Logan Clark was sure Smackover needed to switch up its game plan last Friday when the Buckaroos played Episcopal Collegiate in the semifinals of the Class 3A state playoffs.
"We called a timeout early and he came over and said, 'Run the ball,' " Coach Brian Strickland said. "That told me right there he didn't have the confidence there that he normally would."
It also showed the leadership Clark has exuded throughout the season and helped lead Smackover to its first state championship game appearance since 1949.
Strickland took his senior quarterback's advice and kept the ball on the ground for the majority of a game that was played in inclement conditions. Clark completed 3 of 9 passes for 25 yards, but Smackover held on to beat Episcopal Collegiate 18-12.
"We called some pass plays here and there," Strickland said. " Most of that was early. Once we saw that we were going to struggle, we gave it to our running backs."
Clark has passed for 1,682 yards with 23 touchdowns and 3 interceptions while leading Smackover (13-1) into tonight's state championship game against Charleston.
"Logan is a leader," Strickland said. "If we run a Spread offense 100 percent of the time, he'd have 5,000 yards passing. We've got a slew of running backs, and we try to mix up quite a bit."
Charleston Coach Greg Kendrick said he has been impressed with Clark.
"Their quarterback is a dual-threat kid," Kendrick said. "He does a great job of distributing the ball to his play-makers."
Clark said he isn't concerned with whether he could have had more passing yards. His focus has been on winning.
"We're playing as team," Clark said.
Senior Elmo Hempstead and junior Jordan Jones have been Clark's main targets. Hempstead leads the Buckaroos with 28 catches for 681 yards and 9 touchdowns. Jones, who has orally committed to the University of Arkansas, has caught 27 passes for 641 yards and 8 touchdowns.
"That's nice to have guys you can throw it to like that," Clark said.
Clark has signed a national letter of intent to play baseball at the University of Central Arkansas, where he'll be a pitcher. He was part of the Buckaroos baseball team that advanced to the semifinals of the state playoffs last May.
But football comes first, at least one more day, for Clark.
Tonight marks his last football game in a Smackover uniform, and he said the Union County town of 1,861 is ready to see the Buckaroos on Class 3A's biggest stage.
"You go into a gas station and everybody's like, 'Good luck at the game, good luck at the game,' " Clark said. "You hear people at school tell you they're coming to the game. The community is pretty pumped."
Sports on 12/12/2014