Shiloh is officially back into the 4A-1 District universe and according to media pundits and observers, the private school from Springdale will be poised to pick up where it left off as the dominant force in the league.
Of course, where they actually "left off" when they departed the district following the 2011 season was fifth place. The 'Hawks gored them for 600 offensive yards that year in a 4-point loss to the privateers in a game that hinged on turnovers. Had Pea Ridge prevailed in the narrow loss to Shiloh, the 'Hawks would have made the 2011 playoffs instead of their rival.
Gone is former coach Josh Floyd who left for a public school job in Alabama and in his place is former Shiloh assistant coach Jeff Conaway, who has coached the past six years as the head coach of Green County Tech in Paragould. In an area not know for their football prowess (basketball is another story), Conaway was 26-37 overall at the helm of Green County.
Though they complied a 50-50 record in the 5A West over the past two years (10-10-1), sportswriters are generally making Shiloh their choice to win the 4A-1 conference this season. This in spite of the fact that Shiloh's three 5A all-state players are gone, with quarterback Daniel Shimer, running back Chris Cox, and defensive back Matt Hansen college bound in 2014. Also gone is their outstanding kicker J.T. Hale.
They have 12 starters back and have at least one legitimate potential star in running back Chandler Smith. A conference champ in the 100-meter dash in a league known for speed, Smith will likely be a player who could be tough to stop if he gets into the open. While their quarterback for '14 is anyone's guess, there are four very good receivers (Adler Goode, Reed Lowe, Tyler Roth and Matt Solomon) who could be trouble for the opposition.
Shiloh averaged 38 points per game last year in a league decidedly tougher than the 4A-1, but they also surrendered 31 a game. Most of their better players are on the offensive side of the ball with their defense being possibly their weakest suit.
Hooten's Arkansas Football has them ranked at the top of the league in its just released 2014 football guide. Perhaps some of the rationale of ranking Shiloh so highly relates to the high turnover experienced by nearly every conference foe this year. The second-ranked team according to Hooten's is Prairie Grove and they have but 10 starters back. Gravette is ranked third with six starters back with fourth-ranked Lincoln having just seven starters returning, having lost their head coach (Brad Harris) and his quarterback star son Drew Harris.
Pea Ridge is ranked fifth with nine starters returning with returning conference member Huntsville placed sixth with 12 starters back. Berryville has 12 first teamers back for their seventh-ranked squad while Gentry ironically has the most returning starters (15) but ended up ranked last in the 4A-1.
In the pre-season state coaches' poll rankings, Shiloh is ranked 12th, Prairie Grove 14th, Gravette 22nd, Pea Ridge 30th, Huntsville 31, Berryville 35th, Lincoln 37th and Gentry 45th. It is curious that the coaches poll ranked Lincoln seventh in the league, behind Pea Ridge, Huntsville and Berryville.
Only one 4A-1 athlete was selected for the 2014 Pre-Season Super Team and that was Prairie Grove's Bobby Catt who is a defensive back.
Five offensive backs in the league were given star status, two of them Blackhawk athletes. Senior quarterback Seth Brumley was the only 4A-1 district signal caller mentioned with running back senior Shane Ivy being one of best four in the league. The other running backs mentioned were Cedric Duarte of Gravette, Chandler Smith of Shiloh and Jon Brown of Gentry.
Two receivers were mentioned in the persons of Adler Goode of Shiloh and Elliott Chamberlain of Prairie Grove, as well as two offensive lineman, Shane McCoy of Huntsville and Zach Ellis of Gentry. Four district linebackers were mentioned: Garrett Stone of Berryville, Christian Caine of Huntsville, Eli Lopez of Prairie Grove and Michael Olvera of Gravette. Two 4A-1 defensive backs got the nod, Shiloh's Reed Lowe and Gentry's Stone Falkenberry. No 4A-1 defensive linemen were mentioned.
Though I don't believe Shiloh will ever field a bad team, gone are the days of raiding area public high schools of talent. However, they still have outstanding facilities and the funds to get what they need. The days when the Shiloh "empire" routinely crushed their public schools foes by 50, 60 or 70 points are probably gone but I do think they will get back to having winning records again.
At least when the 'Hawks faceoff with their private school foe from Springdale, it will be in the season finale and it will be in the new Blackhawk Stadium. It will be the first time the teams have ever met that the 'Hawks actually have had the better stadium. With nine games leading up to that contest, each team will know what the other one is capable of. I expect that game has the chance to set ticket sales records.
Pea Ridge's last season was one to forget as they finished 1-9. Be that as it may, with a junior high conference champion bunch moving into varsity play with a record turnout predicted for the roster this year, perhaps the force will be with the 'Hawks.
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Editor's note: John McGee is an award-winning columnist and sports writer. He is the art teacher at Pea Ridge elementary schools, coaches elementary track and writes a regular sports column for The Times. He can be contacted through The Times at [email protected].
Editorial on 07/02/2014