Ronnie Huckeba won a conference championship at Harding as a player in 1976 and as an assistant coach in 1989. Forty years since his first title, Huckeba has done it as a head coach.
Harding (9-0, 9-0 GAC) clinched a share of the Great American Conference title with Saturday's 42-27 victory over Southwestern Oklahoma State. It's Harding's first conference championship since 1989 and comes two years after a bittersweet 9-1 regular season.
Harding's only regular-season loss in 2014 was 31-28 in overtime at home to eventual GAC champion Ouachita Baptist (10-0) in Week 6. Twice, the Bisons were one play away from winning.
The Tigers scored on the final play of regulation (15-yard touchdown pass by quarterback Kiehl Frazier) and sent the game into overtime on a two-point conversion.
Harding's only other conference championships came in 1972 and when Huckeba was a senior in 1976.
"In 1973, when I was a freshman and somebody talked about 27 years before that, I would have thought they were ancient," said Huckeba, 61, who is retiring from coaching at the end of the season. "It doesn't seem ancient to me now."
Harding retained a program-best No. 5 ranking nationally in NCAA Division II this week by the American Football Coaches Association, and, more importantly, a No. 3 spot in the NCAA Super Region Three rankings.
Harding would host its first playoff game by finishing with a top four regional ranking.
Harding, 9-0 for the first time, can secure the outright GAC title Saturday at Northwestern Oklahoma State (4-5, 4-5) before closing the regular season at home Nov. 12 against Arkansas Tech (5-4, 5-4).
"The stakes are so high," Huckeba said.
A native of Claxton, Ga., Huckeba played wide receiver, tight end and offensive guard for the Bisons from 1973-76.
Huckeba, the head coach for the Bisons since 2007, returned to Harding as an assistant in 1986 and was defensive line coach on the 1989 championship team.
The 1976 championship team held a 40th reunion in conjunction with Saturday's homecoming game.
"Pretty neat," Huckeba said. "I feel very blessed."
Harding's titles under John Prock (1972 and 1976) and under Larry Richmond (1989) were as members of NAIA in the now-defunct Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference.
Harding joined the NCAA in 1997, with Huckeba leading the Bisons to playoff appearances in 2012 and 2014.
HARDING
Bull rush
A year after being throttled by Southwestern Oklahoma, Harding rushed for 506 yards in Saturday's 42-27 victory. Harding was limited to 171 rushing yards in last year's 21-13 loss at Southwestern Oklahoma.
Last week's output was the fifth-highest single-game rushing total in Harding history.
"One thing about our offensive line, those guys are so tough," Bisons Coach Ronnie Huckeba said. "They had a great day."
Harding leads NCAA Division II in rushing at 383.9 yards per game.
ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO
Touchdown, Tolliver
Cole Sears and Jalen Tolliver combined for their 12th touchdown this fall as Arkansas-Monticello (4-5, 4-5)) beat East Central (Okla.) 42-21 last week at home.
Sears, a sophomore quarterback from Hoxie, threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Tolliver to give the Boll Weevils a 28-14 lead with 7:50 remaining in the third quarter.
Sears has thrown at least one touchdown pass to Tolliver, a junior wide receiver, in every game this fall.
"The chemistry that they've built, man, is just really good," UAM Coach Hud Jackson said. "You love the fact that you've got them coming back, too."
Tolliver leads the GAC in receptions (59), receiving yards (922) and receiving touchdowns (12).
UAM signed Tolliver, 6-3, 210 pounds, out of Monroe (La.) Ouachita Parish High School, where he was a teammate of the more heralded Cameron Sims.
Sims, who signed with Alabama, was a wide receiver while Tolliver played defensive back when both were seniors in 2013, Jackson said.
Jackson said Tolliver turned down scholarship offers from two FCS schools -- Southeast Missouri State and Southeastern Louisiana -- because he wanted to play wide receiver in college, not in the secondary.
UAM recruited Tolliver as a wide receiver, Jackson said.
"You've got to say what you've got to say to get what you've got to get," Jackson said with a laugh.
Sears, in his first season as a starter, has completed 184 and 326 passes for 2,285 yards and 19 touchdowns.
UAM, which has eclipsed its combined victory total for the past two seasons, is at Southeastern Oklahoma (5-4) on Saturday afternoon. The Boll Weevils are seeking their first three-game winning streak since 2008.
Extra points
Southern Arkansas (7-2) and Henderson State (7-2) entered the NCAA Division II Super Three Region rankings at Nos. 9 and 10, respectively, this week. The top seven teams from four regions advance to the NCAA Division II playoffs. There are two weeks remaining in the regular season. ... Ouachita Baptist sophomore kicker Cole Antley is tied for second in NCAA Division II in field goals (16). Antley is 16 of 20, including four field goals in a 40-37 four-overtime victory over SAU on Oct. 15 at home. Antley sent the game into overtime with a 49-yard field goal as time expired and won it with a 36-yarder. Antley needs two field goals to break the GAC single-season record of 17 shared by Houston Ray of Henderson State and Jamie McGee of Arkansas-Monticello. ... Former Pulaski Robinson and Dardanelle quarterback Kristian Thompson ran 18 times for a career-high 145 yards and 3 touchdowns in Arkansas Tech's 41-35 home victory over Northwestern Oklahoma State. Thompson, a 251-pound sophomore, plays running back for the Wonder Boys (5-4).
Sports on 11/04/2016