Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Harrison’s Ulrich bounces back after illness early in season
HARRISON — Even Harrison coach Joel Wells acknowledges Bryant Ulrich gets overlooked at times.
Players like running back Gabe Huskey and linebacker Brooks Both garner plenty of attention for the 10-0 Goblins. That leads to Ulrich going unnoticed, Wells said.
But Ulrich has no problem introducing himself to ball carriers.
“He’s an explosive player, and he arrives when he meets the ball carrier,” Wells said. “He’s every bit as good a football player as other guys we’ve got. If you look at our film, you’re going to be able to pick him out. I think he’s just taken his game to another level this year.”
The 5-foot-11, 190-pound senior linebacker ranks second on the team in tackles (50) through nine games, despite missing all of one game and most of another because of mononucleosis.
Wells said Ulrich and Both have been solid as a rock in the middle of the Goblins’ defense for two seasons.
“I wouldn’t trade them for any pair in the state of Arkansas at any level,” Wells said. “Bryant was all-state last year, started every game for us. He’s very intelligent, extremely quick and physical.
“He’s also good in pass coverage and a good blitzer. He does so much. He hit a guy and created a fumble, and we got a scoop and score out of it against Siloam. He’s blocked a punt, and last year he fielded an onside kick and scored against Greenbrier. He’s just a good football player.”
The Goblins will open the Class 5A playoffs by hosting Batesville (4-6), the No. 4 seed from the 5A-East, on Friday night in F.S. Garrison Stadium.
Ulrich enjoyed a banner junior season, earning all-state honors. But he saw room for improvement.
“I wasn’t really attacking the line of scrimmage,” Ulrich said. “I went and studied a lot of my film in the offseason. I’d shuffle here and there to get to my gap.
“Attacking the football is what I focused on this summer. I feel like I’ve approached the ball carrier way different this year. I think it’s really helped.”
He also splits the fullback position with Both and handles the long-snapping duties.
He recalled the week of his first start as a sophomore. That came in the state quarterfinals against Pulaski Academy.
“We changed formations that week from a four-man front to three,” Ulrich said. “Coach Keylon wrote on the board the formation and said, ‘We’ll have three backers, and the left-most one, Ulrich, that’s you.’
“Attacking the football is what I focused on this summer. I feel like I’ve approached the ball carrier way different this year. I think it’s really helped.” — Harrison linebacker Bryant Ulrich
“I was like, ‘All right, I’m in here. Let’s go.’”
Ulrich had a string of 17 consecutive starts snapped earlier this season when he missed the Morrilton game because of mono. He played sparingly against Clarksville. Even Wells said he wasn’t up to his normal standards the next week, but recently he’s been back to his normal “He was self. playing at an extremely high level early, and he’s back to that level now,” Wells said. “We were really fortunate he missed as little time that he did. We’re sure glad he’s back.” Ulrich said he shook off a few symptoms as nothing near the season-opener against Pea Ridge, but after week three they became more prominent.
“They thought I might have a concussion,” Ulrich said. “I was moping around and couldn’t really focus, but then they figured out it was mono.”
He’s quick to credit his teammates for picking him up while he was sidelined. Those same teammates made the return action easy as well.
“Brodey Gilliam stepped up huge in that Morrilton game,” Ulrich said. “We didn’t skip a beat. But they were all on my side and made it easy to get back in there.”
With Ulrich back at full speed, the Goblins will be looking to contend for a state championship after falling in the state quarterfinals two years ago and semis last season.