LITTLE ROCK — TONIGHT’S GAME SHILOH CHRISTIAN VS. WARREN WHEN 7:30 p.m.
WHERE Estes Stadium, Conway RECORDS Season-opener for both teams RANKINGS Warren is No. 2 in Class 4A. Shiloh Christian is unranked.
SPRINGDALE - Shiloh Christian decided against playing a soft nonconference schedule this season while making the jump from Class 4A to Class 5A.
The Saints are instead loaded up with some tough teams, starting with Warren tonight at Central Arkansas’Estes Stadium. Shiloh Christian will also face Broken Bow, Okla., and Greenwood in nonconference play before making its5A-West Conference debut at Morrilton on Sept. 21.
Shiloh Christian is moving up in classification after winning four state champions in the past six years. Greenwood is the twotime defending champion in Class 5A while Warren is a traditional power that won consecutive state champions in 2001 and 2002.
Shiloh Christian and Warren last met in 2010, when the Saints beat the Lumberjacks 48-7 in a firstround playoff game while winning the state champion in Class 4A.
“We always want to play a good non-conferenceschedule and this year is no different,” Shiloh Christian Coach Josh Floyd said. “Warren has great athletes and they’ll show us the kind of speed we’ll see against Morrilton once when we start conference play. It’s a good game for both teams.”
Warren has high expectations in Class 4A with eight offensive and nine defensive starters back from a team that went 8-3-1 last season.
The Lumberjacks have some of the bestyoung talent in the state, including receiver Von Eric Gonder, who was named to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s Super Sophomore Team after catching 48 passes for 540 yards and 8 touchdowns. Kilay Cox is back after rushing for 1,100 yards as a freshman and quarterback Drake Jones returns after throwing for over 2,000 yards as a sophomore.
“We’re still young, but we had some kids get a lot of snaps last year and that experience should help,” Warren Coach Bo Hembree said.
Jones, 5-10, 195, pounds was withheld from a scrimmageagainst Stuttgart last week after getting banged up in practice and is questionable for tonight’s season opener against Shiloh Christian. Sophomore backup Justin Gorman, 5-7, 150, will likely start at quarterback if Jones is unable to go.
Shiloh Christian junior quarterback Daniel Shimer did not participate in a scrimmage against Rogers because of an elbow injury, but he should be healthy enough to start against Warren tonight. The Saints return seven offensive and four defensive starters from a team that finished 5-6 last season.
“Daniel is ready for his chance to be the guy for usthis year,” Floyd said. “He a dual threat quarterback, and you’ve got to have that when plays break down.”
Shiloh Christian’s biggest concern is on defense after the Saints allowed over 30 points per game last season. Shiloh Christian, which was rolled for 600 yards during a 48-35 loss to Heber Springs that ended its season, gave up scores on seven of eight possessions in a scrimmage last week against Class 7A Rogers.
“Rogers runs the triple option and we don’t see that much, but we’ve definitely got to tackle better than we did in the scrimmage,” Floyd said.
Sports, Pages 17 on 08/27/2012