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Miners season ends in AAA semifinals
The Miners exceeded the expectations of anyone who is familiar with Arkansas high school football this year with a bunch that wasn't given much of a chance to repeat in the playoffs after losing a Division I-recruited quarterback the season before. Those who believed can be proud - those who didn't can be amazed. The Miners faithful won't soon forget the likes of Tommy Wimberly, Ryan Dunlap, Jonathan Crone, Aaron Mathis, Peter Whitfield, Jorre McMahan, Corey Mills, Cody Sievers, Max Boshears, Jacob Dunlap, Travis Hunter, Michael Giggar and Steven Mercer. Those seniors combined with talented underclassmen like Blake Childress, Steven Brooks, Austin Hicks and Blake Wood to win 11 games this year. "They overachieved," said Bauxite Miners head coach Jon Watson. "They played with heart."
Pinehaven Elementary students gathered in the school courtyard with homemade signs and pompoms, cheering their heroes as the buses cruised the circle parking lot. The cheering from the younger Bauxite students was thrilling for the team. Later, a quiet lunch in a Clarksville city park made for a relaxing ride to the northwest part of the state. A few hours later, the Miners were introduced to Houston Nutt, who by chance, was talking with his brother Danny Nutt and a friend outside of the Frank Broyles Complex. Nutt wished them well and the Miners did the same for him. A tour of the many championship bowl trophies won by Arkansas was enough to brighten the eyes of even the oldest of football fans. They walked through the hallowed halls that pictured great football Razorbacks, beginning with William "Bud" Brooks.
Twenty-five miles northwest, the Miners unloaded the bus at the First Baptist Church of Springdale, the home of the Shiloh Christian Saints. The nonintimidating atmosphere of a $350,000 Astroturf field didn't faze the Bauxite players, who were mostly interested in looking at the video-scoreboard that read "Jesus Saves," where advertisements would normally be. Many of the Shiloh fans and coaches emphasized how "blessed" they were to be in the semifinals. As Christian rock music blared in their ears, the Miners players expressed the opinion that the facility was a "nice" place to play football, but that it wasn't The Pit.
With the stands packed on both sides, and fans standing on the field for the traditional team run-through, the pregame coin toss was made at the 30-yard line. Shiloh Christian won the pick and deferred to take the ball until the second half. Following a short kickoff from the Saints in an attempt to catch the Miners off guard, Dunlap scampered for 13 yards with ease. On the next play, a mishandled handoff was fumbled away by Bauxite. Unlike the fabled spread formation that the Saints had been known for since the days of Gus Malzahn, Shiloh Christian quarterback Blake Roberts patiently waited for his offensive line to open up a hole in the Miners defense and he ran. Roberts ran five times in a six-play drive that resulted in his 5- yard touchdown
Shiloh didn't stop, either. A long kickoff return set up the Saints at the Bauxite 36 and Roberts passed to Zann Jones for a 19-yard touchdown four plays later. Bauxite answered again. Mathis kept for seven yards, then Wimberly broke free for 18. Wimberly added 12 and then had a 10-yard run to give Mathis a chance at a 2-yard touchdown run that he converted. Whitfield's kick tied the game again 14-14 with 2:52 left in the first quarter. Shiloh started its third possession with a 22-yard run from Chris Bryant. Roberts passed to Matt Gerlt for 12 yards, then Gerlt ran for 19. After a 10-yard run from Roberts, the drive fell short and Trevor Tumlinson booted a 36-yard field goal to make it 17-14.
Roberts orchestrated a nineplay drive that resulted in a 4- yard scoring pass to Jones for a 24-21 lead, and then the momentum changed and a cold intermediate rain began to fall. On the Saints kickoff to the Miners, Zach Dangeau took the ball away from Childress. Three plays later, Roberts scored from two yards out to make it 31-21. The Miners were stunned and the rain came down harder for the next three minutes of the first half. Bauxite had four more plays before halftime and didn't gain a single yard against the Saints defense. An incomplete pass on fourth down gave Shiloh the ball back and it marched to the Miners 12 before the half ended.
Bauxite came right back to answer. Mathis passed to Whitfield for 26 yards, then Mathis hit Hicks for a 26-yard score. In three plays, the Miners had scored to close the gap to 38- 27. However, the Saints were not stopped and scored in four plays to boost their lead to 44-27. Then the second fumble came for Bauxite. Three plays later Shiloh scored again. A third Miners fumble with the ball on the Saints 20 resulted in a 5-play touchdown drive for another Shiloh score. By the end of the third period, the Saints led 58-27. Bauxite came back with its traditional veer attack that resulted in a 1-yard touchdown by Wimberly with 8:06 to go in the game. Shiloh answered in three plays following the kickoff. Another Bauxite fumble stopped a drive as snow flurries spattered the Miners helmets.
Bauxite rushed for 293 yards, including Dunlap's 112 yards and Wimberly's 105 yards, but the turnovers stopped the Miners in their tracks. "Their offense killed us," Watson. "Their offensive guys killed our defensive guys all night. You can quote that. They're offensive line was good. They controlled their offense. We didn't see this coming - their running the ball like they did. We play a lot of young kids and we ran into a buzz saw." Take away five fumbles from Bauxite and the score could have been Miners 69, Saints 66. There wasn't much defense from either team. "Turnovers didn't kill us, let's get real clear - their offensive players killed our defensive players - that's the deal," Watson said. The coach reminded his team in the post-game huddle that "football is a game that prepares you for life. We made a good run - better than a lot of people thought - you overachieved and made us all proud of you."
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