FAYETTEVILLE -- 'Big Play Dre' is back for more.
Dre Greenlaw got the nickname after a series of eye-opening, highlight reel and sometimes game-saving or game-winning plays in his junior year with the Purple Bulldogs. While some nicknames don't necessarily fit, Greenlaw earned his appropriate label with his breakout performances on the football field.
The Skinny
Fayetteville Bulldogs
COACH: Daryl Patton
LAST SEASON: 8-3, 5-2 7A/6A-West Conference
OFFENSE: Multiple
DEFENSE: 4-2
RETURNING STARTERS Offense 6, Defense 7
POINTS SCORED PER GAME: 32.6
POINTS ALLOWED PER GAME: 23.6
OFFENSIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH: C.J. O’Grady (Sr., TE, 6-5, 240), Drake Wymer (Jr., TE, 6-6, 230), Garland Allison (Jr., WR, 6-3, 180), Noah Johnson (Jr., OG, 6-3, 320), Jackson McNeal (Sr., OT, 6-2, 260).
DEFENSIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH: Damani Carter (Sr., DE, 6-2, 240), Ian Jackson (Sr., LB, 6-3, 240), Ridley Weeks (Sr., LB, 6-0, 195), Dre Greenlaw (Sr., FS, 6-1, 220), Miles Taliaferro (Sr., SS, 5-11, 190).
KEEP AN EYE ON: Running backs. … The Bulldogs have a three-headed option, with juniors Luke Rapert (5-10, 170), Javontae Smith (5-9, 210) and sophomore Terrance Rock (5-10, 170) all expected to contribute.
OFFENSIVE OUTLOOK: With inexperience at quarterback and wide receiver and tons and size and experience at tight end and on the offensive line, this might not be your typical spread and pass Purple’Dogs. Look for Fayetteville to rely more on a balanced attack this fall, and even more of a power running game behind the veteran guys in the trenches.
DEFENSIVE OUTLOOK: Three Division-I prospects — Carter, Jackson and Greenlaw — anchor a defense that appears to be much improved. Fayetteville switches back to a 4-2-5 scheme under defensive coordinator Wendell Harris this season and an attacking, pressure style is sure to be unleashed on opponents this year.
SEASON OUTLOOK: Fayetteville has plenty of talent back from last year’s team that bowed out in the first round of the playoffs. Expectations are once again high around Harmon Fieldhouse, but there’s always a bit of a question mark when breaking in a new quarterback. Sophomore Taylor Powell and junior Jack Lindsey will each get playing time through the nonconference, and whoever guides the Bulldogs throughout the bulk of the season will have to grow up fast if Fayetteville hopes to finish with another championship trophy in December.
KEY GAME: Fayetteville welcomes Fort Smith Northside back into the 7A-West Conference, hosting the Grizzlies on Sept. 26. Before they left the league for a brief two-year hiatus, Fayetteville had often had problems with the Grizzlies in recent years. And with Northside being back on the rise, the Bulldogs can’t afford to overlook this matchup for one second.
— Vernon Tarver • @NWAVernon
Schedule
Date^Opponent^Time
Sept. 5^at Lawton (Okla.) Eisenhouser^7:30 p.m.
Sept. 12^North Little Rock^7 p.m.
Sept. 19^at Muskogee, Okla.^7 p.m.
Sept. 26^Fort Smith Northside*^7:30 p.m.
Oct. 3^at Fort Smith Southside*^7:30 p.m.
Oct. 10^Springdale High*^7:30 p.m.
Oct. 17^at Springdale Har-Ber*^7:30 p.m.
Oct. 24^at Rogers Heritage*^7:30 p.m.
Oct. 31^Rogers High*^7:30 p.m.
Nov. 7^at Bentonville*^7:30 p.m.
- — Denotes 7A-West Conference game
Coach Speak: Daryl Patton
Q: Expectations at Fayetteville are always very high since you’ve been here, whether it’s warranted or not. Is this team prepared to meet those expectations?
A: We haven’t won a conference championship since 2003 and obviously that’s one of our goals, but our ultimately our number one thing is to be playing for a state championship in Little Rock. This team here, we’ve obviously got some work to do and we’re not close to where we need to be. But we’ve got some pieces to the puzzle. We’ve got some talented returning players, some key move ins and a talented junior and sophomore class. So we’re happy about where we’re at and if we can keep improving we’ll have a chance to play in a lot of big ball games in November.
Q: How much of a challenge is this season with a new starting quarterback?
A: In 2011 we were in the same boat. We had some talented kids and Austin Allen was a first-year starting quarterback. In 2007 when when won a championship, Blake McDonald had never started and people said he was too slow. So it has been done before. Both of those kids I mentioned remind me of the guys we have now. Jack Lindsey reminds me of Blake McDonald and Taylor Powell reminds me of Austin Allen, and all we need from our quarterbacks this season is for them to play within themselves and manage the game.
Q: Every one of your championship teams played some level of great defense. How does this team’s defense compare to those teams?
A: Wendell Harris, who was our defensive coordinator before and was coordinator on our 2007 state title team, is returning as our coordinator again and he’s the smartest coach I’ve ever worked with. Defensively we’ve got some depth on the defensive line. At linebackers with Ridley Weeks and Ian Jackson, it’s going to be hard to match up with them. And then our secondary is the best secondary we’ve ever had here. So we’ve got a chance to be very competitive and be a very good defense by the end of the year.
Q: Some of your most memorable games — wins and losses — as coach here have been against Fort Smith Southside and Fort Smith Northside. Are you happy to see them back in the conference?
A: They obviously can affect our win-loss record in a hurry because they’re both very talented. I couldn’t be happier to have them back. Northside and Southside are 7A-West teams and they always have been and we’ve had some great games with both of them.
Dre Greenlaw
SCHOOL: Fayetteville
CLASS: Senior
POSITION: Safety/Kick Returner
HEIGHT: 6-1
WEIGHT: 220
NOTABLE: One of the top playmakers in the 7A/6A-West Conference, Greenlaw scored touchdowns on defense, on kickoff returns and on punt returns this season. … Had 90-yard punt TD return against Warren, a 56-yard interception TD vs. Jefferson City and a kickoff return TD to spark the win at Rogers Heritage. … Named all-state, Greenlaw recorded nearly 100 tackles on defense with three interceptions, two fumble recoveries, and one pass breakup. … Has committed to Arkansas State.
"Dre's experienced, he's a two-year starter, he's very physical and when you look at him he's got that wow factor about him," Fayetteville coach Daryl Patton said. "And he's got a knack for the football. Last year, he had four or five interceptions, two or three touchdowns on defense and couple kickoff and punt return (touchdowns).
"So he's earned that nickname, 'Big Play Dre.'"
Greenlaw, a 6-foot-1, 220-pound senior, made much of his noise last season with touchdown returns on special teams. But the majority of his work is done in the secondary, where he returns as an all-state safety.
Last year, he finished with nearly 100 tackles, three interceptions, two fumble recoveries and one pass breakup. And Fayetteville is counting on just as much from its leader on defense again this season.
"I'm pretty excited," Greenlaw said. "We're pretty experienced on defense and we've been grinding and working hard. Just trying to be disciplined and doing what the coaches are asking us to do and we feel like we have enough talent at some positions to have a good run."
Greenlaw has packed on some extra bulk and improved his agility since last year. He missed spring practice with a broken foot suffered in offseason drills, but said the injury might have actually been a blessing in disguise.
"It was a little frustrating at first because I wanted to be in the spring game and wanted to have college coaches watch me, and things like that," Greenlaw said. "But it helped me build up different muscles that I didn't use and it helped me with my flexibility and with using my hips better. So being (injured) helped me with a lot of different stuff mechanic-wise."
Fayetteville is focused on improving last year's 8-3 record which included an first-round upset loss to Little Rock Central in the Class 7A playoffs. And to make those improvements, Greenlaw will be counted on in a big way.
"This year we want to get him on offense more," Patton said. "I'm not sure when it's real hot in the nonconference that he'll be over there a lot. But by the conference season we want to get eight to 10 plays a game. Because he's the type of kid, when he gets a couple of touches, he can take it to the house."
Greenlaw has verbally committed to Arkansas State. But with another year of Fayetteville football still to be played, college coaches are still keeping a close eye on the Bulldogs' top playmaker.
"Coach (Brian) Early was his foster dad when he was here at Fayetteville, and he's over there at ASU now and is really close to Dre," Patton said. "It's just a situation where he had his choices and he picked to stay in-state.
"But I would not be surprised if here in this next year he has another 10 to 12 offers."
For now, the focus is on Fayetteville. And Big Play Dre is ready for more show-stopping action with the Bulldogs before he's done.
"We definitely have what it takes," Greenlaw said. "We're experienced, we're smart. We have two young quarterbacks but they can get the job done, and I feel like we can make it all the way to the end if we just keep working hard."
Sports on 08/31/2014