6A East a two-team race?
Wildcats expect to be in the hunt
The 6A East could be a two-team race this season with Benton and Little Rock Catholic. El Dorado coach Chris Hill said the Wildcats could be in the mix, but so could most of the rest of the league.
“I think you look at Benton and Catholic are probably the top dogs. Everybody voted those guys one or two in some order. And, very well they should be,” said Hill. “I think after that, you can throw ‘em all in a cup, shake ‘em around and roll ‘em out. On paper, I think after the top two, it’s anybody’s ball game.”
The Wildcats went 5-6 last season under Coach Steven Jones, falling in the first round of the state playoffs. The coach said getting out of the blocks fast will be important for every team in the league.
“A team that plays well early and gains a little experience, a little excitement and confidence, you never know,” he said. “They could come around and do some great things. I think it’s going to be an interesting year, a very competitive year.”
Hill’s Sylvan Hill’s team went 3-7 last season. Before that, the Bears went 7-4 and 9-4 in 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Going from one conference team to another, the coach said the transition has been interesting.
“I think being familiar with everybody in the conference makes it, I don’t want to say easier but it does help the transition,” he said. “I know the coaches and have film on what they try to do. I think that part makes that transition a little bit easier.”
In an August 2nd, interview, Hill wouldn’t call out a number or goal for the season. The Wildcats graduated most of the key players left from the 2021 championship season, including receiver, kick returner DeAndra Burns Jr., who signed with Arkansas State.
El Dorado graduated two senior quarterbacks, a two-year starting running back and stalwarts at defensive line, linebacker and the secondary.
Is there a key area or group that Hill believes could determine how well this year’s team does?
“It’s hard to pinpoint just one,” he said. “Of course you have to play good defense. You have to protect the ball on offense. You have to sustain drives. We don’t really have the home run hitters that have been here the last few years. We don’t have those 4.4 kids and guys like that. But I do think we have some kids who are very capable of helping us win on Friday night.
“A lot of things come into being a good football team. You’ve got to catch some breaks here and there. You’ve got to stay healthy. You’ve got to stay eligible. You’ve got to stay out of trouble at school.”
Football is usually a game of mistakes. The teams that make the most mistakes, generally, have the least amount of success.
“If we can play pretty good defense, we’ll have a chance,” said Hill. “Offensively, we’re going to try to eat as much clock as possible. We’re going to try to control the football, keep our opponent’s offense off the field. Keep our defense off the field and try to manage the game from that standpoint.”
"If we can play pretty good defense, we'll have a chance." —Coach Chris Hill