SOUTHSIDE REVISITS SITE OF EPIC COMEBACK

On the Friday after Thanksgiving in 2009, North Little Rock coach Brad Bolding decided to get a little creative. Rather than ice the game with quarterback Corbin McCuien, Bolding elected to bring on 340-pound defensive tackle De’Arius Hudson.

Clinging to a 23-17 lead, Hudson took McCuien’s handoff but staggered in the backfield. Unable to move the chains, NLR punted.

Three plays later, Tyler Falleur’s 51-yard reception set up Hunter Whorton's go-ahead touchdown pass and a 24-23 Southside victory — one of the more unlikely wins in Southside history.

The two Arkansas powers meet today for the first time since the infamous game in ‘09 in North Little Rock in 7A-Central play.

The Charging Wildcats, 5-0 under second-year coach Jamie Mitchell, have power, speed and a great skill-set. And Mitchell promises there will be no such handoffs to defensive tackles if the same scenario presents itself today.

“Not a chance,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell, 48, took over at NLR following Bolding’s firing in the spring of 2015. A native of Mississippi, Mitchell was content at Starkville before making a few calls to Arkansas.


“The opportunity was great,” he said. “I had a great job in Mississippi at Starkville High School. I wasn’t going to leave for any job. I have a brother in Cabot, and I got to talking to him about it and checked into it. It ended up working out.”

It turns out North Little Rock is Mitchell’s sixth school as a head coach. He is 175-66 since 1997.

And, not that North Little Rock had struggled, his mark as a coach is turning programs from losers to winners.

The Charging Wildcats zipped through nonconference with blowout wins over Maumelle, McClellan and Parkview.

North Little Rock has allowed just two touchdowns in conference wins over Central and Conway.

Just how good is North Little Rock?

“That’s the million dollar question,” Mitchell said. “We haven’t had the most challenging schedule by any means. We’ve certainly played extremely well. I’m pleased with where we are. I still think our conference is loaded from top to bottom. I don’t see any team going undefeated.”


Southside coach Jeff Williams agrees.

"Everybody in this conference is well-coached," he said. "Everybody has good football programs, and they've got really good players, and we have good players and assistant coaches, too. You have to get your team ready to go play a tough North Little Rock team.

Southside (2-3, 1-1) opened the season with back-to-back blowout losses to Har-Ber and Greenwood.

But the Mavericks narrowly beat unbeaten Cabot last week, and present a big challenge for the Charging Wildcats.

Senior Daveon Johnson is having an MVP season with six of the team's 11 quarterback sacks and 10 tackles for negative yardage. The defensive end has 30 unassisted tackles.

“They are hands down the best defensive team we’ve faced,” Mitchell said. “They’re extremely well-coached. They’ll apply pressure to you from different ways.

“In my opinion, that’s the strength of a good football team.”


Linebackers Heabren Ulrich and Tim Hodge have two sacks apiece, and Landon Hadley, Juan Huerta, Jaylin Brewer, Sam Nguyen and Hunter Davenport have one sack each.

Davenport had 34 unassisted tackles for being lost for the season with a knee injury in last week's game. Davenport and Hunter Moreton have seven TFLs apiece.

"We've got to play a little bit better together, and I see us gradually getting to that point," Williams added. "I like our football team. We've got to go on the road and play a very, very good North Little Rock football team. They're a very fast and physical football team."