Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Greenland ground game runs on Jett fuel
GREENLAND — Greenland made an adjustment after losing Hayden Stout, a sturdy running back who powered his way for 2,119 yards and 19 touchdowns during his three-year career.
Greenland went back into the locker room and replaced Stout with a Jett, a lighter and swifter model who is even more productive as the lead ballcarrier for the Pirates.
Jett Dennis is a top playmaker on offense and defense for Greenland (6-4, 4-3), which beat West Fork 49-0 to earn the No. 3 seed from the 3A-1 Conference. Greenland will begin postseason play Friday at home against Mountain View, the No. 4 seed from the 3-2A Conference.
Dennis (5-foot-9, 150 pounds) is a junior who gained 439 yards last season as a second option to Stout, who led the Pirates in rushing as a senior with 1,093 yards and 13 touchdowns. Dennis has rushed for 1,205 yards this season and he’ll likely add to his total in the playoffs. Dennis is also a fierce defender at linebacker, where he has 71 tackles (27 solo, 44 assists).
“We knew Jett was going to be good this year,” Greenland coach Lee Larkan said. “He plays so hard. The only thing I worried about was playing him full-time both ways. But he’s stepped in and done a really good job.”
Dennis eclipsed the 100-yard plateau for the seventh time last Friday when he rushed for 180 yards and scored two touchdowns in the first half against West Fork. Larkan said Dennis could reach 1,400 or 1,500 yards this year if the Pirates advance far in the playoffs.
Dennis still has another year to play, which means he could finish his career as one of the best to ever play for the Pirates.
“Jett has great vision and the ability to make people miss,” Larkan said. “He’ll make a cut and guys go right by him.”
Greenland has been an up-and-down team for most of the season. The Pirates lost consecutive games to Booneville and Lamar before whipping Cedarville 41-6 in their best performance of the season. The victory was followed by wins over Paris and West Fork to give the Pirates added momentum heading into Friday’s first-round game with Mountain View, which lost 56-18 to Clinton last week.
“We’re playing pretty good right now,” Dennis said. “We’ve played some really good teams in our conference, which is pretty tough. Hopefully, we can keep it going.”
Greenland is tough to handle when Dennis and quarterback Gabe Wilson, who is also a junior, play well in the same game. Wilson describes his teammate as
someone who goes about his business without a lot of fanfare.
“That’s his whole family,” Wilson said of Dennis, who has two older brothers who played football for the Pirates. They
don’t talk about it. They say ‘let’s do it. With Jett, you’re going to get a guy who is going to compete on every down. He’s scores touchdowns, then goes back and defense and makes plays.”
Dennis rushed for 148 yards against Mansfield. But he considers his best game came against Cedarville, when he rushed for 118 yards and scored three touchdowns. The win over Cedarville was a turning point for Greenland, which is now ready for takeoff in the playoffs with Dennis eager to carry the load again in the backfield.
“We’re ready,” Dennis said. “We’ve got some momentum.”