The reference point when charting the height of Arkadelphia’s football success is always 1987, when the late John Outlaw led the Badgers to a 14-0 season, a Class AAA state championship, a No. 1 overall ranking and a No. 22 final ranking in the USA Today Super 25 national poll, a first for an Arkansas high school football team.
The 2013 Badgers are making a point, too - week after week after week.
“They’re good,” said Pulaski Robinson Coach Todd Eskola, a 64-22 loser to Arkadelphia on Oct. 18 at home. “I’ll be surprised if anybody beats them.”
Arkadelphia’s quest for its first state championship since 1987 begins tonight at home when it hosts Dumas in the opening round of the Class 4A playoffs, one of 62 first-round games around the state.
Arkadelphia (10-0) has had a headlock on the top spot in Class 4A since mid-September, building a sterling resume in front of an adoring public.
“We feel like we’ve had more fans than our opponent at every stadium,” Badgers Coach J.R. Eldridge said. “That’s really awesome.”
Kind of like Arkadelphia’s play on the field.
Arkadelphia dominated two Class 6A schools in September, outscoring Benton and Sheridan a combined 112-27, crushed Ashdown’s 7-4A title hopes in late October (49-7) and claimed its first outright conference championship since 1987 with last week’s 42-10 victory over Malvern.
Eight returning offensive starters, including the dynamic 1-2 punch of senior quarterback Jakahari Howell and senior tailback Kris Oliver, have fueled a potent Arkadelphia offense.
The Badgers have scored at least 42 points in nine games and average 467.2 total yards per game, almost evenly split between run and pass.
“We scored 22 on them in the first half, and that’s the most points they’ve given up all year,” Eskola said. “I think it just made them mad.”
Arkadelphia entered last season’s playoffs ranked No. 1 in Class 4A, but was upset 42-29 by Mena in a first-round game at Badger Stadium and finished 9-2.
Arkadelphia, however, was without Howell, who was recovering from a broken fibula suffered more than a month earlier in a 7-0 loss at Central Arkansas Christian.
“We’ve been very fortunate this year,” Eldridge said. “We haven’t had any season-ending injury.”
Arkadelphia hasn’t been pushed in the second half of any game since it beat Nashville 28-19 to begin conference play Sept. 27. Howell has completed 165 of 207 passes (79.7 percent) for 2,129 yards and 24 touchdowns. Oliver has rushed 137 times for 1,276 yards and 19 touchdowns.
“I think one of the things that’s really helped us is we haven’t been one-dimensional,” Eldridge said. “That helps both of them.”
Eskola said the Badgers’ up-tempo style and manpower advantage puts opponents in a bind.
“Nobody plays both ways,” Eskola said. “They snap the ball so fast on offense while their defense is over there catching their breath.”
Arkadelphia’s defensive headliner is junior nose guard Emmanuel Cooper, 6-2, 240 pounds. Cooper has 15 sacks and 30 other tackles for loss this season, Eldridge said.
“Cooper is head and shoulders the best defensive lineman I’ve seen all year long,” Eskola said. “When he wants to go make a play, you’re not going to block him.”
Cooper was one of three returning defensive starters, but Eldridge said the Badgers have excelled defensively because several underclassmen have “risen” to the level of the older returnees.
“That’s really been pleasing to me,” said Eldridge, who coordinates Arkadelphia’s defense.
As for comparisons to the 1987 team, Eldridge said he’s heard the talk around the Clark County town of approximately 11,000. But Eldridge stressed that talk is premature because Arkadelphia still has to win five more games, starting with Dumas, to prove its point.
“If we’re fortunate enough to win, hopefully we’ll stay grounded and focus on our next opponent,” Eldridge said.
Today’s games WHEN 7 p.m. today (62 games)
CLASS 7A 4 games (byes to Cabot, Bryant, Bentonville, Conway)
CLASS 6A 8 games
CLASS 5A 8 games
CLASS 4A 14 games (byes to Warren, Gosnell)
CLASS 3A 14 games (byes to Harding Academy, Glen Rose)
CLASS 2A 14 games (byes to Des Arc, Junction City)
Sports, Pages 19 on 11/15/2013