By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
It’s another tough test for Beebe this week when the Badgers travel to Phillip Weaver Stadium in Vilonia Friday for a Class 5A non-conference game.
The Eagles are 2-0 with victories over Sylvan Hills and Wynne. Beebe has been competitive in its first two games, but the Badgers could not finish drives in a 39-13 loss to Greenbrier in Week 1.
The Badgers started strong last week against Lonoke and built a 14-0 lead, but the Jackrabbits defense limited Beebe’s Dead-T offense to less than 60 second-half yards and Lonoke claimed a 26-21 victory.
The Eagles return six offensive starters and six defensive starters from last year’s team that went 6-5.
“We knew going in this year, especially with Greenbrier and Vilonia, that it would be tough,” Beebe coach John Shannon said.
“They both had a lot of people coming back, and were good last year. We’re going to have our hands full.
“Hopefully we will get better and improve. We saw a lot of improvement from the Greenbrier game to the Lonoke game, but we still need a lot of improving this week to go out and compete this Friday.”
Beebe’s running game had its moments last week, but injuries not only sidelined two of its best backs in Colby Taylor and Jay Holdway, it also halted the Badgers’ momentum.
Trailing with less than five minutes to play, the Badgers had to go to the air. As a result, the blitzing Lonoke defense sacked quarterback Scot Gowen two straight times.
Beebe’s defense struggled to contain Lonoke’s speedy receiver/quarterback Darius Scott, who runs the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds and used his speed to sustain drives going on third and long.
The Badgers’ defense will contend with another explosive back this week in Vilonia junior wingback James Sax, 6-1, 210 pounds, who is one of the slot runners in coach Jim Stanley’s Double-Wing offense.
Sax is coming off a 1,000-yard rushing season as a sophomore and is no stranger to the Badgers after burning them on a long kickoff return for a touchdown last year.
The task for Beebe is to find a way to simulate Sax’s 4.5 speed on the practice field.
“It’s tough,” Shannon said. “We have to work hard all week and make sure we’re taking good angles while accounting for his speed. We have to find a way to limit him; we know we’re not going to completely stop him, all we can do is try to limit him from having a big game.”
Beebe prides itself on being bigger and more physical than most opponents, but Stanley carries a similar philosophy at Vilonia.
The Eagles have plenty of size up front in 270-pound senior center Derrick Dunn and 250-pound junior guard Chris Calhoun.
“They have a program like us where they live in the weight room and do the right things as far as fundamentals,” Shannon said.
“This is usually one of the most physical games we have all year. Their kids work hard, and it’s going to take a big ballgame on our part to hang with them.”
