‘We TRUSTED each other and HAD each other’s BACKS’
Searcy senior leads team to state title, earns MVP
During the offseason this fall, Searcy senior Bryce Dixon had a feeling that this year’s football team had the makings of a championship team.
“We competed in a team camp at Conway, and we felt like if we played them, we could beat them,” Dixon said. “We knew we were able to play with some of the Class 7A programs — some of the elite programs in the state.”
At the team camp, Searcy competed with Conway; North Little Rock, which was the No. 1 team in the state at the time; and Morrilton, which had finished in the semifinals the prior year. Head coach Mark Kelley said Searcy matched up physically with those teams and had the makings and the chance to be pretty good.
“This year, it just felt different,” Dixon said. “We had a certain bond that I never really felt with any other group of guys.
“We knew if we got down, or had a bad play, we would be able to make up for it on the next play or next drive. We trusted each other and had each other’s backs.”
Dixon and the Searcy Lions defeated the Benton Panthers 28-27 on Dec. 7 for the school’s first Class 6A state championship in football since 1933. Dixon was named the game’s Most Valuable Player after completing 27 of 40 passes for 341 yards and 2 touchdowns.
“It is pretty awesome. We are going to be remembered for a long time,”
Dixon said. “We are one of the first teams in the history of the program to win [a state title]. It meant a lot to us.
“I feel like we really came through.”
Kelley, who is in his fifth year as head coach at Searcy, said Dixon is really special in a lot of ways.
“He has been a great teammate for three years and has played a lot of different roles, including receiver and special teams,” Kelley said. “When his number was called as a senior, he did a great job leading, not just on the field, but with workouts and through the summer.”
Last year, Dixon’s main role was as a receiver.
“He is extremely athletic, and that is definitely a plus,” Kelley said. “He can run and throw the ball, and he is extremely competitive but also wants to help his teammates out.
“He is extremely smart and picks up everything that you want to do and picks up on what the defense is doing. … I can’t say enough about how good he is mentally as a quarterback.”
Dixon said he put in a lot of work during the offseason by hitting the weights and working on his form.
“It just all came together,” he said. “I just really took the lead and bought into what we were doing, and I think it showed throughout the season.
“I was pretty prepared compared to last year and the year before.”
Last year, the Lions finished 9-3, making it to the quarterfinals of the playoffs.
“One thing we we were really fortunate with this year is that we didn’t have any substantial injuries,” Kelley said. “And for the most part, we were really healthy, and our offensive line stayed healthy, which is especially key.
“I think continuity and staying healthy were definitely big for us.”
Dixon passed for more than 4,000 yards this year, with 43 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. He also had 82 carries for 302 yards with 6 touchdowns.
“Our team has great offthe-field relationships,” Dixon said. “Everyone on the team gets along, and we have always been a pretty tight group, ever since we played together in Pee Wee ball.
“I’ve played with a lot of the kids since Pee Wee, and most everyone, I have played with for at least four or five years prior to this year.”
Searcy finished 12-1 this year with the team’s only loss coming against Jonesboro on Oct. 25.
“We definitely worked harder after that loss. It didn’t make us nervous or anything, and we came out the next week and beat [Mountain Home] by 36,” Dixon said.
“I can’t say enough about how the team responded after that loss,” he said.
“Jonesboro is a really good team,” Kelley said, “and they had some health issues that might have kept them from competing for a state championship. We didn’t play very well to start that game and kind of got into a hole, giving up two kickoff returns for touchdowns.
“But we were still in the game late, even though we didn’t play our best game. We realized that if we had taken care of business on special teams and prevented those scores, we might have won. After that game, we came away a little more focused, and it helped us in the long run.”
Dixon, who plans to return to baseball this spring, said Kelley has been a great influence and “taught me everything I know.”
“He has made me into the player I am today,” Dixon said. “Before he came aboard, we didn’t really win that often, and he was able to get everything turned around, and we became one of the top programs in the state in football.
“I can’t say enough about how much he has helped me, my teammates and the town of Searcy.”
Dixon has not yet committed to play football anywhere but has received interest from Harding University, Southern Arkansas University, Ouachita Baptist University and Hendrix College. He wants to major in political science and eventually go to law school, following in his brother’s footsteps, he said.
“I think it is awesome, having played so many different positions and still being able to get the attention he has at the next level,” Kelley said. “It’s impressive, and it sets him up for what he wants to do after college, so I am really excited for him.”
Dixon said he is going to miss playing on Friday nights.
“We got a lot of support this year, and it has really helped to have the town behind you,” Dixon said. “We had close to 10,000 people at the state-championship game, and the support of the town is definitely something I’m going to miss. … This year has been crazy, but definitely a good crazy.”
Staff writer Sam Pierce can be reached at (501) 244-4314 or