Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Harrison favored to win 5A-West
West Burls Way — named in honor of the late Brandon Burlsworth — is the street that provides access to F.S. Garrison Stadium, the home field for Harrison’s football team.
It could be the same path that teams must take to the 5A-West Conference championship, but Goblins coach Joel Wells and his team would like it to take it a step further. They want it to be the road teams must travel in order to earn a trip to Little Rock and the Class 5A state title.
Harrison has had its last two seasons end in Little Rock, but not at War Memorial Stadium. Instead, the playoff road detoured a few miles west at Pulaski Academy, where the Goblins lost a quarterfinal game in 2017 and a semifinal shootout last year.
“Obviously, our goal is to get a number one seed and play at home until we get to Little Rock,” Wells said. “But it’s going to be very difficult. We’ll try to take one game at a time and go, but obviously, our goal is to get there.”
Harrison made an unblemished run to the 5A-West title last fall, and the Goblins are favored to win the league title again. Harrison returns nine offensive starters,
including standout running back Gabe Huskey and quarterback Ben Johnson, from a team that went 12-1 last year.
The schedule could also be in the Goblins’ favor as the three teams expected to push them for the 5A-West crown — Morrilton, Greenbrier and Alma — have to make the trip down West Burls Way.
“We still have to play extremely well, and we have to stay healthy,” Wells said. “A lot about getting to that next step has to do with what you do in the regular season. If you don’t win your conference, then it’s going to be harder. It will be a tougher path to get there. We’re going to concentrate a lot on those conference games, and we have some good ones at home.”
It may not get much better than the conference opener as Harrison hosts Morrilton, a team that also reached the semifinal round last fall. The Devil Dogs return eight offensive starters from last year’s 8-5 team, and that includes quarterback Jacolby Criswell, who has verbally committed to North Carolina.
Criswell suffered a knee injury in the preseason and missed last year’s 21-9 loss to Harrison but returned in October and combined for more than 1,400 yards passing and running with 14 touchdowns. He is joined by all-state running back Xavier Clemons, who ran for 1,100 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Morrilton, however, will have an untested defense that will have to grow up quickly. The Devil Dogs will have tough nonconference games against Searcy and Russellville, then its league play starts with Harrison, Greenbrier and Alma.
“If we can keep Jacolby healthy, then I think we have a good chance to win,” Morrilton coach Cody McNabb said. “Harrison, though, is a tough place to play. I sure would like to have a few more conference games under our belt by that time, but that’s not the case.”
Greenbrier returns 15 starters, including all-conference tailback Peyton Long and all-state linebacker/receiver Ryan Barnard from a team that went 7-4, while Alma will see to improve on its 5-6 finish with the addition of offensive coordinator Greg Kendrick, who previously worked with head coach Doug Loughridge at Charleston.
McNabb said he thinks Vilonia and Farmington could have a say in the 5A-West playoff picture. Vilonia, which missed the playoffs with an overtime loss to Morrilton, now has a year under its belt under coach Todd Langrell and return seven offensive and six defensive starters, while Farmington will break in a new stadium and has a star receiver/kicker in Drew Sturgeon and an all-conference linebacker in Colton Kilgore.