Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/864144
The 2017 high school football season takes shape as year of the unprecedented. FARMINGTON Farmington head coach Mike Adams began his football coaching career 43 years ago as a volunteer assistant at Fayetteville in 1975. "I had an opportunity to work with (former Fayetteville coach) Joe Fred Young. Harvey Smith was defensive coordinator," Adams said. After four years in that role he was hired as an assistant at Charleston in 1979. Another four years went by and Adams became head coach at Charleston. He compiled a 63-33-1 record there from 1979 through 1991. Trag- edy struck when Adams' first wife, Diane, the mother of the couple's two young chil- dren, died in automobile accident while taking daughter Meredith to get fitted for a dress just before a Homecoming game. His son, Spencer, had just learned to walk. In an instant, Adams found himself a single parent. He didn't coach that game, but soon made a comeback as the Charleston community rallied around him and his shattered family. Staying focused on football helped Adams get through each day as he endured. He also coached girls basketball and track and field many of those athletes helped babysit Mere- dith and Spencer. Adams eventually remar- ried, blending his family with wife Robin, who had been widowed as a young mother of John David, who has been raised with the Adams' surname. The couple decided a change of scenery would benefit the family, so Adams took a job as a Fayetteville assistant coach in 1992. Twice the Purple Dawgs reached the state semifinals during his tenure and they upset No. 1 ranked Texarkana on the road in his first year as head coach. Adams went 42-35 at Fayetteville. He became Farmington's head coach in December of 2002. The Cardinals made 10 consecutive trips to the state playoffs from 2004-2013. Adams (88-64-1) is closing in on 100 wins at Farmington, but he's even closer to getting 200 career wins. With 30 years as a head coach on his resume, Adams (193-132- 2) is third among active coaches. He trails only Mike Malham Jr., (292-126-4), of Cabot and Van Paschal (195-104-0), of Barton. Will 2017 be the year Adams reaches 200 career wins? All things are possible to those who believe, and Cardinal players and fans believe. Farmington has never made the state 5A playoffs since being bumped up in 2014, but this is the year of the unprecedented. LINCOLN A new era dawns as Lincoln replaces the grass playing surface at Wolfpack Stadium and installs artificial turf and completes construction of a new fieldhouse. The arti- ficial turf opens up unprecedented oppor- tunities for sponsorships because ads can be installed into the sideline surfaces of the turf. The 2017 Lincoln senior high, junior high and seventh grade squads will have a logistical advantage their predecessors did not enjoy — through elimination of dressing out across town in the old fieldhouse then being bussed to home games. A new field- house settles that issue. Lincoln also has a new junior high head football coach in Reed Mendoza. Mendoza will teach eighth grade Social Studies and takes over as offensive line coach. Another new addition to the coaching stafff is Erwin Starts, who will teach Civics/Economics at the high school and coach defensive backs Zing Broadband • Online Security • Entertainment Call us @ 846-7200 BUILT ON COMMUNITY FOCUSED ON PROGRESS Watch Hwy 62 Football on www.pgtelco.com PGTelco donates $30 per touchdown! Go ahead players rack up those points! Wednesday, aug. 23, 2017 enterprise-Leader | 3 2017: Year Of The Unprecedented and wide receivers. Can the junior Wolves win a conference championship? They went 9-1 as seventh graders. PRAIRIE GROVE Can the Tigers win an unprecedented third straight 4A-1 Conference champi- onship? More than one coach thinks so because Hootens' poll of 4A-1 coaches picks Prairie Grove to win the league. Senior quarterback John David Elder has never started a varsity game as a signal-caller, but this is the year of the unprecedented. Every year athletes, who have quietly fulfilled supporting roles as underclassmen, seem to have a breakout year and dominate as impact players for Prairie Grove. Who will step up this season? J.D. Elder, Dustin Burton, Will Hawkins and several others are postured to produce alongside return- ing standouts Anthony Johnson, DeMarkus Cooper and Stone Bryant. Will the Tigers reach the state semifinals a third consecu- tive year or advance to the state champi- onship contest for the second time in three seasons? All of these questions will be answered in due time. Now is the time to enjoy football and dare to believe in wonderful outcomes. This is the year of the unprecedented. MARK HUMPHREY IS A SPORTS WRITER FOR THE ENTERPRISE-LEADER. By Mark Humphrey ENTERPRISE-LEADER