Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Move The Chains
PRAIRIE GROVE — Longtime Prairie Grove assistant coach John Elder has a vision for his son, John David, starting quarterback for the Tiger varsity this season.
“It’s just the same as all kids, who come through here,” John Elder said. “No. 1 to love the Lord with all his heart. No. 2 Be a good husband to his wife and a good father to his kids. I think if he does those things, he’ll be successful in whatever he does.”
As for the quarterback role, John Elder is looking for effort and production from John David as the signal-caller.
“I want him to do the best he can,” John Elder said. “He’s got control of the team this year. He’s been to a lot of camps this year. One thing he’s learned at camps is ‘move the chains.’ Keep moving the chains, eventually that will lead to a touchdown.”
On the heels of that vision, Prairie Grove head coach Danny Abshier was asked to outline his vision for the 2017 football team.
“The vision I have (for the 2017 football team) is no different than every year — to do the very best that we can do, that’s it,” Abshier said. “There are factors that play into a win/loss record. I constantly think of ‘what if Corliss Williamson breaks a finger the week before the NCAA championship game. You could break a finger pretty easily.”
Williamson, who played high school basketball at Russellville, led the Arkansas Razorbacks men’s basketball team to the 1994 NCAA National championship. Williamson was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2009. His No. 34 jersey is one of only two that have ever been retired by the University of Arkansas, the other being Sidney Moncrief (No. 32). He is considered one of the five greatest players in school history.
“Luck factors into success and depth factors into success,” Abshier said. “There are situations that occur. A football team is no different than a family or a business. The world is not a perfect place. How do you handle those adversities? I think the real heroes of the world are the daddies and the mommies, too, who get up every morning and take on all the problems that come against them. They may come back a little battered the next day, but they are still there.”