Greenbrier gets an opportunity to avenge its season-opening loss to Beebe on Friday night in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs.
The Panthers host the Badgers in a rematch of the teams' Sept. 1 game at Little Rock's War Memorial Stadium, which Beebe won 41-27.
"We feel fortunate," Greenbrier Coach Randy Tribble said. "I'm sure we feel like we're a better team than we were earlier in the year."
Greenbrier led 14-0 in the season opener, but Beebe senior running backs Jovaughn Wyrick and Trip Smith were too much to handle for the Panthers, combining for 384 yards and five touchdowns. Wyrick rushed for 215 yards and four touchdowns, and Smith had 169 yards and one touchdown.
Wyrick suffered a season-ending leg injury in Beebe's Week 2 game against Lonoke, leaving Smith to carry the load for the Badgers. Smith, 5-10, 205, is Beebe's all-time leading rusher with 4,916 yards and has rushed for 1,345 yards and 13 touchdowns on 254 carries this season.
Beebe's Dead-T offense may miss Wyrick's speed, but Smith's power is a major factor in the offense, Tribble said.
"We have to be ready to stop them," Tribble said. "Their offense is different from anybody we've played."
The Panthers have won two consecutive, including a 47-21 victory at Vilonia last Friday. Greenbrier tied with Morrilton at 5-2 in the 5A-West, but the Panthers won the head-to-head meeting 30-28 on Sept. 25 to earn the No. 2 seed.
Greenbrier (6-4), which is the No. 2 seed from the 5A-West Conference, has been led by senior quarterback Harold Ross. Ross, 6-3, 225, has passed for 2,174 yards with 20 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. He was plagued by a foot injury earlier this season, but Tribble said he is healthy entering the postseason.
"He's got an arm as good as anybody in high school football," Tribble said. "He gets the ball out quick."
The Beebe-Greenbrier winner will face Watson Chapel or Batesville in the second round Nov. 20.
PULASKI ROBINSON
Senators confident
Pulaski Robinson is confident it can make a deep run in the Class 4A postseason.
The Senators were 7-0 before losing at Dardanelle 44-20 and to Pottsville 28-27. But Robinson locked down the No. 2 seed from the 4-4A Conference with a 51-16 victory at Ozark last Thursday.
"It's no change from the beginning of the year," Robinson Coach Todd Eskola said. "We feel like we're one of the best four teams in the state."
Last week, senior running back T.J. Hammonds rushed for 185 yards and 2 touchdowns on 5 carries and caught a 61-yard touchdown pass. Sophomore wide receiver/safety Nathan Page caught 4 passes for 32 yards and 1 touchdown, returned an interception 54 yards for a touchdown and had 10 tackles.
Eskola said the Senators' two-game losing streak was a wake-up call.
"It was important to see when you don't play well, you're not bulletproof," Eskola said.
The Senators (8-2) host the 1-4A's No. 4 seed Gravette (7-3) on Friday at Charlie George Stadium in Little Rock. Robinson's senior class has not won a playoff game, so that's a point of emphasis this week for the Senators.
"Nothing is guaranteed in the playoffs," Eskola said. "It's not a given, no matter how many people talk good about you. One team is going home and one team is moving on. Our kids get that. They're not ready to put up the pads just yet."
Friday's winner will face Pea Ridge or Trumann in the second round Nov. 20.
HAMBURG
Goals still unmet
Hamburg has been one of the top teams in Class 4A this season, but that's not enough for Coach Cecil Ray Cossey.
"We've taken some baby steps forward, but what our program needs to do going forward is to knock one of the top teams off," Cossey said. "We need to beat a Warren, a Dardanelle or a Nashville. That's what we're trying to accomplish. You can't be the champ if you can't knock off a champ."
The Lions will have to beat an under-.500 team in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs first if it wants to accomplish one of Cossey's goals later this season.
Hamburg (8-2) hosts Baptist Prep (3-7), the 4-4A's No. 5 seed, on Friday night. The winner faces Dardanelle or Lincoln in the second round Nov. 20. Dardanelle beat Hamburg in the second round last season, so there could be another second-round rematch in Yell County.
"The kids are excited," Cossey said. "Anytime you get to host a playoff game, there's a little bit of incentive and a boost of energy."
The Lions (8-2) finished second in the 8-4A Conference this season behind Warren. Their only losses were to Camden Fairview and Warren, which beat the Lions 35-7 on Oct. 30.
The Lions have been led by senior wide receiver Lorenzo Hampton and junior quarterback Stetson Selby.
Hampton, 5-11, 155, has caught 53 passes for 946 yards and 12 touchdowns. He's also recorded 79 tackles and 2 interceptions at defensive back.
"He's the pulse of our team," Cossey said. "He really has become the leader of our team. I don't use those words cheaply. He was an outstanding player last year, but he wasn't the leader of our team."
Selby, 5-11, has been one of the most efficient quarterbacks in Class 4A this season, passing for 1,370 yards with 16 touchdowns and 1 interception.
"Stetson is very workman-like," Cossey said. "He's not the most athletic kid, but he gets the job done."
HOT SPRINGS
Player released
Hot Springs senior offensive lineman Nicho Fortanelli was released from CHI St. Vincent in Hot Springs earlier this week, Coach Chris Vereen said.
Fortanelli was involved in a two-vehicle accident last Thursday 4 miles outside of Hot Springs. He was in the St. Vincent intensive care unit until Friday and was released from the hospital Sunday.
"He's going to make a full recovery," Vereen said. "We're very, very fortunate that he's going to be okay."
Vereen said that Fortanelli, a two-year starter on the Trojans' offensive line, attended classes Wednesday for the first time in almost a week.
Hot Springs' season ended last Friday with a 17-15 victory over Hot Springs Lakeside.
Sports on 11/12/2015