the season, though, and now the Lumberjacks f ind themselves facing the No. 1 team in Class 4A on Friday at Champions Stadium.
With Warren coming off its f ifth consecutive conference championship, expectations were high again going into the season. But injuries buried the Lumberjacks in the 8-4A Conference standings and forced them to promote a few players from the junior high squad late in the year.
Warren’s postseason chances looked bleak as the Lumberjacks entered the final two weeks with a 1-4 conference record. Coach Bo Hembree then took his chances on seven freshmen, who started the past two games.
The gamble paid off as the Lumberjacks defeated Hamburg and Lake Village to sneak into the playoffs again as a No. 5 seed.
Warren received a hard dose of reality as its reward, though, drawing two-time defending state champion Shiloh Christian, which entered the season ranked by USA Today as one of the top 25 teams in the nation.The Saints outscored their 1-4A Conference opponents by an average score of 44.4 to 8.0.
“We had to move them up,” Hembree said of his freshmen, who are led by quarterback Drake Jones, linebacker Kendrick Newton and 6-3, 330-pound offensive tackle Jamal Bale. “I’ve been excited about this class for a long time. They might be in a little over their heads this week, but hopefully we’ll play hard and see what happens.”
Jones had a slight head start on the other six freshman, earning his start a week earlier than the rest.He responded with nine touchdown passes in three games, including two to freshman Voneric Gonder.
Three members of Shiloh Christian’s loaded senior class gained valuable experience as freshmen starters in 2007. Now offensive tackle Travis Bodenstein, defensive tackle Samuel Harvill and receiver Zann Jones all have college offers on the table.
Joining those three in the starting lineup the next year were quarterback Kiehl Frazier (1,943 yards passing for 29 touchdowns with 4 interceptions this season), running back Garrett Harper (18 touchdowns), receiver Jon Hawes and defensive tackle Troy Goss. All seven players have at least one college offer, and Frazier (Auburn), Bodenstein (Kansas) and Harvill (Kansas State) are all committed toNCAA Division I schools.
“They’re one of the best teams in the state, if not the nation,” Hembree said. “We have a tough task ahead, but we want to see how far we need to go to get to where they’re at.”
The Lumberjacks have a few healthy and productive upperclassmen as well.
Running back Savion Gilbert, a 5-4, 200-pound senior, has rushed for 1,423 yards and 24 touchdowns, and senior receiver/ defensive back Allen Tatum has earned a offer fromLouisiana-Monroe.
Hembree and Floyd have faced off once before, with Shiloh Christian defeating the Lumberjacks 33-32 in the second round of the 2005 Class 3A playoffs. Floyd said that game is a distant memory.
“It was just so long ago,” he said. “None of these kids were involved, and I don’t think any of them remember it.”
Both coaches have had tremendous success at their respective schools with multiple state championships and career winning percentages of better than 81 percent. Floyd is 79-13 in his seven years at Shiloh Christian with three state titles and four trips to the finals. Hembree is 112-26 with three state final appearances and two titles in 11 years at Warren.
“His record since he’s been there is prettyimpressive,” Floyd said. “Their biggest issue this year is they’re a young football team. They’ve probably had some growing pains, but they’ve been lighting up the scoreboard the last few weeks.
“You can tell they’ve improved.”CLASS 4A PLAYOFFS Warren vs.
Shiloh Christian WHAT First round WHEN 7:30 p.m. Friday WHERE Champions Stadium, Springdale RECORDS Shiloh Christian 9-1, Warren 6-4 RANKINGS Shiloh Christian is No. 1 in Class 4A and No. 5 overall.
Sports, Pages 22 on 11/11/2010