My high school alma mater, Ozark, and, in fact, not Little Rock Catholic, had beaten its biggest rival — Booneville — Friday night. Faced with a long list of Saturday tasks, I picked up the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette sports section expecting to see at least something resembling a story about the game.
I knew that Lane Kramer, a sportswriter for that paper had covered the game and as had Grant Tolley with the Times Record in Fort Smith.
But nothing in the Little Rock paper. Grant's fine story can be read here, http://www.swtimes.com/sports/article_a8701710-d5ee-11e0-b82d-001cc4c002e0.html
So, as something of a joke and because I've done it for a living, when we got home last night, I banged out a quick 400 words on the game and sent it to the Hootens of Hootens Arkansas Football fame. I know Chad and Chris both and they are fine people. They might actually use some of what I sent.
But as a public service to those living in Little Rock because the Democrat-Gazette has failed in its basic mission of covering the state, I post online what I have done.
That's what follows. Enjoy, or not.
Ozark beats Booneville, 21-7
OZARK — In his head coaching debut, Jeremie Burns notched the first and biggest win of his career as the Ozark Hillbillies beat long-time rival Booneville, 21-7, on Friday night in front of a packed house at Hillbilly Stadium.
Burns, a veteran assistant coach, took over at Ozark after Brooks Coatney left this summer for Van Buren.
Burns has deep roots in the River Valley and was an easy choice for the Ozark administration. He's a former all-state football player at Alma and is married to former Ozark star athlete and professional basketball player Penni Peppas. He was the defensive coordinator for Ozark last season as the Hillbillies lost in the second round of the Class 4A playoffs to Pulaski Academy.
Ozark got off to a shaky start with a fumble on its first offensive play of the game and Booneville turned the miscue to the game's first score, to go up 7-0.
Ozark junior quarterback Jonathon McKenzie also fumbled the ball away on the goal line that ended a potential scoring threat in the second quarter.
"I told them [at halftime] all they needed was one play to get back in it," Burns said after the game. "Just one play."
His players listened and it was one play that got everyone standing up as Brandon Brokeshoulder took the second half's opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown and the "Thrill" was back for the Hillbillies.
Ozark took the lead for good when McKenzie found Brokeshoulder in the end zone for another score.
The Thrillbillies put the game away in the fourth quarter with a blocked punt returned for a touchdown.
The run of long-time rivals continues for Ozark as the Hillbillies take on Clarksville next Friday. After that, Charleston, and then off to the hills for conference games against relatively unfamiliar foes in Gravette and such before Shiloh Christian heads down the mountain for its game at Ozark on Oct. 28.
The game was also something of a family affair as Burns' brother, Jarrod, is the middle school principal at Ozark and worked a ticket booth. Both their parents, along with Jeremie Burns' mother-in-law sat in lawn chairs near the end zone. One brother-in-law, Josh Peppas, kept the game's stats in the press box. Burns' son, Bryant, worked the sidelines as a ball boy and another of his brother-in-laws, Jeremy Peppas, a no-account reporter of middling talent, also took in the game from a lawn chair near the end zone.
It was Jeremy Peppas who, after his late night return to Little Rock, got the notion to sit down and peck out a poorly written e-mail to the fabulous Hooten brothers in case they needed cliché ridden copy to flesh out their web/broadcast products.
— Jeremy Peppas, one proud as punch brother-in-law, who likely won't make another Ozark game until Shiloh in October
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