Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Bulldogs’ mentality Greenwood had no ‘doubt’ about 10th title
It was a night of records as Greenwood won its 10th state title, and its first-year coach joined an elite Arkansas high school coaching club Saturday night.
After falling behind 10-0 before taking an offensive snap, the Bulldogs dominated Lake Hamilton 49-24 in the Class 6A championship game at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
“I am really proud of the kids,” first-year Bulldogs Coach Chris Young said. “They have had a tough year with everything going on [with the coronavirus pandemic], and they earned every bit of this. To see those guys smile and celebrate — and for a second be back to normal — is awesome.”
Greenwood (14-0) has won these 10 titles in the past 21 seasons, winning its first in 2000. The Bulldogs have played in 14 championship games since its first finals appearance in 1996. Only Little Rock Central (32) and Pine Bluff (22) have won more titles that Greenwood, and no school has won more state titles through the playoffs as the Bulldogs.
“Within our program, we never had a doubt. We knew what we were capable of,” Young said. “Our kids are special in Greenwood, and this is another example of that.”
Young, who was a longtime assistant under Rick Jones, became the latest firstyear coach to win a state title with a perfect record, the last being Charleston’s Greg Kendrick in 2013.
Young’s father, Joe Fred Young, won a state title at Fort Smith Northside in 1987. The Youngs join three other father-son coaches to each win state football championships in Arkansas. The others are Bill (Jacksonville) and Scott Reed (El Dorado); Jim (Parkin) and Bo Hembree (Warren); and C.W. (Little Rock Hall) and Bill Keopple (Texarkana).
“I know the reputation my dad has and how people think of him as a coach,” Young said. “To share this with him is pretty special.”
Lake Hamilton (11-2) led 10-0 four minutes into the game before Greenwood snapped the ball on offense.
“We ran some plays that they have not seen, and then they did some adjusting,” Wolves Coach Tommy Gilleran said. “In a big game like this, we got to make more big plays than they do, and they made more than us.”
The Wolves took the opening kickoff and marched 48 yards in seven plays before settling for a 37-yard field goal by Alex Hurtz for a 3-0 lead with 8:53 left in first quarter.
On the ensuing kickoff, Lake Hamilton’s Trent Singleton stripped returner Jayden Jasna, and Jamarrion Byrd recovered at the Bulldogs 14. Two plays later, Grant Bearden hit Owen Miller for a 11-yard touchdown for a 10-0 lead four minutes into the game.
The Wolves stopped the Bulldogs again, and Lake Hamilton marched to the Greenwood 35. On first down, Bearden was sacked for a 10yard loss by Parker Gill, killing the drive and shutting down the Wolves’ momentum.
“It was a blitz we put in earlier in the week,” Gill said. “It was wide open, and all I saw was the quarterback.”
The Bulldogs’ offense awakened, scoring on the next five possessions.
“I thought our kids never flinched,” Young said. “They had complete confidence in themselves on the sideline even after that start.”
Quarterback LD Richmond threw three touchdown passes in the second quarter, including two to Luke Brewer. The first score was a 39-yard toss with 6:48 left in the first half to give the Bulldogs their first lead at 14-10.
The second one changed the game.
Lake Hamilton had a chance to take the lead just before half, but Bearden missed an open receiver in the end zone on fourth down at the Bulldogs 17 with 51 seconds left.
After two running plays, Richmond hit a wide-open Brewer down the right sideline for a 71-yard touchdown with seven seconds left in the first half for a 21-10 Greenwood advantage.
“A lot of teams get the ball near their 20-yard line with 51 seconds left might take a knee there, but that is not us. That is not our style, and that is not how we play,” Young said. “It is a tribute to our kids. They made plays. [Richmond] made a great throw, and Brewer got loose down the sideline.
“Lake Hamilton had a guy open in the end zone and missed him, and then we scored. That was the difference in the game.”
A pair of Hunter Wilkinson touchdown runs in the third quarter increased the Greenwood lead to 35-10.
Lake Hamilton looked to get back into the game on Tevin Woodley’s 8-yard touchdown run to get the Wolves back to within 35-17 with 7:59 left.
But Jasna atoned for his early fumble by scooping up a short kickoff at the 2, found a hole near the left sideline and raced for a state-record 98-yard touchdown return, putting the game out of reach at 42-17 with 7:45 left.