By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
The second week of the 5A Central Conference schedule pits two familiar foes as Sylvan Hills travels into the heart of the Little Rock Metro area to face the Mills University Studies Comets on Friday.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Mills has possibly the most question marks around it of any Central team, with a 4-0 record that is impressive on the surface, but those wins came against opponents who have a combined record of 2-14 through the first month of the season. Quality of opponents up to this date may be a liability for the Comets, who have so far beaten Little Rock Parkview, Little Rock Hall, Blytheville and Little Rock McClellan.
“It’s just hard to judge, who people have played and haven’t played,” Sylvan Hills coach Jim Withrow said. “I really think after this week, we can get a better gauge on who is and who isn’t. They look a lot like Newport. They’re physical up front, they obviously run the option very well. Same thing they’ve always got, they’ve got a really good quarterback, and a dang good fullback, big dude, and they play a lot better than what they have in the past.”
Withrow said the Comets also resemble Newport on the defensive side with a 40-front set that allows them to use team speed to their advantage.
Offensively, quarterback Omar Avance leads the Comets, who have traditionally run the option game as well as anyone in the state. Big fullback Jordan Beasley not only has size, but also big-play capabilities, while receiver Braylin Goodwin is Avance’s preferred target in the passing game.
The Bears (3-1, 1-0) have won the last two meetings between the two teams in the long-standing county rivalry.
“It’s within the district, so it’s a county deal,” Withrow said. “So everybody will be jacked up and ready to go. The kids all know each other, they played pee-wee football against each other. They’ve played middle school football against each other, so they know each other. So yeah, there’s a natural built-in rivalry there.”
Sylvan Hills got momentum back on its side last week with a convincing 35-7 victory over Little Rock Christian Academy. Junior quarterback Trajan Doss led the way offensively with 211 rushing yards, while tailback Tyler Davis also rushed for over 100 yards.
Davis also subbed for injured defensive end Matt Thompson, who suffered a torn meniscus. Eric Taylor also saw time at defensive end in place of Thompson, who was still awaiting test results as of Monday afternoon.
“It was a pretty good night,” Withrow said. “We thought whoever made the most mistakes would be the ones in trouble, and they turned the ball over a couple of times. Kylan Wade did a good job of getting on some balls, and the secondary got an interception from Brandon Bracely.”
Withrow also noted strong special teams play, including junior kicker Philip Wood’s perfect 5-for-5 night with extra-point tries.
“It kind of reminded me of the Vilonia deal, except we finished off a couple of drives,” Withrow said. “I think it is probably the most complete game we’ve had. Execution wise, there’s still some room for improvement. Defensively, there are always things you can do to get better.”
A victory against Mills could go a long way for the Bears, who have struggling Jacksonville, Helena-West Helena and McClellan the next three weeks. They face heavy Central Conference favorites Pulaski Academy in week nine before ending the regular season against North Pulaski.
Some are projecting the winner in the Mills game this Friday as the potential No. 2 seed when the playoffs roll around. But Withrow isn’t buying that outlook.
“There’s still so much football left to be played,” Withrow said. “I think Jacksonville has got as many athletes as anybody. Helena still has some athletes. I think we’ve got way too much football to be played. I think everybody’s front-line players are good. If anybody loses someone, then you’ve got some serious issues. To call that I think is way too early. I think once we get to week five or six of this thing, you can start thinking about seeds. Right now, we just need to keep doing what we’ve been doing. We need to win. If we win four, then we’ll think about a seed.”
