Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
From cold to hot
Badgers turn 0-5 start into a repeat
Arkadelphia embraced the cold weather and the opportunity to win its second consecutive Class 4A state championship Saturday night.
Junior quarterback Cannon Turner accounted for 171 yards and 2 touchdowns to lead the Badgers to a 28-0 victory over their 7-4A Conference rival Joe T. Robinson in front of 3,529 on a chilly and rainy Saturday night at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
Arkadelphia (10-5) earned its second title in a row after winning last year’s crown against Warren. The Badgers overcame an 0-5 start this season to win 10 consecutive games.
Despite a game-time temperature of 34 degrees, the Badgers played at a championship level to win their fourth state title in school history.
“Our guys weren’t fazed by it,” Arkadelphia Coach J.R. Eldridge said about the weather. “Their belief level was really high. The way they played, with such a passion, to be able to execute the game plans at such a high level, at a fast pace, I’m just so proud of our coaches and our players.”
Turner, who was named the game’s MVP for a second consecutive season, rushed for 127 yards and 1 touchdown on 13 carries. He completed 2 of 3 passes for 44 yards, but it was his 40-yard pass in the fourth quarter to senior KJ Terry that put the Senators away.
Leading 14-0, Turner found Terry over the middle on third and 14 for a 40-yard touchdown reception that extended the Badgers’ lead to 21-0 with 8:13 remaining.
Terry dragged Robinson defender Courtney Snelling into the end zone. That wasn’t a surprise to Turner.
“He squats almost 480 pounds,” Turner said of Terry, who is 5-10, 180 pounds. “He’s not a big guy, but he’s really strong,”
Both Turner and Eldridge credited Arkadelphia offensive coordinator Casey Moreland for making the thirddown call.
“We felt like we had it set up,” Eldridge said. “It was a great call. KJ was able to pull it in. Cannon threw a great ball. The run after the catch was unbelievable.”
Arkadelphia tacked on a 35-yard touchdown run by junior Kyren Harrison with 6:35 left to play to cap the scoring.
The Badgers led 7-0 at halftime thanks to senior running back Zion Hatley’s first-quarter, 3-yard touchdown run. Hatley’s score was set up by Robinson senior running back Tyler Jones’ fumble and Arkadelphia junior linebacker Cole Turner’s recovery on the Senators’ first play from scrimmage at the 10:11 mark in the first quarter.
Robinson’s best offensive opportunity fell short with 5:12 left in the third quarter when senior running back Mekel Kentle’s pass attempt to classmate Traveon James was incomplete on fourth and 1 from the Arkadelphia 19.
Four plays after his defense got a fourth-down stop, Turner’s 69-yard touchdown run with 3:08 left in the third quarter gave the Badgers a 14-0 lead.
Hatley finished with 121 yards and 1 touchdown on 24 carries for Arkadelphia.
Robinson (12-3), which defeated Arkadelphia 42-14 on Sept. 28 on its way to the 7-4A regular-season championship, fumbled the ball eight times Saturday, losing two of them. The Senators were held to 221 yards offensively, with Kentle leading the team with 88 yards on 21 carries.
“We couldn’t hang on to the ball,” Senators Coach Todd Eskola said. “We didn’t throw the ball very well. We had some drops with some wide-open guys.
“They beat us in the trenches. Usually when that happens, you don’t win.”
Arkadelphia became the first team in state history to defeat four No. 1 seeds in the playoffs. The Badgers eliminated Warren in the second round, Stuttgart in the quarterfinals, Shiloh Christian in the semifinals, then Robinson.
“We made it through the storm, and we were able to keep coming back,” Eldridge said. “I’m so thankful for a great group of coaches and players.”