25 Sep 2013 Week 4: The real season begins
by Levi Gilbert
The high summer heat has faded, giving way to the slight creep of fall’s crisp air. The 501 is cooling down, but the high school football season is heating up. Week 4 is here. It’s time for conference play — the real season begins.
Mayflower (2-1) opens 2-3A play at Perryville (2-1), and the Eagles know exactly what they need to do heading into Friday.
“We’ve got to play disciplined football,” Coach Jed Davis said Wednesday on The Sports Beat on KUCA 91.3FM. “[Perryville] runs the triple option just like Barton does. If one person doesn’t do their job, they may go 80 yards for a touchdown, whether that’s the fullback or the quarterback or the slotback coming in motion. We’ve got to do that.
“Offensively, we’ve just got to give our quarterback [Adam Dycus] time to throw the football. When we give him time to throw the football, receivers are going to be open, running backs are going to hit the hole. Those are two big things for us.”
Coming out of the non-conference schedule, teams should have a really good idea of who they are and what they can accomplish in the next seven weeks. Conway, who opens 7A/6A Central play at home against Russellville, has learned a lot about itself since Week 1.
“One of the things that we didn’t know is what to expect from Breylin Smith, our sophomore quarterback,” Wampus Cat play-by-play announcer Jeff Matthews said on The Sports Beat. “We had heard a lot about him; of course, we knew about UCA’s offer to him before he ever took a varsity snap. The coaching staff, it’s been really interesting to watch how they’ve handled him. The first week he threw four passes, that was it. The second week he threw a ton of balls. Last week he threw a lot because they were trailing late [to Cabot]. He completed 8-of-20 on the night.
“I think what we’ve seen from Breylin, he’s going to be really good. I mean he may be one of the best that’s ever come through here. But he’s young, and it’s three games in and for everyone in town that’s saying we’ve got the second coming here of great quarterbacks, we might. But he’s still young, he’s still human and he’s still working. I am encouraged by what we’ve seen to this point with him. Everything we’ve heard about Breylin is true, which means we’re moving in the right direction.”
Week 4 is when the real football madness begins. Enjoy.
Week 4 Schedule:
Conway vs. Russellville
Conway Christian at Poyen
Greenbrier at Huntsville
Mayflower at Perryville
Vilonia at Harrison
Morrilton at Shiloh Christian
Clinton at Marianna
Bigelow at Quitman
Maumelle vs. Mena
CAC vs. Arkansas Baptist
Harding Academy vs. Episcopal
Beebe at Paragould
Rose Bud vs. Barton
Searcy at LR Central
Bald Knob vs. Riverview
Heber Springs vs. Lonoke
Cabot at North LR
England at Brinkley
Lake Hamilton vs. Sheridan
Cutter Morning Star at Mountain Pine
Hot Springs at Watson Chapel
Jessieville at Bismarck
Hot Springs Lakeside vs. Camden Fairview
Fountain Lake at Centerpoint
Malvern at Bauxite
Magnet Cove at Mount Ida
Bryant vs. Benton
Benton Harmony Grove at Glen Rose
(If you’re headed out to a playoff game this week, take a copy of 501 Football or 501 LIFE, snap a pic from the game and send it to us at [email protected].)
