It was a rainy night and a quick start for the Bulldogs, enroute to a 42-0 victory over the Mountain Home Bombers. The Bulldogs came out with a tribute to Isaiah Arrington, carrying his last name on the back of their jerseys for senior night. The family of Isaiah Arrington held his jersey during the senior night announcements.
Looking at the radar before the game it looked as if there was going to be a break in the rain, but that was not the case. Greenwood received the opening kickoff and went to work on offense quickly. After a long run by Junior Kane Archer, Senior Kaylor Jasna would take it in for a Touchdown with just one minute taken off the clock. The point after attempt by Hudson Meeker was good to put the score 7-0. Mountain Home gained a first down on their opening drive, after run-stopping tackles by Seniors Mark Garretson and Paul Brixey, the Bombers elected to punt.
The next drive by Greenwood was halted by a fumble mid-field setting up Mountain Home in prime territory to utilize their stout running offense. Tackles by Seniors Gage Hanna and Zach Edwards had the Bombers looking to the air to move the ball. Kaylor Jasna swatted down the Mountain Home pass near the goal line to set up fourth down. Mountain Home elected to go for it. With the Quarterback running around he tossed it up into the waiting hands of Senior Cash Archer for his first of two interceptions in the game. Greenwood would come up short on converting their fourth down. Mountain Home ran out the remainder of the first quarter clock.
The Bombers went for it on fourth down to open the second quarter, but the Mountain Home pass fell short. Greenwood drove down to the Mountain Home fourteen-yard line after runs by Kane Archer and Sophomore Mario Dunbar. Archer capped the drive with a fourteen-yard run for a touchdown with 5:30 left in the half. Mountain Home drove down the field within the Greenwood five-yard line. Facing fourth down the Bombers attempted a field goal with three seconds left on the clock. A high snap and then a scramble by the holder, the pass to the end zone was intercepted by Cash Archer. With no time left on the clock and off-setting penalties ended the half. Bulldogs up 14-0.
Mountain Home opened the second half with a punt that rolled to the Greenwood five-yard line. The Bulldogs went the distance with a Cooper Goodwin touchdown, after catches by Grant Karnes and a Kane Archer run. Greenwood went up 21-0 with 4:34 left in the third quarter. The Bombers punted on their drive that ended with Junior Champ Davis running 67-yards for the punt return touchdown with 1:19 left in the third quarter. Bulldogs up 28-0 after the Hudson Meeker kick. Mountain Home ran out the clock out on the third quarter.
The Bombers were halted opening the fourth quarter by a tackle for a loss by Cash Archer. Mountain Home punted on the ensuing fourth down. Runs by Kane Archer and catches by Champ Davis and Grant Karnes, put Cooper Goodwin in prime position to punch it in for a touchdown to start the Sportsmanship rule with 10:04 left in the game. Mountain Home punted on their next possession. Greenwood’s next drive had a catch by Junior Benton Hossley to setup Kane Archer rolling out to pass to Grant Karnes for the touchdown to put the Bulldogs up 42-0 with 5:44 left in the game. The Bombers ran the rest of the game clock out.
“The weather was tough early on. I thought our defense did a phenomenal job, just continually.” Head Coach Chris Young said following the win. “Defense continued to respond. I thought they were on the field a long time. I was worried about that.”
“We didn’t want to throw the ball. We just knew something bad could happen with this weather. Ball slips out and they could go to the house.” Coach Young said. “I thought he [Kane Archer] made huge plays in the first half with his legs. Then the second half dried up and we got after it a bit.”
Kane Archer finished the regular season with an interesting stat of 44 incompletions while throwing 44 touchdowns. Currently in the season Archer has 189 completions on 233 attempted passes for 2870 yards. His 81% completion percentage, if it holds throughout the rest of the playoffs, sets the state record for the season. It would break the record set by Greenwood’s Hayden Smith in 2011. Currently there are three Bulldogs on the “Season Completion Percentage” list; 1. Hayden Smith (75.5 – 2011), 2. Jabe Burgess (73.9 – 2012), and 9. Reid Wheeler (70.4 -2014). Also in record setting notes, Champ Davis is eight receiving touchdowns away from breaking Josh Bell’s 2000 school season record of 24. Drew Morgan is second on the list with 23.
Greenwood earned a bye week with their third Conference Championship in a row, the fourth since 2020 under Head Coach Chris Young.
