It has been a whirlwind of Team Camps, 7 on 7 Tournaments, and College Camps for the Greenwood Bulldogs
As the Greenwood Bulldog football team is in their AAA Dead Period the action was heating up for the ‘Dogs across several facets.
Team Camps
Earlier in the month Resident News Network detailed the teams that participated in the Greenwood Football team camp. Since that article Greenwood participated in a Team Camp at Northside and Russellville. At the Northside camp they went against nearly all the same teams from the first camp but with the addition of Fort Smith Northside and West Memphis.
Fort Smith Northside is in arguably one of the toughest conferences in the State the 7A Central. With teams like Bryant, Jonesboro, Conway, North Little Rock, Cabot, and the talented upstart Little Rock Southwest. While the Grizzlies start the season with the Battle of Rogers Avenue again Southside, from there it is the gamut facing off against Greenwood and Fayetteville in non-conference and then… their conference run starts. Last year Northside finished 4-7 on the season with a 3-4 conference season.
West Memphis finished 6-5 last season with a close playoff loss to Russellville in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs.
I was not present to give an overview of the Russellville Team Camp
7 on 7
In the late 90’s then Greenwood Head Coach Ronnie Peacock brought a new type of competition to the state of Arkansas with 7 on 7 tournaments. Since then it has taken on a life of it’s own with several schools holding their own 7 on 7 tournaments during the summer. University of Arkansas holds a tournament in conjunction with their Lineman Camp. Last year it brought in teams from neighboring states including the occasionally Nationally ranked East St. Louis Flyers. This year Greenwood competed in three different tournaments in Alma, Russellville, and Siloam Springs.
Greenwood would go 6-0 making it to the Championship game against Fayetteville. A late afternoon storm rolling in cancelled the Championship game with both teams becoming Co-Champions of the Lumber One 7on7 Showcase. The following week it was off to Russellville for the Cyclone 7on7. Greenwood would once again repeat the feat of the week before and go on to the Championship game and win the Championship going 7-0 on the day. Three days later the Bulldogs would take the trip to NWA to Siloam Springs to play in the Stateline Shootout. Greenwood would drop one game in pool play to 2020 season opening opponent Muskogee. In bracket play the Bulldogs man handled Gentry in the first round. Then taking care of 7A West teams Springdale and Bentonville West to make it to the Championship. Siloam would stun the 7on7 participants beating Number 1 seed and defending Stateline Shootout Champion Muskogee. In the championship game it saw Greenwood vs the Bruins of Bartlesville. Touchdown passes to L.J. Robins and Isaiah Arrington and great defensive play from Arrington, Grant Karnes, Kaylor Jasna, and Junior DeLeon was to much for Bartlesville to overcome. Bulldogs win 30-6 winning their 3rd 7on7 of the summer and finishing 22-1 in all tournaments.
College Camps
Several Bulldogs hit the road this summer when the schedule of other sports and football allowed. The coaches took several players to the TCU Mega Camp. Camping from coast to coast the Bulldogs made an impression where ever they landed. Seniors L.J. Robins, Eli Whitaker, Jack Edwards, Riley White, Josh Allen, and Kaleb Garner. With Juniors and Sophomores Cash Archer, Isaiah Arrington, Ashton Stein, Kane Archer, Cody Taylor, Akira Fujibayashi, Landon Billy, Sullivan Shoppach, and Wesley Raggio visited or took part in camps at the following universities:
- Arkansas
- TCU – Mega Camp with several other universities in attendance
- Oklahoma
- Nebraska
- Kansas State
- Missouri
- Southern California
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Florida State
- Ole Miss
- West Virginia – Cody Taylor won the OL Blue Collar Award
- Virginia Tech – Cody Taylor earned an offer
- Vanderbilt – Cody Taylor earned an offer
- Arkansas State
- Navy
- Central Arkansas
- Henderson State – LJ Robins would get fastest 40 time, Wesley Raggio fastest Pro-Shuttle
- Lyon
(Author note, if I missed a student athlete or camp let me know on Facebook @ Ross Fujibayashi)
With the dead period to end July 9th and FasDogs to start on July 10th the Bulldogs will be back in full swing with just two more 7on7 and Lineman camps left on the schedule before Fall Practice starts.
I would like to also take this section and send our condolences to the communities of White Hall and Mountain Home after the untimely passing of Coach and Razorback great Ryan Mallett.
