Options good for Bulldogs

LITTLE ROCK — Options good for Bulldogs

White Hall has more options now.

Kirk Baugh, the Bulldogs’ highly regarded sophomore quarterback/ safety, returned to practice this week after missing the first four games with a broken collarbone.

Baugh, 6-1, 190 pounds, was injured during a preseason scrimmage last month against Malvern when a defensive tackle fell on his shoulder, White Hall Coach Mike Vaughn said.

As a freshman, Baugh finished second in the 110 hurdles at the 5A-Southeast meet and hit a game-winning grand slam against Greenwood in the quarterfinals of the Class 5A state baseball tournament.

In Baugh’s absence this fall, senior Terrance Warren has started at quarterback and “done a great job,” Vaughn said.

Warren was a halfback and backup quarterback last season.

“We had kind of gone with Kirk because Terrance was also playing middle linebacker and running back punts,” Vaughn said. “He was doing everything. We thought we would take a little load off of him. But when Kirk went down we just moved Terrance over.”

Junior Irvin Tisdale, who missed the 2011 season with a broken leg, has emerged at running back.

Tisdale ran for 204 yards against Sheridan on Sept. 14.

The Bulldogs are averaging 38 points a game, and Vaughn said he doesn’t plan to immediately tinker with his starting offensive backfield.

“We won’t replace Warren, not at this stage,” Vaughn said. “Fortunately, when Kirk gets healthy, we’ve got options.”

White Hall (3-0, 1-0 5A-South) hosts Camden Fairview (4-0, 1-0) tonight. The Cardinals, No. 1 in Class 5A and No. 7 overall, have won 20 consecutive conference games.

EAST POINSETT COUNTY

Road Warriors

East Poinsett County, No. 3 in Class 2A, shoots for its 16th consecutive regular-season victory tonight at No. 6 Walnut Ridge.

East Poinsett County (4-0, 1-0 3-2A) hasn’t lost in the regular season since a 67-44 defeat at Augusta on Oct. 1, 2010. The Warriors are also trying to stretch an 11-game conference winning streak.

EPC finished 11-1 last fall and reached the Class 2A semifinals behind dynamic quarterback Darius Barnes (2,450 yards running and passing) and All-Arkansas linebacker A.J. Turner, who also played wide receiver. Barnes is now at Arkansas Baptist College and working toward his academic eligibility in 2013. Turner is a freshman at Arkansas.

“We’re very similar to last year,” Warriors Coach Brian Weathers said. “The depth, as far as starters go, I think it’s better. We’ve got a lot more weapons on offense. Last year, we relied heavily on Darius and A.J.”

Sophomore quarterback Aaron Scales has rushed 40 times for 232 yards and 7 touchdowns, one of five Warriors with at least 200 yards on the ground.

Senior Jammar Sturdivant, who has orally committed to play basketball at Arkansas State, has run 25 times for 243 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Senior Caleb Harston and junior Byron Scales (Aaron’s brother) have 217 and 213 yards, respectively. Junior Trevor McDaniel has a team-high 324 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns on 33 carries.

EPC is only allowing 154 total yards per game. The Warriors have recovered 11 fumbles and intercepted 3 passes.

Harston, at end, has eight sacks. Junior end Paul Pilgrim has six sacks. Trevor McDaniel’s twin brother, Tristan, who was a member of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Super Sophomore team, has 37 tackles at linebacker.

EPC beat Walnut Ridge 46-26 last season, but Weathers said the senior-laden Bobcats (3-0, 1-0) are much improved this fall.

“Very balanced,” Weathers said. “Very, very good football team.”

MORRILTON

Dogs of war

The first major 5A-West showdown this fall is tonight when No. 3 Alma (3-1, 1-0 5A-West) hosts No. 5 Morrilton (2-1, 1-0).

Morrilton Coach Cody McNabb said the 2012 Devil Dogs represent the best team he’s had in three seasons at the school. Morrilton’s top-shelf talent includes senior utility back Jamar Criswell and senior offensive tackle Gilberto Garcia.

Criswell was a member of the Democrat-Gazette Super Sophomore team after rushing for 1,078 yards and catching 47 passes, but he missed the last half of 2011 after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee.

Criswell, who was offered a scholarship by Kansas State as a sophomore, ran for 167 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s 52-14 victory over Shiloh Christian.

“He’s back,” McNabb said.

Garcia, 6-2, 275, has orally committed to Central Arkansas, McNabb said.

After a 20-12 season-opening loss to Class 6A Russellville, Morrilton has rebounded with victories over Class 6A Searcy (21-17) and Shiloh Christian.

BALD KNOB

Crisp nears milestone

Bald Knob senior quarterback Cordell Crisp needs 5 passing yards tonight at home against Mayflower to reach 9,000 in his career. Crisp has completed 596 of 1,035 passes for 8,995 yards and 97 touchdowns. Crisp, 6-2, 187 pounds, was a member of the Democrat-Gazette Super Sophomore team after throwing for 3,863 yards and 47 touchdowns. Crisp threw for 3,790 yards last fall. He has thrown for 1,314 yards this season, including a career-high 634 against Augusta on Sept. 14. Bulldogs Coach Paul Johnston said Crisp has a 3.85 grade-point average and scored 30 on the ACT. Johnston said Crisp has yet to receive a college scholarship offer, but he is drawing recruiting interest from Central Arkansas and Arkansas Tech, which is scheduled to visit the school today.

“I think he’ll get something, I really do,” Johnston said of college offers. “He’s playing well.”

Crisp has a chance to join Stefan Loucks of Pulaski Academy (13,701 yards), Rhett Lashlee of Shiloh Christian (13,201), Josh Floyd of Shiloh Christian (10,656), Zach T. Davis of Harrisburg (10,505), Spencer Keith of Pulaski Academy (10,370) and Brandon Allen of Fayetteville (10,057) as the only players in state history to throw for 10,000 yards in a career.

NOTEWORTHY

Fordyce senior running back/ linebacker Mark Grice will miss the remainder of the season after sustaining a knee injury late in last week’s 55-15 victory at Genoa Central, Redbugs Coach Tim Rodgers said. Grice tore his anterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament and fractured his patella returning a kickoff. Grice, 5-10, 175, has been a major cog for Fordyce (4-0, 1-0 6-3A), which is ranked No. 3 in Class 3A. He has rushed 11 times for 82 yards, caught 9 passes for 118 yards and 1 touchdown, made 4 tackles, punted 7 times for a 34.3-yard average and returned 2 kickoffs for 37 yards.

Bentonville senior offensive tackle Trevor Foster, who was the team’s only returning interior line starter, is out for the year after tearing the anterior cruicate ligament in his knee during last week’s 28-7 victory over Springdale Har-Ber, Tigers Coach Barry Lunney said. Foster, 6-5, 276, has helped top-ranked Bentonville (4-0, 1-0 7A-West) stretch its regularseason winning streak to 29 games.

Jonesboro senior tailback Martin Stafford needs 146 rushing yards tonight at Little Rock Central to reach 3,000 in his career. Stafford, 5-8, 191, rushed for a single-season school-record 1,818 yards as a junior. He ran for 401 yards as a sophomore and has 635 yards this fall.

Fayetteville Coach Daryl Patton said senior linebacker Brooks Ellis is “50-50” to play tonight against Springdale. Ellis, the 2011 Democrat-Gazette Defensive Player of the Year, has missed the past two games after injuring his knee Sept. 7 at Jefferson City, Mo. Patton said a decision concerning Ellis, 6-2, 215, will be made after doctors reevaluate his knee today.

CLASS 7A SUPER SIX

1. Bentonville (4-0) vs. Siloam Springs 2. North Little Rock (3-1) vs. West Memphis 3. Fayetteville (2-2) at Springdale 4. Springdale Har-Ber (1-3) at Rogers Heritage 5. Conway (3-0) at LR Hall 6. Rogers Heritage (4-0) vs. Springdale Har-

CLASS 6A SUPER SIX

1. Greenwood (4-0) at LR Parkview 2. Jonesboro (3-0) at LR Central 3. Pine Bluff (3-1) vs. Bryant 4. El Dorado (2-2) vs. Sheridan 5. Lake Hamilton (3-1) vs. Texarkana 6. Russellville (2-2) at FS Northside