Bulldogs playing well after early loss
Defending 6A state champion Greenwood dropped its season opener 31-16 to Class 7A Fort Smith Northside, but the Bulldogs haven’t lost since then.
Greenwood (4-1, 2-0 6A-West) comes into Friday’s homecoming game on a four-game winning streak and has outscored its opponents 186-73 in that span.
Greenwood won at Fort Smith Southside 52-27 in Week 2, followed by a 49-13 home win against Sand Springs (Okla.) Page
on Sept. 14.
The Bulldogs opened up 6A-West Conference play with a 41-6 win at home against Little Rock Hall and then won at El Dorado 4427 last week.
“We’re a work in progress,” said Greenwood coach Rick Jones, who’s led the Bulldogs to seven state titles in 14 seasons. “Obviously we’ve improved since Week 1. I thought we played pretty well until the last six minutes of the game last Friday (at El Dorado). We had a long bus trip and we go play really well off the bat. We didn’t play well the last six minutes.”
Since losing at Siloam Springs in 2010, Greenwood has won five straight against the Panthers.
“They’re an outstanding program,” said Siloam Springs coach Brandon Craig. “Their kids are coached very well. You can tell that they have a team
mentality and they’re going to do whatever it takes for the team to be successful. One goes out and another one comes in that looks just like him.”
Senior quarterback Peyton Holt has played well for the Bulldogs after spending all of last season at wide receiver. Holt has completed 83 of 119 passes (70 percent) for 1,092 yards and six touchdowns. He’s also rushed 60 times for 335 yards.
Greenwood senior receiver Luke Leonard leads the team with 33 receptions for 403 yards, while junior Treyton Dawson has 24 catches for 344 yards.
Siloam Springs (3-2, 1-1) meanwhile is led by senior running back Kaiden Thrailkill, who has 136 carries for 752 yards and eight touchdowns.
Jones has been impressed with what he’s seen of Thrailkill on film.
“He’s a physical, tough runner,” Jones said of Thrailkill. “The guy doesn’t fall backwards very often. I know that. We try and tell our backs to fall forward every time. He does it nearly every time.”
Quarterback Landon Ellis has completed 46 of 103 passes (45 percent) for 555 yards with four touchdowns and six interceptions. His top target has been Gage Weaver, who’s caught 14 passes for 188 yards and one score. Weaver had his best game of the season last Friday at Benton with eight catches for 102 yards.