After a delay for Lightning in the area, the Bulldogs got to work on their hopeful return to Little Rock. Going back to 2004, this looks to be the first time the Bulldogs have reached the 70-point mark. The final score resembles that of the fellow multi-State Championship winning Greenwood Lady Bulldog basketball team.
It did not take long for Greenwood to find the endzone on a Junior Wesley Raggio run. A mix of passes and runs from Junior Kane Archer set up the score with 10:08 left in the first. Senior Hudson Meeker’s kick was good for the point after, 7-0. After a hit and pass break up by Senior Kaylor Jasna, the Bentonville West Wolverines were forced to punt the ball back to the Bulldogs. Greenwood would have create some highlights on this drive, Junior Champ Davis would have the ball stripped and tossed into the air, while Hudson Meeker catches it and gains yards after the reception. A first down reception by Senior Isaiah Arrington set up a toes on the edge of the sideline touchdown catch by Junior Cooper Bland. Meeker’s point after pushed Greenwood to 14-0 with 4:34 left in the first quarter. Bentonville West would answer back with a 69-yard touchdown reception with 3:13 in the first 14-7. On the ensuing kickoff, Champ Davis would go 84 yards for the touchdown on the return. The kick was good making the score 21-7 with 2:59 left in the first quarter. Senior Cash Archer would strip the ball and then recover the fumble turning the ball back over to the Bulldogs. Greenwood would run the time out on the clock with runs from Raggio and Sophomore Mario Dunbar.
Opening the second quarter, Isaiah Arrington would put six points on the board with a 23-yard reception from Kane Archer. The point after would be no good making the score 27-7 with 11:51 in the half. The wolverines would answer back with 55-yard touchdown reception, the point after was good to make the score 27-14 with 9:34 left in the half. After receptions from Junior Cooper Goodwin and Champ Davis, Wesley Raggio would rumble from 18-yards out for the touchdown. The point-after was no good making it 33-14 with 7:28 left in the half. An injury on the opening stopped the play while the player was tended to. Cash Archer added to his career sack total on the Wolverine QB. Bentonville West attempted a Field Goal that would drift left. A fumble on the following play would give the ball back to Bentonville West. Senior Eddy Castelo would get his first solo tackle as a Bulldog. Bentonville West would get into the end zone from 14 yards out, the point after was good with 2:02 in the half making it 33-21. A 44-yard reception by Arrington set up Mario Dunbar’s touchdown. The Bulldogs would go for two points and get it, on a Kane Archer to Cooper Bland reception. 1:31 left in the half 41-21. Defense would hold the Wolverines on 4th down, giving the ball back to the Bulldogs. Greenwood ran the time run out on the half leaving the score 41-21.
Bentonville West’s QB would make long run to get them deep into Greenwood territory. The Wolverines would get it in from 2 yards out, point after was good making the score 41-28 with 9:44 left in the third. Several great catches and runs by Arrington got Greenwood deep into Wolverine territory. Archer finds Senior Grant Karnes for his first touchdown on the season, the two-point was good on a Kane Archer run. 8:30 left in the third, 49-28. The Greenwood would stop Bentonville West two-yards short with a Senior Zach Zitzmann stop. Kane Archer would pass to Kane Archer on a batted pass on the series. Wesley Raggio would get his third rushing touchdown from 25 yards out. Hudson Meeker’s point-after was good with 6:37 left in the third quarter, 56-28. Greenwood would take over at the Bentonville West 44 yard line after a fourth down stop by the Bulldog defense. A fumble on the Bulldogs next possession turned the ball back over to the Wolverines, but the defense would stand tall on a fourth down with a Senior Paul Brixey and Cash Archer sack. Also highlighting the series, Senior Radley O’neal with a pass break-up. After two catches from Senior Grant Karnes, Kane Archer calls his own number and takes it in for the touchdown. Hudson Meeker was on the point after putting the score at 63-28 with 3:12 left in the third. Bentonville West would get it into the endzone with five seconds left in the third making the score 63-35. Greenwood would run out the clock in the third.
A fumble on the play turned the ball back to Bentonville West, the Wolverines would not be able to make magic on the drive and stalled out. Greenwood would take to the ground with runs from Mario Dunbar, Junior Cameron Deacon, and Maddox McCallip. McCallip would run in the touchdown, Landon Franklin’s kick would put the score 70-35 with 4:43 left in the game. Bentonville West ran out the rest of the clock on the game.
“We’re really good at doing the little things right and we didn’t do that tonight and that’s coaching, so we’re going to go back. So we’re going to go back and work our tail off as coaches this weekend.” Head Coach Chris Young said following the 70-35 win. “We’ll get better and you know if we want to be where we want to be at the end of the year we gotta play better than that.”
Asked about bright spots on the night and win, “I mean, at times Kane was awesome, was really really good. I thought our receivers at times, minus ball protection, made some good plays. Up front I thought we got better as the game went.” Coach Chris Young said. “Defensively, when we made some mistakes on offense and turned the ball over twice. The defense came out and got big stops. Really proud of them for that.”
The Bulldogs are at home next week against Fort Smith Northside. Northside fell to Fort Smith Southside in the Battle of Rogers Ave. 6A West Fort Smith Southside came back from a 21-0 deficit to beat the cross town rival 34-27. Greenwood faces Southside at Jim Rowland Stadium in Week 9.
