Ramay, Woodland wrap up with rivalry game
Posted on Thursday, November 6, 2008
ANDY SHUPE Northwest Arkansas Times Woodland Junior High’s Michael Mahler (40 ) reaches to fend off a Bentonville Black defender during play Oct. 30 at Harmon Field.
Even though it’s not for a Northwest Arkansas Conference championship, Woodland and Ramay’s annual season finale tonight still holds a lot of weight for both teams.
With both teams owning 5-2 conference records, the winner of tonight’s game can possibly finish as high as runner-up to conference champion Bentonville Gold, depending on what happens in the game between Central and Southwest in Springdale.
“ We’ve prepared like we have each week, ” Woodland coach Bobby Crockett said. “ Our kids have had their nose to the grindstone, and with it being a cross-town rival in Ramay, that adds something to it. ”
Crockett said his players want to win just as badly, despite not having a shot at a conference title.
“ The goal of winning a conference championship is gone, but the possibility of finishing second is still there, and our kids are going to play hard, ” Crockett said.
Ramay (5-4, 5-2 ) is the same way, and is looking to avenge Woodland for the 7-0 loss it suffered to the Cowboys on Sept. 4.
The Indians haven’t lost since dropping a 28-26 decision at Siloam Springs in a non-conference tilt. Since then, Ramay has won four in a row, giving up no more than seven points in any of those four games against Rogers High, Central, Black and George.
“ When you play Woodland, you don’t have to say much to your kids, ” Ramay coach Craig Foringer said. “ They get themselves ready. We’ve had three great practices. We’ll have to play defense like we have been the last four or five weeks. ”
Woodland (7-2, 5-2 ) has also relied on its defense to win games, and Crockett lauded the play of Tyler Tipton, a lineman who has worked tirelessly this season on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball.
“ Tyler has done an awesome job, ” Crockett said. “ He’s a mainstay on offense and defense, he comes to work every day, he’s hardnosed, and he’s played through injuries. ”
Ramay has a player similar to the role Tipton plays for Woodland, and he comes in the form of Dieondre Jones.
“ He’s a leader by an example, ” Foringer said of Jones. “ He’s on our special teams, he plays some fullback and made some key blocks. Defensively he’s done a tremendous job. He’s just real consistent making tackles. You talk about a player stepping up in all three phases of the game, he’s done that for us this year. ”
Crockett said his Cowboys’ goal all year long was to get better each week, and he said they have accomplished that.
“ I’m awful proud of our kids, ” Crockett said. “ They’ve fought and gotten better each week, and that was our goal the entire time. ”
Foringer saw readiness in his squad all week, a sign to him that his team has come full-circle and looks to give Woodland its best shot.
“ It [the energy of the players ] was evident in practice this week, ” Foringer said. “ We had three good practices. In order to beat Woodland, we’re going to have to have solid play in all three phases of the game. ”
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