Greenwood cruises by Van Buren

VAN BUREN — The Greenwood Bulldogs kept their unbeaten season intact Friday night with a strong second half on the road.

Greenwood got an efficient night from quarterback L.D. Richmond and another strong performance on the ground from Hunter Wilkinson to pull away for a 50-29 victory against Van Buren at Blakemore Field.

Richmond completed 12 of 15 passes for 227 yards with 3 touchdowns. He also rushed 10 times for 66 yards and a score. Wilkinson finished with 177 yards on 30 carries with 3 touchdowns. Caden Brown caught 6 passes for 131 and 2 touchdowns for the Bulldogs.

“He has been so efficient for us this year,” Greenwood Coach Chris Young said of Richmond. “He is probably one of the more underrated players around. He is having a special season.”

Van Buren was led by quarterback Gary Phillips, who completed 20 of 47 passes for 311 yards with 2 touchdowns. He also rushed for 68 yards on 17 carries.

Jaiden Henry was Van Buren’s main target, catching nine balls for 164 yards and a score. Chi Henry had five catches for 67 yards. Haden Roark added three catches for 59 yards and a touchdown.

“Van Buren is a lot better than their record,” Young said. “Their quarterback is a heck of a player. The coaches had a great game plan, and players did well with the plan. We were in for a battle.”

Greenwood (9-0, 5-0 6A-West) held just a 29-22 lead at halftime.

Greenwood settled in after being forced to punt to open the third quarter. The Bulldogs scored three times on the next four drives to put the game away.

“They came out in a little bit of a different look after halftime,” Young said. “I think that first series we were off a little bit. But we got it corrected on the sidelines in a hurry. I was really proud of the offense answering.”

Wilkinson got the second-half scoring going with a 10-yard rush that gave the Bulldogs a 36-22 edge.

Van Buren answered with a play-action touchdown on a 21-yard pass from Phillips to Roark.

Greenwood turned to the ground. Richmond scored on a 9-yard run to end the third quarter, then Wilkinson scored on a 25-yard rush late in the fourth quarter.

Van Buren (3-6, 1-5) turned the ball over on downs on its final three possessions.

“We had some protection busts on some opportunities we feel we had scoring chances in this game,” Van Buren Coach Crosby Tuck said. “We missed in a big play in the drive after the half. That hurt us. We didn’t get to take advantage of those. That is disappointing.

“They are really good up front. They put a lot of pressure on us. But I’m proud of our kids. They played well.”