History in the making
Revitalized Foreman makes 1st appearance in title game
Foreman junior running back Kyren Batey has one goal for the Gators in Friday’s Class 2A state championship game against Mount Ida.
“Make history for Foreman,” Batey said after the Gators’ practice at Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium on Wednesday.
Batey and the Gators, who are in their first state championship game, get a second opportunity to face the Lions, their 7-2A Conference rival and defending Class 2A state champions, this season. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at War Memorial Stadium. Coach Mark King is excited for his team and for the Little River County town of 1,011.
“The town has been crazy this week,” King said. “The phone has been blowing up in my office. Everywhere we go, the kids are treated like celebrities. That’s fun.
“Our little old town needs that. It’s pretty big for Foreman.”
In his second season with the Gators, King, formerly at Horatio and Parkers Chapel, has revitalized a program that had been 13-37 in a six-year span from 2010-2015.
Foreman (12-1) finished second behind 7-2A champion Mount Ida (14-0), which beat the Gators 36-7 on Oct. 13 at home. But the Gators
rebounded and reached the state title game with victories over Clarendon, Bearden, Danville and Salem. They’re averaging 44.7 points per game and have scored at least 35 points in their four playoff games.
When he arrived from Horatio in 2016, King said he believed the Gators could be a state championship contender quickly. He’s got them in the state title game in year two.
“I told the kids when I got there, if you will do what I ask you to do and buy in and believe and work hard and trust me, good things will happen to you,” King said. “That was my point to them from day one — build for a state championship.
“I knew the talent was there. They just needed somebody to believe in them.”
The Gators’ triple option offense is led by Batey, in his first season as the team’s quarterback after taking over for Tucker Hall.
Batey, 5-9, 180 pounds, has rushed for 1,832 yards with 32 touchdowns on 138 carries. He’s also completed 13 of 27 passes for 185 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception.
“It was a big role that I had to come into and fill in some big shoes,” said Batey, who also plays free safety for the Gators. “He [Hall] taught me a lot this summer, to being a team player and being a quarterback. He told me, ‘You have to keep the team going and keep your teammates going.’ I just want to go out there
and be a great leader for my teammates.”
King credited Batey for his play this season.
“Kyren’s a phenomenal kid,” King said. “He’s had a tremendous year.”
Along with Batey, sophomore running back Isaac Carver is second on the team with 752 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, while senior running back C.J. Green has accounted for 10 touchdowns, including 8 rushing.
King met with his team at the end of Wednesday’s practice to remind them not to get distracted by the magnitude of Friday’s game, the final one of the 2017 season for all classifications.
“I reiterated to them, ‘Hey guys, it’s just a football game,’ ” King said. ” ‘It’s a big stadium. It’s the same dimensions as our field. It’s just bigger surroundings. Don’t be in awe of it. Just play our game and stay grounded.’
“They come in and see this big place right here. They see the lights and the great big scoreboards and all that stuff. It’s natural for them to get kind of overwhelmed. But it’s good to be out here today and get it over with today in practice.
“Come Friday, it will just be a football game for us.”
Batey hopes he can help bring the Gators their first state football championship Friday.
“When we get older and look back, we can be like, ‘Man, we changed Foreman. First state championship in Foreman,’ ” Batey said. “It would be exciting, for me, to be a part of this.”