The stakes could not be higher on Friday as undefeated Searcy hosts top-ranked Robinson in what will essentially be the 5A-Central Conference championship game at Lion Stadium.
The Lions (7-0, 4-0 conf.) are coming off a convincing 50-22 victory at Pine Bluff last week. The offense had another strong outing as sophomore quarterback Jacob Miles threw for over 350 yards and also rushed four times for 55 yards, combining for 6 total touchdowns. It was also a career-high night for receiver Will Manning, who had 10 catches for 261 yards and 4 touchdowns.
The Senators, also 7-0 and 4-0, have dominated every opponent to date, with their most competitive game so far coming last week in a 49-24 victory over Beebe. In their three previous league games, Robinson outscored their opponents a combined 172-7, including shutout wins over Watson Chapel and White Hall.
“It’s two undefeated teams,” Lions coach Zak Clark said. “The way our schedule is, we’re sitting here with the three best teams in conference on our schedule. No doubt this is a big game, it’s our last home game of the regular season. We play well at home, and I think the atmosphere will be good on senior night. I think if we win two, we’ve got to win two to host a playoff game, so for our seniors, we don’t want it to be the last game in Lion Stadium. It’s the top two teams in conference, and Robinson is number one in the state, and rightfully so.”
Manning made his presence felt early last week against the Zebras with a 66-yard touchdown reception from Miles on the first play from scrimmage. Manning, along with Jackson Smith and Bryson Thompson, are part of a receiving group which has helped Miles rack up some impressive stats so far this season.
“Last week, we had two different guys score,” Clark said. “If you look at our season stats, we have one guy leading in receptions, another guy leading in yardage and a different guy leading in touchdowns. I think the way we’ve spread the ball around with different weapons makes us difficult to defend. And Cooper Jones, his versatility makes us go, he’s kind of the unsung hero, but he’s extremely valuable to what we do.”
Defensively, the linebacker duo of William Gaines and Kayden Hickman have also posted strong numbers this season. While those two have consistently stole the headlines for the Lions D, Clark is also quick to point out the play of the interior. Junior linemen Carron Conner and Jayden Simmons have both been consistent contributors for Searcy, along with junior defensive end Jeremiah Goodman. Clark also talked about the overall strength of his coaching staff, led by offensive coordinator Logan English and defensive coordinator Tony McCoy.
“We’ve got a great staff,” Clark said. “They do a wonderful job preparing the kids. I’ll say this too, just the buy in is different this year in the kids, when we correct them, they know we’re just trying to get them better. The entire team, it’s the culture that makes it enjoyable to be a part of.”
Clark said the Senators offense will be the toughest test to date for the defense, particularly when it comes to containing senior running back Kevin “Deuce” Williams, who has already amassed 927 rushing yards through seven games.
“They will spread you out, but they want to run the football,” Clark said. “They have a kid at running back who is as good as anybody in the state. We will have to stop him, but they have a lot of weapons on the outside, and they can go over the top on you. Their quarterback is also playing real well right now.”
The Lions and Senators will face off Friday night at Lion Stadium with opening kickoff at 7 pm.