Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Senators, Saints square off for title
It’s been two seasons since Joe T. Robinson and Shiloh Christian squared off in the 2019 Class 4A championship game.
A combined 55 games later, the Senators and Saints are finally getting a re- match and the stakes are exactly the same, as the two will yet again battle for the 4A crown at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock tonight.
Both Robinson and Shiloh coaches Todd Eskola and Jeff Conaway still remember the 2019 matchup well. For Eskola, it’s one he said he’ll always remember fondly, as it was his first state title as a coach. For Conaway, what sticks out was the amount of missed opportunities, whether that was key penalties or five turnovers caused by the Senators.
“I think in the big games like this, where there’s a small margin of error, you’ve got to avoid them [mistakes], or you’ve got to overcome them,” Conaway said. “And so that’s something that we’re teaching our guys daily. That’s going to be big. It always is.
“More teams lose football games in these types of games than win them, and so we’re doing our best to really focus on us and make sure we’re not making those mistakes.”
Shiloh Christian ( 13-1) comes in with a team Eskola described as “loaded.” The Robinson coach pointed to several Saints, including quarterback Eli Wisdom, who’s thrown for 2,793 yards and rushed for another 1,016 while scoring 53 total touchdowns.
“I’m very proud of him,” Conaway said in reference to Wisdom. “He’s definitely improved as a quarterback.”
Conaway noted Wisdom’s growth in three areas — as a leader, decision-maker and accurate passer.
Esokla also pointed out Shiloh Christian running back Ben Baker, who has rushed for 955 yards and 12 scores. He also discussed the Saints’ defense, specifically the Saints’ team leader in tackles — linebacker Kaden Henley — and freshman defensive lineman Hudson Ball.
“He’s got a really good motor,” Eskola said of Ball. “He can be a really good player, if he gets a little more height on him, for that Division I level.”
Since a season- opening loss to Pulaski Academy, Robinson (13-1) hasn’t lost. After a blowout loss to the Bruins, the Senators managed to scrape by in an overtime win against Maumelle and beat Marion by three points to round out a nonconference schedule Eskola said paid dividends.
“The thing we learned that I was most proud of is there was no rattle in our kids,” Eskola said. “There was no finger pointing. A lot of teams, when adversity hits, you get the excuses and finger pointing, and things of that nature. Sometimes, you see that physically on the field, not able to handle adversity. Our kids, I haven’t seen that out of this bunch all year long.”
Eskola said his squad doesn’t have one star, but it’s definitely had some standouts. Quarterback Jack Cleveland has had an efficient season, passing for 2,715 yards while completing 69.4% of his attempts. He’s also thrown 33 touchdowns to 5 interceptions.
The Senators also have six rushers with 100-plus yards, all of which are averaging more than 5 yards per carry. Daryl Searcy Jr. leads the way with a team-high 1,179 rush yards. Lineman E’Marion Harris, who has committed to play at the University of Arkansas, is also slated to start his 57th game for Robinson.
“Our kids are playing with a lot of confidence,” Eskola said. “We’ve got a really solid team and and we’re really proud of them.”