GREENWOOD - The number represents a milestone for Greenwood’s football program, but an outsider might never know it.
Coach Rick Jones doesn’t dwell on the school’s 38-game winning streak, which equals the third-longest in Arkansas high school football history. Players don’t chant the number during practice. It’s not plastered throughout Greenwood’s massive indoor workout facility.
Instead, Jones interprets success the same way he did almost a decade ago. For 38 consecutive games, he noted, the Bulldogs have gone 1-0.
Jones, the architect of six state championships since 2005 at the Sebastian County school, chuckled when asked if he believes Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema stole the 1-0 concept after being hired in December.
It has become Bielema’s catchphrase, particularly through a hashtag on the social media service Twitter.
“I see that as reinforcement,” Jones said. “I was sitting there at the Fort Smith Razorback Club and he said that and I thought, ‘Hey, that’s awesome.’ I hadn’t heard it before. I sure hadn’t tried to coin the phrase. But, I mean, people would ask me, ‘What are you going to do?’”
Jones said his response was simply that his team was going to try to win this week.
“We don’t want to go through that other deal, that we’ll practice hard for the really good teams and cut back for the weaker ones,” Jones said. “We don’t do that. We practice the same way.”
In this case, practice makes perfect.
Greenwood, No. 1 in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Class 6A Super Six, hasn’t lost since Sept. 24, 2010, and is trying to become the first school to win four consecutive state championships since Barton (1986-1989).
After winning Class 5A titles in 2010 and 2011, the Bulldogs claimed their first state championship in Class 6A last fall, finishing 14-0 and outscoring opponents 663-284.
Greenwood beat four Class 7A schools - Fort Smith Northside, Little Rock Catholic, Fort Smith Southside and Conway - to win the blended 7A/6A-Central.
Roughly nine months later, Jones said he was so focused on Greenwood that he wasn’t sure if opponents underestimated the Bulldogs in 2012.
Greenwood returns nine starters, including senior quarterback Jabe Burgess, who orally committed to Tulsa in May after completing 219 of 296 passes for 3,104 yards and 36 touchdowns last fall. Burgess, 6-2, 200 pounds, will miss Friday’s opener against Sallisaw, Okla., because of a broken bone on the outside of his left foot but is expected to be full speed for the Sept. 27 conference opener at Northside.
Jones said there is “no doubt” Burgess is a better quarterback this season and looked sharp in team camp before the injury.
Senior Hoyt Smith, who rushed for 1,000 yards last season, returns, along with three starters in the offensive line - junior center Colton Sims, 5-11, 245; junior guard Korban Waldemar, 5-11, 276; and junior tackle Nick Houston, 6-6, 325. Sims and Waldemar were members of the Democrat-Gazette Super Sophomore team.
All the starters at wide receiver graduated, notably Democrat-Gazette Offensive Player of the Year Drew Morgan, now a freshman at Arkansas.
Jones said there are question marks at wide receiver, but the Bulldogs are solid up front and at running back.
“We might run a little bit more two-back stuff,” Jones said. “That way you only play three wideouts.”
Greenwood must rebuild its front seven on defense, but the program received a boost in the off season when senior linebacker Brett Calhoun, 5-11, 216, transferred from Class 2A Union Christian in Fort Smith, where he starred last fall.
Three starters return in the secondary, including senior free safety Taylor Hasley, the team’s top returning tackler (38 unassisted).
Jones’ son, Kevin, is one one of the state’s top place-kickers after making 62 of 65 extra-point attempts and 5 of 6 field-goal attempts (a long of 39 yards) last season as a sophomore.
Rick Jones said his players, naturally, didn’t wear T-shirts in the offseason adorned with“38.” They wore ones with a bull’s-eye.
“I think there’s a huge target on our back,” Jones said. “I don’t think there’s any doubt.”
At a glance GREENWOOD
MASCOT Bulldogs CONFERENCE 7A/6A-Central ENROLLMENT 831 (based on 2012-2014 classification cycle; 15th among 16 Class 6A schools) HEAD COACH Rick Jones (10th season, 107-16) ASSISTANTS Chris Young, offensive coordinator, wide receivers; Kenneth Chick, co-defensive coordinator, safeties; Jacob Cox, co-defensive coordinator, linebackers; Nathan Staton, running backs, special teams coordinator; Brian Sims, offensive line; Larry Shuck, cornerbacks; Shannon Rhea, defensive line RECORD 14-0, 7-0 7A/6A-Central, first PLAYOFF RESULTS Beat Little Rock Fair 56-14 in first round, beat Little Rock Parkview 58-21 in quarterfinals, beat El Dorado 42-39 in semifinals, beat Pine Bluff 51-44 in final PLAYERS TO WATCH QB Jabe Burgess, 6-2, 200, Sr.; LB Brett Calhoun, 5-11,216, Sr.; OG/DL Korban Waldemar, 5-11, 276, Jr.
RETURNING OFF./DEF.STARTERS 5/4 OFFENSIVE/DEFENSIVE FORMATION Spread/3-4 DID YOU KNOW? The first name of senior quarterback Jabe Burgess derives from the initials of his grandfather, James Alfred Burgess. A silent ‘e’ was added at the end to complete the first name.
SCHEDULE
DATE OPPONENT
Friday Sallisaw, Okla.
Sept. 13 at Alma
Sept. 20 Shiloh Christian
Sept. 27 at FS Northside *
Oct. 4 LR Parkview *
Oct. 11 at LR Catholic *
Oct. 18 LR Hall *
Oct. 25 at FS Southside *
Nov. 1 at Conway *
Nov. 8 Russellville * * 7A/6A-Central game
Sports, Pages 21 on 08/31/2013