NWADG Prep Rally Football Preview

7 PREP RALLY: COVER STORY | 8.21.2022 LELAND BARCLAY SPECIAL TO THE NWA DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE Last year's second-place finishes have been a driving force for Hunter Houston of Greenwood and Eli Wisdom of Shiloh Christian, two of the Top Gun quarter- backs in the state returning this season. The two seniors are primed to take their respective teams back to the top despite huge challenges awaiting both. Greenwood lost in the Class 6A championship game to El Dorado. Shiloh Christian fell to Joe T. Robinson in the 4A title game after winning the pro- gram's eighth state championship the previous year. To say they are motivated would be a massive understatement. "It's saved on my phone," Houston said. "I've watched it. A lot. Going back and watching it is fuel for the fire. We have to get back there and finish busi- ness." The 6-2, 202-pound Houston complet- ed 238-of-351 passes for 3,098 yards and 27 touchdowns last year but was knocked out of the championship game in the sec- ond quarter. The Bulldogs managed just a lone second-half touchdown without Houston and lost, 27-17. "I don't remember a ton," Houston said. "I remember a few plays and some of the pre-game stuff." Before that, though, Houston suffered an injury on his non-throwing shoulder a month earlier against Lake Hamilton in the third quarter of a 35-0 win. He played the entire basketball season, helping the Bulldogs qualify for the state tournament before it was diagnosed as a tear and requiring surgery. He missed the entire baseball season as well as spring football practices but was cleared to return to activities three days before Greenwood's first team camp in early June. "He missed all of March, April and May, but he hasn't missed a beat," Greenwood Coach Chris Young said. "He's going to have a great year, and he's going to make everybody else around him better, too. That's the thing he does, whether it's the kids or the coaches he makes us all look good." Houston took almost every single snap during the summer in team camps and 7-on-7 tournaments with last year's backup, Slade Dean, moving to Elkins and freshman Kane Archer resting his throwing arm due to inflammation. All of that summer work just im- proved Houston's arm strength and increased his confidence, Young said. "He doesn't have a weakness," Young said. "He's accurate. We do a lot of hitch-screen quick stuff and he gets the ball out and gets it to the right spot. He can throw the out and he can throw the deep ball. He's got the complete package, passing-wise." Greenwood remains in the 6A-West but welcomes 5A powers Pulaski Acade- my and Little Rock Christian after being elevated due to the new Classification and Competitive Equity Factor, which used a points system to evaluate private schools. That's a challenge the Bulldogs will focus on later in the season with confer- ence games against both of them in the final two exciting weeks of the regular season. "Right now, it's a lot of focus on our- selves," Houston said. "We know they've added a couple of really good teams, and we're going to have to be really good to beat them." Houston also played as a sophomore on the state championship team that went 14-0. He started one game and saw significant playing time in a playoff win over Marion. Slider to Maverick and Goose: "Remember boys, no points for second place." Hunter Houston | Greenwood File Photo See TOP GUNS, Page 8 479.273.1355 1145 NW "J" St. Bentonville, AR 72712 Doug Parker, DVM Tammy Jones, DVM Stephanie Ensley, DVM Sara Keys, DVM Sugar Creek Animal Hospital

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