SPRINGDALE -- New year, new playmakers, new winning streak.
Class 6A power Greenwood kicked off the season with a convincing victory Friday night at Springdale High.
How They Scored
Greenwood 56, Springdale High 26
Greenwood^7^21^28^0^—^56
Springdale^12^0^7^7^—^26
First Quarter
Springdale — Chandler 1 run (kick failed), 5:04
Greenwood — Wheeler 45 pass to Collins (Jones kick), 3:53
Springdale — Chandler 72 pass Sandoval (conversion failed), 2:42
Second Quarter
Greenwood — Green 74 run (Jones kick), 9:59
Greenwood — Green 1 run (Jones kick), 3:36
Greenwood — Wheeler 16 pass to Collins (Jones kick), 2:45
Third Quarter
Greenwood — Palmer 1 run (Jones kick), 10:39
Greenwood — Allen 1 run (Jones kick), 7:52
Greenwood — Palmer 11 run (Jones kick), 5:51
Greenwood — Dundee 26 interception return (Jones kick), 4:18
Springdale — Chandler 15 pass to Owens (Bautista kick), 0:23
Fourth Quarter
Springdale — Neal 51 run (Bautista kick), 5:49
Junior running back Jordan Green ran for 157 yards and two touchdowns as Greenwood used 49 unanswered points to turn an early deficit into a convincing 56-26 win at Bulldog Stadium.
Green's big night helped Greenwood (1-0) open the season with an impressive performance in its first game since having a 50-game winning streak snapped in a loss to Pine Bluff in the Class 6A semifinals last season.
"He's got a lot of things he can do better, but he's got that speed," Greenwood coach Rick Jones said of Green. "When he hits the crease going, it was fun to watch. He's a nice runner. He can get a lot better and that's exciting."
Greenwood outgained Springdale 515-337 in the win. New quarterback Reid Wheeler finished 14 of 19 for 175 yards and a touchdown. The game turned when a pair of crucial turnovers in the second quarter nullified the early lead Springdale (0-1) built and left the Bulldogs playing catch up the remainder of the night.
Springdale had momentum after it went up 12-7 late in the first quarter when junior quarterback Fuller Chandler lofted a perfectly placed pass on third-and-long to junior receiver Salvador Sandoval for a 72-yard touchdown. But Green answered with a 74-yard touchdown run to give Greenwood a 14-12 lead, then Greenwood took control when Springdale missed a golden opportunity to re-take the lead after recovering a muffed punt at the Greenwood 2-yard line.
Springdale fumbled into the end zone and Greenwood recovered, setting up a 17-play, 80-yard drive punctuated by Green's 1-yard touchdown run. Then Chandler was intercepted by Morgan Grant on the ensuing drive, which set up a Wheeler touchdown pass to extend the lead to 28-12 at halftime.
"Turnovers against a good team, they're going to make you pay," Springdale coach Shane Patrick said. "We've got to realize when we get a chance to jump out people, we've got to do it. And that was a prime example."
Greenwood pushed its lead to 56-12 before Springdale scored again late in the third quarter.
Extra Points
- Sandoval was a bright spot for Springdale, finishing with six catches for 152 yards and the long touchdown. He also caught a 37-yard pass.
- Chandler finished the game 13 of 27 for 233 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He was 6 of 8 for 142 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter.
- Greenwood junior receiver Garrett Collins hauled in four passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns, showcasing his deep-threat ability by getting behind the Springdale defense whenever he was targeted.
- Springdale junior running back Malcolm Neal showed off his speed on a 51-yard touchdown run down the home sideline in the fourth quarter. He finished with 77 yards on just six carries.
Up Next: Springdale will try to bounce back when it hosts another 6A team from the River Valley on Friday against Alma. The Airedales beat Poteau, Okla., 28-0 in their season opener Thursday. Greenwood will play another 7A-West school when it hosts Fort Smith Southside.
Sports on 09/06/2014