On November 18, 2011 the Arkansas Baptist Eagle football team went to 11-1 for the year with a hard fought 26-6 victory at Camden Harmony Grove. Before this game Barry Groomes of Hootens Arkansas Football picked Camden to win over the eagles because Arkansas Baptist had never won a playoff game on the road. Actually before this year Arkansas Baptist was 3-7 in the playoff with two victories coming in 1998 and one in 2004.
Is the 2011 Eagle team the best ever?
1. The 1998 team featured a huge line with the Witcher brothers (Sam and Ben) in the secordary and the eagles tied Harding and Carlisle for the conference championship. Knocked out of the playoffs by Gus Malzahn’s first state championship team at Shiloh (Gus has won championships at higher levels since, ask Arthur Bennett about that).
2. The 2004 team like the 1998 team also advanced in the playoffs and is the only Arkansas Baptist team to secure sole possession of a conference championship, and it included the most all-conference players (10) in Eagle history on one team.
3. The juniors and seniors on the 2011 team can claim to have more Arkansas Baptist victories in a two year span than any other team (a total of 20 over last two years, the 2003-2004 teams previously held the most).
My final conclusion is very simple: If the 2011 eagles get three victories in the playoffs this year then they have to be considered the best Arkansas Baptist team ever. The problem is they are going up against the Barton Bears who hold more state championships than any other 3A team. We will be pulling for this group of Eagles and we know they can do it.
All State Receiver Greg Bowie catches game winning pass
against Bauxite in the final seconds of the game.
The Daily Hatch 