Rose Does It All For Bulldogs

STAFF PHOTO JASON IVESTER
Cua Rose, Springdale senior, ran for 206 yards and two touchdowns while filling in at running back in the Bulldogs' 24-21 win over Siloam Springs. He also had 10 tackles while playing strong safety.
STAFF PHOTO JASON IVESTER Cua Rose, Springdale senior, ran for 206 yards and two touchdowns while filling in at running back in the Bulldogs' 24-21 win over Siloam Springs. He also had 10 tackles while playing strong safety.

The Springdale High coaching staff pulled strong safety Cua Rose out of the football game early in the second half Friday against Siloam Springs.

PROFILE

Cua Rose

SCHOOL: Springdale High

HEIGHT: 5-10

WEIGHT: 167

POSITION: Defensive back/running back

NOTABLE: In his first extended playing time at running back, rushed for 206 yards on 15 carries against Siloam Springs. Ranks second on the team in tackles as a safety. Has multiple college offers.

The staff wanted to limit his defensive snaps after senior Terry Mounce’s injury left Rose as the only viable option at running back for the injury-plagued Bulldogs.

Rose’s stint on the bench only lasted one defensive possession before the senior captain snuck onto the field and sent reserve cornerback Latrell Richmond back to the sideline.

“I knew they needed me out there,” Rose said.

The coaching staff didn’t see him return to the field initially. But they weren’t surprised when they spotted him lined up on the back end of the defense.

“We didn’t know it,” secondary coach Steve Mikles said. “He wasn’t supposed to. I looked out there and was like, ‘What’s Cua doing in there?’ That’s the kind of kid he is. He wants to play defense.”

Playing both ways took its toll on Rose, who had been used almost exclusively on defense this season entering the game.

“I was pretty exhausted,” Rose said. “Both my legs were cramping, during and after the game.”

But his play on both sides of the ball was a key factor in the 24-21 win over Siloam Springs.

He ran for 206 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries after entering the game with just four carries in the first six games of the season. He established himself as a big-play threat for the Bulldogs, breaking an impressive 85-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, getting free for a 63-yard run in the first half and taking a screen pass 61 yards for a touchdown on a play that was negated by a penalty.

“If we blocked for him, I knew he was capable of doing something like that,” coach Shane Patrick said. “He’s definitely a big-time player. He’s always coming up and making a play. He has since he’s been here. We’d have been in a world of hurt Friday night without him.”

Rose also finished with a team-high 10 tackles against Siloam Springs, upping his season total to 58, which ranks second on the team to middle linebacker Neal Parsons’ 60. Rose had a team-best 103 tackles as a junior, production that has caught the attention of several college programs.

He already has offers from Pittsburg State, Arkansas Tech, Northwest Missouri State and Henderson State. It’s a list he hopes to build on as he gains interest from other schools, including Tulsa, where he ran a 4.52 40-yard dash at a summer camp.

His combination of speed and physicality make him one of the best secondary playmakers that Mikles has seen in a coaching career that included a stop in South Carolina and 10 years in Florida.

“He is probably in the top three of secondary players I’ve coached,” Mikles said. “He’s a great downhill safety. His knack for the ball is unbelievable.”

His instincts help make up for the fact that he is listed at just 5-foot-10, 167 pounds, something that has no doubt been a deterrent for some colleges.

“If he had (cornerback) Chris Owens’ (6-foot-1) size, height-wise, there’s no telling what he could do,” Mikles said. “Because he obviously has the speed. The only thing that gets him is his height.”

Lack of height hasn’t made a huge impact on his effectiveness at the high school level, where he’s made big plays on offense, defense and special teams.

Star running back Deandre Murray is set to play at Van Buren this week after missing the Siloam game with an ankle injury. But his return doesn’t mean Rose’s stint on offense is over, which could be a scary thought for opposing defenses.

“He will be on the field with Deandre at the same time Friday night,” Patrick said. “It creates a much bigger problem for people.”

Upcoming Events