GAC PREVIEWS HENDERSON ST.

Reddies take aim, no quirks in the way

Henderson State receiver Robert Jordan, who had 36 catches, 401 yards and 1 touchdown last season, is one of three returning receivers for the Reddies.
Henderson State receiver Robert Jordan, who had 36 catches, 401 yards and 1 touchdown last season, is one of three returning receivers for the Reddies.

— Last in a series previewing Arkansas football teams in the Great American Conference.

Scott Maxfield had T-shirts made for his Henderson State football team at the end of last season.

“Best Division II team in Arkansas,” the inscription read.

Maxfield and the Reddies can make a case for it.

Henderson State hasn’t lost to one of Arkansas’ five other NCAA Division II teams over the past two seasons, a string of six games that included a victory in the season-ending Battle of the Ravine that cost Ouachita Baptist an undefeated Great American Conference season.

But if Henderson State, which was picked to win the GAC before finishing 6-4 a year ago, played the first four games the way it did over its final six, it’d have more than a box of gray T-shirts.

photo

courtesy of Henderson State

Henderson State quarterback Kevin Rodgers alternated with Kevin Nall last season and the Reddies had a 4-1 record in games that Rodgers started. Rodgers will start this season with the job all to himself.

Two of Henderson State’s four losses in 2011 came to teams in a higher division (Central Arkansas and South Alabama) and another came in a nonconference home game to Delta State, which reached the Division II semifinals.

The loss that kept the Reddies from winning a second consecutive conference title - they won a share of the Gulf South Conference in 2010 - was a 17-13 loss to Southwestern Oklahoma State in September.

The Reddies had more yards in penalties (149) than on offense (139) and didn’t score until the final minute of the third quarter.

“It was probably the worst game we played all year,” Maxfield said.

And it was the most costly, coming during a season when GAC teams, fulfilling an agreement to play some Gulf South Conference teams, played unbalanced schedules, forcing the conference to award the conference title to the team with the highest conference winning percentage.

So even though Henderson State beat rival OBU in the season’s final game, the loss to Southwestern Oklahoma State meant OBU’s 6-1 conference record gave it the title over Henderson State’s 4-1.

“It hurts,” junior linebacker Keaton Stigger said of the loss to Southwestern Oklahoma State. “We think about it every night. Because we lost our ring off that.”

GAC coaches have again tabbed the Reddies as the league favorite, and Maxfield said he thinks Henderson State, with 19 returning starters. can not only win a conference title but reach the Division II playoffs for the first time.

They’ll have to avoid another 1-3 start.

“That is kind of a building block for this season - we can’t overlook anybody,” Maxfield said. “We need to come out, play our best every week, take care of business and if we do that we’ll be OK.”

More consistent quarterback play will be a key ingredient to getting off to a better start, and third-year sophomore Kevin Rodgers is expected to provide that element.

Rodgers, 6-3, 215, didn’t see action until halftime of the Southwestern Oklahoma State game and spent the rest of the year alternating with Nathan Nall. Henderson State went 4-1 in games Rodgers started, and he completed 26of 41 passes for 332 yards and 3 touchdowns in the season ending victory over OBU.

Rodgers is surrounded by an abundance of returning skill players.

Senior running back Jarvis Smith rushed for 739 yards and 10 touchdowns. Also returning are three receivers: Robert Jordan (36 catches, 401 yards and 1 touchdown), Elliot Hebert (29 catches, 334 yards and 2 touchdowns) and Labroderick Barnett (18 catches, 203 yards and 1 touchdown) among the nine returning offensive starters.

The Reddies return eight starters on defense, led by Stigger, who was a first-team all-GAC pick.

That’s enough experience for the Reddies to think they can be playing for a conference title and a possible playoff berth - as long as the first few weeks are played like the last.

“If we start off well, and end like we did last year, I believe that we can go deep in the playoffs,” Stigger said. “Just starting off well, that’s the thing.”

About the Reddies

COACHES Scott Maxfield (39-34 in eighth season) LAST YEAR 6-4, 4-1 (second in Great American Conference) SURE THING Wide receivers/linebackers UNSURE THING Offensive line/defensive line OFFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH WR Robert Jordan DEFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH DE Kashawn Fraser.

PATH TO TITLE Quarterback Kevin Rodgers made strides as a passer toward the end of his freshman season a year ago, but Coach Scott Maxfield said he thinks a better offense lies in getting running back Jarvis Smith more involved. Smith rushed for 739 yards and 10 touchdowns, but he averaged only 12.2 carries per game and had 10 carries or less in four games.

Henderson state schedule

DATE OPP. TIME

Aug. 30 Southern Nazarene 7 p.m.

Sept. 8 at McKendree 1:30 p.m.

Sept. 15 at Arkansas Tech 6 p.m.+

Sept. 22 SE Oklahoma State 6 p.m.+

Sept. 29 at SW Oklah. State 6 p.m.+

Oct. 6 Arkansas-Monticello 3 p.m.+

Oct. 13 at Harding 6 p.m.+

Oct. 20 East Central (Okla.) 3 p.m.+

Oct. 27 at Southern Arkansas 6 p.m.+

Nov. 10 Ouachita Baptist 3 p.m.+

+Great American Conference game

Sports, Pages 13 on 08/27/2012

Upcoming Events