Conference 3A-4 favorite Glen Rose pays a visit to Eagles Stadium on Friday to play Paris in the opening game of the 2022 conference season. It is the opener of the “second season”, and regardless what has happened, good or bad, in the three-game non-conference portion of teams’ schedules, the start of conference play is the beginning of the push to qualify for the state playoffs.
For Paris, that push will begin by hosting the favorite to win the 3A-4 by many publications. The Glen Rose Beavers finished the 2021 season at 9-3, and gave up less than seven points in most of their 2021 opponents in the first half of the season. The Beavers have five returning starters on offense and six on defense from that team. They finished second in their conference a year ago. Their season ended in the third round of the playoffs at Booneville when they went down to defeat to the Bearcats by the score of 49-21.
Glen Rose, according to Hooten’s Arkansas Football publication, have a lot of returning talent, but, have a lack of size and speed. That is an unusual combination, but, the Beavers know how to win and that will be a key factor when they travel to Paris.
Glen Rose, as mentioned earlier, is predicted to win the 3A-4 conference. The preseason predicted order of finish is:
Glen Rose
Jessieville
Paris
Bismarck
Magnet Cove
Danville (has canceled remainder of season)
Two Rivers
But for this conference, it has already been a season of unpredicted events. Last week, Danville announced that it is forfeiting the remaining portion of their season due to injuries and not having enough players available to finish the season. Jessieville has recently had to deal with four of their players being involved in a car crash in Garland County recently. It will remain to be seen what effect these events may play as conference play heads toward the post-season. Most importantly, we all hope that players from both schools that have suffered injuries will heal quickly and completely.
The Paris defense will have to contain Glen Rose junior quarterback Rein Bland who started seven games last year as a sophomore. Perhaps his best game last year was in a win over Pine Bluff Dollarway in the state playoffs. Bland was 12 of 13 for 186 yards passing in that playoff win for the Beavers.
Glen Rose runs the spread offense and the 4-2 on defense. They are coached by Mark Kehner, and the school is located southwest of Little Rock and just east of Hot Springs. In recent years, the Beavers have been living in the shadow of Prescott, finishing runner-up to the Curley Wolves. This year, Glen Rose has moved into the 3A-4 with Paris, and gone are Booneville, Baptist Prep, Perryville, and Mayflower. It is a new conference that will require several long-distance travel trips during conference play throughout the season.
Paris is coming off perhaps their best effort of the season so far. The Eagles fell two weeks ago to an experienced Tigers team at West Fork by the score of 13-0. Paris did not play during their bye week last week, and the Eagles should be healed and rested when they return home on Friday. Offensively, Paris must find a way to win the line of scrimmage and to sustain a rushing attack to take the pressure off of junior quarterback Maddox Watts. Defensively, the same holds true; Paris must win the line of scrimmage and prevent the Beavers from getting more than three yards per rushing attempt and to get off the field in three downs.
The Eagles need their fans to turn out big and support their team in this opening conference game against a very good Glen Rose team. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on Friday.
See you there!
