Gridiron Purple Dogs have tough road ahead in fall slate
Posted on Monday, July 21, 2008
Fayetteville's 2008 season bodes to be a tale of two very different halves. While most high school gridiron squads have an even blend of games at home and on the road, Fayetteville's season is anything but even.
After the Bulldogs' Sept. 5 season opener against Little Rock Central, the lights at Harmon Field won't be warmed up again until Oct. 10. Fayetteville's lop-sided schedule features four of the first five games on the road and four of the final five contests at home.
"We've definitely got a tough schedule," Fayetteville coach Daryl Patton said. "That comes with the territory when you win. We've made the playoffs the last five years and then coming off a state championship it becomes more difficult to schedule games. I called 50 or 60 schools and they just didn't want to play us. I take that as a compliment to our kids and our program."
After facing tradition-rich Central, Faytteville ventures out on a fourgame road stretch highlighted by a 280-mile trek to Missouri powerhouse Jefferson City in Week 2.
"I wanted the kids to experience a long road trip and see how they handle it," Patton said. "We've played at Batesville and Pine Bluff the last few years and play our state championship three hours away. I think road trips are important to see how the kids handle all the distractions. It's more than just a football game. We're evaluating our kids in a lot of different areas."
Even the home game will be an arduous challenge. Central was picked to finish second in its conference by its 7 A-Central cohorts in the Hooten's Arkansas Football Coaches Poll.
"Central's got more tradition than any program in the state," Patton said. "They're always going to be a tough team. And just like Central is probably Arkansas' all-time best, Jeff City is probably Missouri's all-time best football school in terms of total championships so we've got it tough those first two weeks. But that's going to be good for us. It has no bearing on the playoffs and it will help prepare us to be a tough football team down the stretch."
The Purple Dogs travel to Russellville, a Class 7 A semifinalist last season, in Week 3. The Purple Dogs open 7 A-West play on the road at Bentonville in Week 4. Springdale High concludes the road trip before Fort Smith Northside and Fort Smith Southside visit Harmon Field in Weeks 6 and 7. A trip to Rogers High in Week 8 is the Purple Dogs' lone road game in the final five contests.
A confident Patton, though, said his Purple Dogs have plenty of experience winning on the road. Fayetteville played its final five games of the season on the road last year. The Purple Dogs won four of the five and achieved the school's first state championship.
"We played our best football during that stretch so being on the road that many times to start the season isn't going to scare us," Patton said. "We would much rather be at home but we're not frightened by it."
Fayetteville also puts its pride on the line in a scrimmage at home against Class 4 A Shiloh Christian Aug. 25.
"They're similar to what we'll see in the conference as a Spread team," Patton said. "They probably will have the size advantage on us with big linemen but we'll probably have the speed advantage in the skill positions. It's going to be a fun scrimmage and for a half, it will be pretty intense."
Patton said the Purple Dogs were originally scheduled to host Class 6 A state champion Texarkana but a superintendent change at the school forced the Razorbacks to decline.
Fayetteville has been on the road for the preseason scrimmage in four of Patton's five years. Patton said Shiloh was the only team he contacted that was willing to travel to Fayetteville for its preseason scrum.
"We didn't really want to scrimmage Shiloh because we know how good they are," Patton said. "But we wanted something at home this time for the fans. Texarkana backed out on us at a very late date so we had to scramble to schedule something, especially to get something at home.
"I know Shiloh didn't really want to go to Tulsa for a preseason jamboree so they agreed to come here. It's going to be tough but that's how the whole season is going to be. Everyone is going give us their best shot."
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