Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Faulkenberry leads Gentry to fast start
GENTRY — There are plenty of reasons why Gentry has already equalled its win total from last year in two games.
At the top of the list is the play of quarterback Jon Faulkenberry, a senior who has started since his sophomore year. Faulkenberry has completed 17 of 20 passes for 317 yards and 3 touchdowns and rushed for 156 yards and 4 touchdowns for Gentry (20), which plays at Greenland (2-0) today at 7 p.m. in a nonconference game.
Greenland coach Lee Larkin is well aware of Faulkenberry, a dual threat who is receiving recruiting interest from the Air Force Academy.
“(Faulkenberry) will be the best quarterback we’ll see all year,” Larkin said. “He can run, he can throw, and he can play at any level in high school in Arkansas.”
Faulkenberry has only played two quarters this season in blowout wins over Lavaca and Decatur. The competition will get much tougher, starting tonight at Greenland and with the 4A-1 Conference opener at Pea Ridge on Sept. 22. But Gentry coach Paul Ernest is
anticipating a standout senior season from Faulkenberry, who passed for 746 yards and ran for more than 1,700 yards as a junior.
“You don’t get to coach kids like Jon very often,” said Ernest, a former Nashville assistant who took over at Gentry three years ago. “He’s a great player, obviously. But the unique thing about Jon is that not one time have I seen an example where he thought he was owed something or was above the team. He leads by example and you can tell by his grade point average (3.8 GPA) he’s a winner in everything he does.”
Faulkenberry is an all-around athlete who comes from a football family. His older brothers Stone and Jake also played football for the Pioneers.
Jon plays basketball and runs track at Gentry, but football is his passion.
Despite his effort, Gentry was again on the outside looking in while Prairie Grove, Pea Ridge and Shiloh Christian advanced to the semifinals of the Class 4A state playoffs last season. That’s frustrating for the seven three-year starters at Gentry, who were part of teams that won three games in 2015 and two games in 2016.
“It’s hard being the underdog with those teams going to the playoffs every year,” Faulkenberry said. “But I think we have the guys this year to go somewhat deep in the
playoffs. Our end goal, really, is to host a home playoff game and get fans excited about football again around here.”
Regardless of how the season plays out for Gentry, Faulkenberry will continue his football career on the college level. Air Force is one of the Division I schools that has shown interest and Ernest said his quarterback who wears No. 1 on his jersey would be a benefit to any college as a true student-athlete.
“Jon will be a great addition to not only any roster, but any campus,” Ernest said. “When he gets there, wherever he goes, that school is going to be better by having him.”
“But I think we have the guys this year to go somewhat deep in the playoffs.”
— Gentry quarterback Jon Faulkenberry