Shiloh Christian has found itself in unfamiliar territory the past two years.
The Saints won seven state titles between 1998 and 2010 but have won only nine games since their last championship. Shiloh Christian Coach Josh Floyd said his players understand the importance of stopping the downward momentum of the program.
Getting back in the winning groove again will take some hard work and good fortune, because the Saints aren’t the favorites in the 5A-West Conference race. But Floyd, 93-25 in nine seasons at Shiloh Christian, is optimistic.
“Our kids don’t want to accept it,” Floyd said. “They’re a very hungry team. They want to be the group that changes it around. They want to get Shiloh football back where it is supposed to be.”
Before last season, it looked as though Shiloh Christian’s 2011 struggles — six victories and first-round playoff exit — were going to be a one-year blip. The Saints had some talented players and an exciting play-making quarterback in Daniel Shimer, a 4.5-second runner who was also a good passer.
Then, in August, Shimer broke his foot and missed most of the season. When he returned, he played running back.
“We were geared to play to Daniel’s strengths,” Floyd said. “That set us back a little bit. At some point you have to figure out who you are as a team. That was part of our problem last year.”
The other part of the problem was a rash of turnovers. Floyd said the Saints, traditionally a disciplined team, finished with a negative-15 turnover margin.
“That’s the recipe for a 4-6 season,” Floyd said. “I’m almost surprised, when I look at that, that we won four games.”
Last year may turn out to be a blessing in a 4-6 disguise. Floyd said the players have had an excellent offseason in the weight room, where the Saints needed to get bigger and stronger after getting pushed around in 2012.
Shimer returns, hopefully healthy, to play quarterback this year and should give the Saints a dynamic dual threat at quarterback. Shiloh Christian did poorly in the red zone a year ago converting opportunities into points, and Floyd hopes Shimer’s return helps that.
Floyd is not just optimistic that Shimer is back but because of the way the Saints finished last season. The Saints were 2-6 with no postseason prospects but closed with victories against Clarksville (46-0) and playoff-bound Alma (16-14).
“As bad as it was from a win-loss perspective, the kids had some character,” Floyd said. “They want to keep that Shiloh pride going and all that good stuff.”
The Airedale lost to Shiloh Christian in the season finale but picked up a first-round victory against Little Rock Mills. In the offseason they also picked up a new coach, Doug Loughridge, who won two state titles at Charleston and will bring an emphasis on a strong running game and a tenacious defense.
“We expect to win the conference championship,” Loughridge said. “Anything less and we have not done our job. Anything less and we’re not happy, and the kids know that.”
The Airedales have an untested offense but return eight defensive starters, including standout middle linebacker Alex Burris. Loughridge hopes his team’s defense carries the early season while the offense rounds into form.
“It’s going to take us a little while to find our identity,” Loughridge said. “We’re going to be pretty good offensively.”
Loughridge said he thinks the conference race is too congested to pick a clear favorite, an opinion echoed by Morrilton Coach Cody McNabb and Floyd. Charleston cruised to five conference titles in six years under Loughridge and rarely lost a conference game, but Loughridge knows those titles are a thing of the past.
“I don’t think anyone who wins the conference will go undefeated,” Loughridge said. “It’s going to be a playoff game every Friday night.”
Alma may be the most popular choice as preseason favorite, but Morrilton has too many dangerous weapons to be overlooked. The Devil Dogs have turned their program around under McNabb and went 8-3 with a first-round playoff victory a year ago.
More important, the Devil Dogs return quarterback Toney Hawkins, who should give defenses fits with his ability to make plays with his arm and running the ball.
“He’s our dual-threat guy,” McNabb said. “That makes it tough on a defense. He came on late last year. He was a player for us.”
McNabb said the Devil Dogs lack the depth they had in recent years, but said he thinks he has a strong starting 11 on each side of the ball. Even though Hawkins is a potential game-changer, McNabb said he believes the Devil Dogs will be more balanced because they won’t be relying on standout Jamar Criswell, who was the centerpiece of last year’s offense.
“There will be a bunch of teams, maybe five or six, fighting for it,” McNabb said. “We’re all really close. If you get in the playoffs, no matter if you’re one through four, you’re going to feel pretty good. You’re going to be battle-tested.”
Floyd’s record
A year-by-year look at Coach Josh Floyd’s record at Shiloh Christian:
YEAR;RECORD;PLAYOFFS
2012;4-6;—
2011;5-6;—
2010;14-1;state champion (4A)
2009;13-1;state champion (4A)
2008;13-1;state champion (4A)
2007;12-2;runner-up (4A)
2006;14-0;state champion (3A)
2005;9-4;quarterfinals (3A)
2004;9-4;quarterfinals (3A)
TOTALS 93-25, 4 state titles, 9 seasons