Guest Column : Sitting in the stands in December ‘motivation’ for Tigers
Posted on Sunday, December 11, 2005
It took some playoff football for coach Barry Lunney to start thinking about the 2006 football season.
Lunney, who just finished his first season at Bentonville High School, took in a pair of quarterfinal games in the Texas 5A Division II playoffs last weekend.
Lunney and his wife watched Lufkin (14-0), coached by Lunney’s old friend John Outlaw, beat Copperas Cove, 38-28, in Waco. They then went up to Dallas to watch Southlake Carroll (14-0) beat Plano, 37-26. Southlake Carroll and Lufkin played each other in the semifinals this weekend.
For years Lunney had a standing invitation from Outlaw, who led Arkadelphia to state titles in 1979 and 1987, to come and watch Lufkin in the playoffs. Lunney, whose Southside teams were almost yearly in a playoff run, could never make it south until this year. "It was difficult to sit there and watch while others were playing,"Lunney said earlier this week. "That’s a natural response — at least it is with me. The atmosphere down there was incredible. I wanted to get back and get started."
He hopes it’s that way with the Tigers, too, in the coming years. When the playoffs roll around and Bentonville isn’t involved there should be some hurt feelings inside the program. There should be a hunger to atone and to do better. "Motivation,"Lunney calls it. "We were close — a play or two here or there — to making the playoffs,"Lunney said. That’s why Lunney and his staff are aching to get started for 2006. With Ryan Isabell, Kyle Young and Keon Rucker back the Tigers should have a more explosive offense than in 2005. The defense, which took its lumps this season, should also be better. With the talent and program Lunney is assembling, he shouldn’t have to worry about watching out-ofstate schools in the playoffs. He’ll be too busy coaching Bentonville in the postseason.
• • • Looking back, Bentonville may have played one of its tougher schedules in recent memory. Springdale won the AAAAA title, Greenwood won the AAAA title (with its only loss coming to BHS) and Fort Smith Northside, Russellville, Fayetteville and Arlington, Texas, were playoff teams. And what about Tulsa Union? BHS played Union in the preseason Coca-Cola Classic way back in August and lost 14-7 in a half game. The Redskins won the Oklahoma 6A title over Mustang last weekend.
• • • Speaking of schedules, Bentonville will open the season at Conway and host Russellville in Week 3 before starting conference play. There is still an open date for Week 2. Lunney has talked with Jefferson City, Mo., officials and Kansas City Rockhurst is an outside possibility. Lunney wants the Week 2 date to be a home game. The open date likely won’t be finalized until early next year.
• • • Lunney was happy to see Greenwood win the AAAA title. He and Greenwood coach Rick Jones have been friends for many years. The two coached against each other when Lunney was at Southside and Jones was at Broken Arrow, Okla. Out of the shadow of Jenks and Union in the Sooner State, Jones is thriving in Arkansas. "He’s a great coach,"Lunney said of Jones. "I knew that when we played them (when Lunney was at Southside). I used to think they were a lot like the teams in our league, but maybe more physical."
• • • It’s never too early to start looking at the 7A-West (sounds weird doesn’t it?) for 2006. Lunney thinks Northside will be the favorite. "With Kodi (Burns) and that young offensive line they should be right there,"Lunney said. "Har-Ber will make some noise and Fayetteville will be pretty good with the quarterback (Dallas McCutcheon) coming back."Lunney also expects the Tigers to be in the playoff mix as well.
• • • There’s no question the BHS defense was much maligned in 2005. After the season, defensive coordinator Robbie Jones broke down every Tiger defensive play from the season. What he found was shocking. The Tigers gave up a little more than 900 yards by lining up wrong or not running a stunt when it was called. Another 1,100 yards was allowed on missed tackles. "In a lot of cases it was not as much them (opponents) as it was us,"Lunney said. "I’ve never seen a year like that. It about killed (coach Jones). It’s been real tough on him. We have to get the defense right — and we will."BHS will play a lot of three-man fronts next year. In many cases, the Tigers will be in a 3-5-3.
• • • So who does Lunney like in the Bowl Championship Series title game between USC and Texas? "One week I see one of them and I say that one and they next week I see the other one and say that one,"Lunney said. "I am more inclined to say USC because they have a few more offensive weapons. USC’s schedule is probably a little tougher. I’d like to see Texas win, but I don’t know if they can."
• • • MIke Jones is the managing editor of The Benton County Daily Record and former sports editor. He can be reached at mikej@nwanews. com. The opinions expressed are those of the author.
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