CLASS 3A SUPER SIX NO. 1 SMACKOVER

Bucking for more

Smackover chasing another shot at title

Senior running back Dewayne Jones (left) rushed for nearly 900 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2014 and is one of several returning starters for Smackover, which begins the season as the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s No. 1 team in Class 3A.
Senior running back Dewayne Jones (left) rushed for nearly 900 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2014 and is one of several returning starters for Smackover, which begins the season as the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s No. 1 team in Class 3A.

Smackover feels like it has some unfinished business left over from the 2014 season.

photo

Smackover Coach Brian Strickland said if his team can stay healthy, it will have a chance to return to the Class 3A state championship game this season.

photo

Smackover wide receiver Jordan Jones (right), who has orally committed to Arkansas, caught 12 touchdown passes last season and is expected to play quarterback in certain situations this year. At left is Smackover Coach Brian Strickland.

The Buckaroos went toe-to-toe with quarterback Ty Storey and the rest of the Charleston Tigers in the Class 3A state championship game last December at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. The teams were tied 26-26 with 4:55 remaining when Willie Manning fumbled and gave the ball back to Charleston.

CLASS 3A SUPER SIX

TEAM;2014;CONFERENCE

  1. Smackover;13-1;6-3A

  2. Charleston;13-0;4-3A

  3. Prescott;11-1;5-3A

  4. Lamar;9-3;4-3A

  5. Booneville;11-3;4-3A

  6. McGehee;8-4;6-3A

At a glance

COACH Brian Strickland

CONFERENCE 6-3A

2014 RECORD 13-1 (lost in Class 3A state championship game)

KEY RETURNERS WR Jordan Jones (Sr, 6-3, 180), RB/LB Keiandre Purifoy (Sr., 5-11, 195), RB/DB Dewayne Jones (Sr., 6-0, 190)

2015 SCHEDULE

DATE;OPPONENT

Aug. 31;Warren^

Sept. 5;Junction City (Sat.)

Sept. 11;at Gurdon

Sept. 18;OPEN

Sept. 25;Fouke*

Oct. 2;at Lake Village*

Oct. 9;at Drew Central*

Oct. 16;Fordyce*

Oct. 23;at Camden Harmony Grove*

Oct. 30;McGehee*

Nov. 5;at Genoa Central*

^at Golden Lion Stadium, Pine Bluff

*6-3A game

That's when the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's All-Arkansas Preps Offensive Player of the Year went to work, engineering a 10-play, 65-yard drive that gave Charleston a 33-26 victory and a second consecutive state championship and extended the Tigers' winning streak to 29 games.

"We know how close we were," Smackover Coach Brian Strickland said. "We know we were there. We felt like we played a pretty good ballgame.

"The kids are eager to get back."

Seniors Jordan Jones, Dewayne Jones and Keiandre Purifoy will lead the way for Smackover, which enters the 2015 season as the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's No. 1 team in Class 3A.

Jordan Jones, who is orally committed to the University of Arkansas, is a three-year starter at wide receiver. He caught 37 passes for 808 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2014, but Strickland said Jones will play quarterback in some packages this season.

Dewayne Jones led Smackover in rushing with 854 yards and 14 touchdowns and Purifoy added 813 yards and 10 touchdowns to give the Buckaroos one of the state's top running back combinations in 2014.

Junior Beau Burson takes over at quarterback for Logan Clark, who set school records for passing yards (1,978) and touchdowns (30). Burson was Smackover's junior varsity quarterback last season.

Smackover returns eight starters from a defensive unit that allowed an average of 11.7 points a game last season. Purifoy had a team-high 119 tackles, 7 pass breakups and 3 fumble recoveries.

"He's the heart and soul of our team," Strickland said. "Everything revolves around him. He's the one who gets everybody in the right spots. He's going to be in 90 percent of the plays. He's a defensive hawk, so to speak, over there.

"He strives to be the best. He's one of those young men that we're fortunate to have in our black-and-white jersey."

The Buckaroos open with two games in Week 1. They travel to Pine Bluff on Monday to face defending Class 4A state champion Warren and will turn around to take on Junction City, last year's Class 2A state champion, Sept. 5 at home.

Strickland said he expects the 6-3A Conference to be one of the best in Class 3A again, with McGehee, Fordyce and Fouke all looking to knock off the Buckaroos.

"This conference is loaded," Strickland said. "We know the deck is stacked against us starting off, but we have to meet each challenge head on and hopefully win ballgames on Friday nights."

Smackover avoided injuries last season on its way to its first championship game appearance since 1949, and Strickland said that will be important this season if the Buckaroos hope to return to War Memorial Stadium in December.

"If you get your key cogs hurt, you could be in trouble," Strickland said. "We've got to find some receivers to complement Jordan on the outside. We want to show, hey, you're going to have to honor more than Jordan. We have to get good play from our quarterback and running backs. We have to continue to be an aggressive, physical team.

"If we do that and if we can stay healthy, we'll give ourselves a chance."

Sports on 08/26/2015

Upcoming Events