By Jason Avery
News-Times Staff
Although the playoffs are still a month away, two schools with an eye on the postseason will collide in an intriguing non-conference clash tonight, as Strong heads to Des Arc.
Game time is set for 7 p.m.
After an 0-3 start, the Bulldogs (2-3) have put themselves in the thick of the 8-2A’s playoff race with wins over Parkers Chapel and Bearden.
The Eagles (4-1), whose lone blemish is a 24-22 loss at McCrory, reached the state finals in 2013 before bowing out in the state quarterfinals last year with losses to Junction City ending their postseason runs.
However, Des Arc is primed for another deep run thanks to a senior-laden group that takes pride in out-muscling opponents.
“We’ve got a lot of experience on both sides of the ball,” said first-year coach Drake Widener. “We’re extremely physical, and that’s what we preach all the time. That’s our mentality. Our big thing is we’re a blue-collar football team. Our offensive and defensive lines have dominated nearly every game this year, and we’ve got some really good backs. We’re satisfied with three yards and a cloud of dust.”
For Strong coach Craig O’Neal, the Eagles will help his team get ready for the remainder of the 8-2A schedule, which features two games with Woodlawn along with Rison and Junction City.
“When you play a team like Des Arc, it’s going to prepare you to play physical teams, and we’re going to see physical teams every week the rest of our season,” O’Neal said. “Des Arc is one of the top teams in 2A. I think they’ll be one of the last teams standing in 2A. You look at them on film, and they’re well-coached. They’re efficient with what they do.”
Widener added that this week will help his team and staff prepare for the postseason.
“I think it prepares us for what other people have to offer from our conference,” Widener said. “In our conference, you’ve got some pretty tough teams you play, but when you’re used to seeing those same teams, you kind of know what to expect from them, so when you play a team that you don’t see often, you have to start from scratch, and you have a week to figure out who they are, what their identity is and how they’re going to attack you. I think it helps you prepare like you would for a playoff game. I think the atmosphere will be like a playoff game. Our kids are pretty excited about it.”
Quarterback Noah Kennedy guides an offense that has plenty of balance and firepower.
Running back Colt Covington, who had 129 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Brinkley, has 4.5 speed and is the team’s big playmaker, according to Widener.
Fullback Trey Lee has been terrific in the last two weeks, rushing for 142 and 140 yards respectively against Carlisle and Augusta.
Running back Daylon Conway, who had 160 yards and a pair of scores at McCrory, is being looked at by Ouachita Baptist along with several other schools across the state, Widener said.
“Those two guys (Covington and Conway) can break one on any play,” O’Neal said. “The fullback is very good too and can bust one on you real quick. Their entire backfield is dangerous. The quarterback does an outstanding job. Their offense is a blocking machine. They run a very similar offense to what we do, and they’re very efficient and sound. They run it very tight, and they’re very quick-hitting with their stuff. You just can’t make a mistake on defense or they’ll break one.”
Defensively, the Eagles could be sending another standout to the college ranks with behemoth Jacob Adams enjoying a stellar season.
Listed at 6-foot-6, 225 pounds, Adams, who is being watched by several Division II schools in Arkansas per Widener, ranks second in the state with seven sacks.
“They’re very solid and well-coached on defense too,” O’Neal said. “They’ll crowd the box on us, and we’ll see a solid four-man front with some guys walking down to a six-man front. They’re going to make you do some things you’re not used to doing. It’s going to be a good test to see where we’re at offensively.”
Like the Eagles, the Bulldogs have been on a roll of late, and the running game has been a big reason for their success.
Over the last two weeks, Strong has rushed for 613 yards with 402 of them coming at Parkers Chapel.
For Widener, containing Strong’s speed has been a major focal point in their preparations.
“I’ll tell you one thing about Strong is they’re extremely athletic and do a pretty good job of executing their scheme,” Widener said. “The bottom line is we can’t let get them get outside of us or beat us vertically. Those are the two things we have to control. Their line is impressive as far as size goes.
“Their offense really worries us. They have a lot of speed, and they can take it to the house on any play. We’re excited to get to host them. I think it’s going to be a good game. We’re excited to play a playoff-type game in the middle of the season.I think it will be a good test as far as seeing where we both stand compared to other people in the state.”
If the Bulldogs are to knock off one of the top teams in the state on the road, O’Neal believes his team can’t hurt themselves with mistakes.
“If we’re going to beat a solid, disciplined team like Des Arc, you can’t give them anything,” O’Neal said. “I think we’ve yet to play a game this year where we didn’t have fumbles or a special teams mistake. I would say that one of the keys defensively is we’ve got to start the game off fast, because in the last few games, we seem to not start the game well. We get better as the game goes on, but we allow teams to dictate the physicality at the beginning of the game. We’ve got to be ready to go from the beginning.”