CLASS 7A/5A : Har-Ber rattles Greenwood QBs
Posted on Saturday, September 6, 2008
GREENWOOD — Two inexperienced Greenwood quarterbacks were further set back by an opportunistic Springdale Har-Ber defense Friday night. The Wildcats forced four turnovers, including three interceptions, and powered past the Bulldogs 45-15 in the season opener for both teams. Interceptions by Har-Ber cornerback Zach Smith, safety Houston Pruitt and linebacker Jacob Bundrick highlighted the Wildcats’ (1-0 ) surge. Greenwood (0-1 ) is in an experimentation phase at quarterback with sophomore Tony Sandifer and junior Tyler Shook competing to replace graduated standout Tyler Wilson. Coach Rick Jones alternated Sandifer and Shook every series with mixed results.
Har-Ber’s defensive game plan deserved some credit for Sandifer and Shook struggling to get into a rhythm. Sandifer was 8 of 19 for 108 yards, and Shook was 8 for 17 for 94 yards. “That’s what we thought from the start,” said Smith, who along with Pruitt and Har-Ber’s other defensive backs constantly defended Greenwood’s receivers well. “If we could get pressure on the young quarterback and try to get some interceptions and force turnovers, it was really going to help us. “ Turnovers are big momentum swings, and that’s what we look for.” The Wildcats also got a workman-like 166 yards rushing by senior tailback Derek Brinker, who ran for three touchdowns. Senior quarterback Zach Faust, Har-Ber’s unquestioned starter after splitting the position last season, made big plays when needed with 204 yards and a touchdown. Leading 17-9 at halftime, the Wildcats wore down Greenwood in the fourth quarter with three consecutive touchdowns after the Bulldogs got to 24-15 with 3: 50 remaining in the third quarter. But Har-Ber Coach Chris Wood likely was most pleased with his team’s defensive efforts.
“I think anytime you’re breaking in a junior or a sophomore at quarterback, you want to get pressure on them,” Wood said of the work done against Sandifer and Shook. “We were able to pin them down a little bit, especially after the first quarter.”
The Bulldogs endured a frustrating first half, including a missed scoring chance on their first series that Har-Ber snuffed out with a goal-line stand. Twice, Greenwood running back Evan Davis was denied the end zone from the Har-Ber 1 with Daniel Andreadis and Cody Davis combining to drop Evan Davis for a 2-yard loss on fourth down.
An interception of a Sandifer pass by Smith at the Greenwood 40-yard line led to an Oscar Escobar 33-yard field goal with just over 2 minutes left in the second quarter.
The Bulldogs also rushed for only 67 yards.
“It was definitely a tough night,” Jones said. “We had difficulties running the ball and difficulty passing the ball. That makes offense not as much fun as it can be sometimes.
“ The truth is, we weren’t quite sure coming in what we were going to be able to do. We’ve had guys that have never played on Friday night, and we need to find out what they can do.”
FEEDBACK:
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
