Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Well worth the wait
El Dorado QB’s patience rewarded with trip to 6A final
For the first time in five years, El Dorado’s starting quarterback in the state championship game won’t be named Reed.
Brothers Taylor and Lucas Reed strung together four consecutive 2,000-yard passing seasons while helping the Wildcats win Class 6A state championships in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
Now, record-setting senior Clayton Waldrum will take the snaps against 6A-South rival Pine Bluff in the Class 6A title game Saturday night at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
“I really like him,” Pine Bluff Coach Bobby Bolding said. “Going into the season, I was going, ‘Man, I’m glad those Reed boys are gone.’ It’s like a clone.”
Waldrum, 5-11, 190 pounds, has put up Reed-like numbers in helping El Dorado (8-5) win eight of its last 10 games following an 0-3 start. Waldrum inherited the starting job following Lucas Reed’s graduation last spring.
The Wildcats also advanced to the Class 6A state championship game in 2008 when Taylor Reed, then a sophomore, was a standout wide receiver.
“It feels good,” said Waldrum, a backup the past two seasons. “We’ve had pretty good quarterbacks, so there’s high expectations even without following the Reeds.”
Lucas Reed, who signed with Ouachita Baptist, threw for 2,293 yards and 26 touchdowns as a junior in 2011 when El Dorado won its third consecutive state championship. He threw for 2,510 yards and 25 touchdowns last fall as El Dorado reached the semifinals of the playoffs.
Taylor Reed, who signed with Memphis out of high school and is now at Central Arkansas, threw for 2,313 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2009 when El Dorado claimed its first state championship since 1958 with a 27-20 victory over Pine Bluff in the final. Reed threw for 2,406 yards and 26 touchdowns as a senior in 2010.
Waldrum has already eclipsed the brothers’ robust numbers, completing 159 of 307 passes for a single-season school-record 2,615 yards and 28 touchdowns this fall. He’s thrown only five interceptions.
El Dorado Coach Scott Reed, the father of Taylor and Lucas Reed, said he hasn’t been surprised by how well
Waldrum, one of 10 new offensive starters, has played this fall.
“I was not worried about that spot at all,” Reed said.
Reed said Waldrum is “sharp” and possesses a live arm. Although he had never started a game in high school, Waldrum was the junior varsity quarterback as a sophomore, regularly attended player-coach meetings and had extensive reps during the spring and summer, Reed said.
“As a competitor, I wanted to play, but I knew my time was coming,” Waldrum said. “When my time came, it would be all worth it. It was worth the two-year wait.”
Waldrum said observing Lucas Reed the past two seasons helped prepare him to become a starter, adding he was particularly struck by the quarterback’s mental and physical toughness.
“Before the helmet rule, I would see him get his chin strap knocked off and get up and take the next snap,” Waldrum said. “He’s pretty tough.”
El Dorado offensive coordinator Nick Vaughn said Waldrum possesses the same competitive fire and wants the ball in his hands during crucial situations. Waldrum is also El Dorado’s second-leading rusher, carrying 98 times for 363 yards and 9 touchdowns.
“Coming into this year, knowing we were going to be young on offense, he immediately took charge,” Vaughn said. “A big reason we have been able to turn our season around is causing turnovers on defense and taking care of the ball on offense — no interceptions or fumbles. And on offense, it all starts with him.”
Waldrum said the 6A final could be his last game. He said continuing his career at Hendrix is a possibility, but he wants to become a lawyer. Waldrum has a 3.93 gradepoint average and scored 27 on the ACT.
“This would be a great way to go out,” Waldrum said, referring to a state championship.