Class 3A State Championship Review: Harding Academy 71, McGehee 44

Class 3A State Championship • 2020 • War Memorial Stadium H HARDING ACADEMY 7 71, MCGE EHEE 44

Attendance 2,598 • Cloudy 42 degrees • Kickoff 6:40 p.m. • Time 2:55

DECEMBER 19, LITTLE ROCK —

Eight was definitely great for Harding Academy in the Class 3A championship game.

Senior quarterback Caden Sipe, whose jersey number of 17 adds up to eight, threw a state-record eight touchdown passes to lead the Wildcats to their eighth state championship with a record-breaking 71-44 win over McGehee before 2,598 at War Memorial Stadium.

Harding Academy’s championships span five decades with titles in 1976 and 1977, 1983, 2002, 2012, 2015, 2019 and now 2020.

The Wildcats set a record with their 71 points in the modern playoff era, which began in 1968.

The two teams also set a record with the combined 115 points, beating the 111 scored in 2006 in Greenwood’s 5655 win over Pulaski Academy.

McGehee survived a brutal half of the playoff bracket with wins over Bismarck, Lincoln, Prescott and Hoxie, which were a combined 32-11, to get to War Memorial Stadium. Prescott and Hoxie were both undefeated.

“There’s no question their side of the bracket was tremendous so for them to get here like they did and the way they played, how much class they have and how they play is second to none,” Harding Academy head coach Neil Evans said. “For us to do this back-toback is a difficult task and then on top of the pandemic makes that much sweeter.”

Sipe completed 22-of-27 passes to set a state record with 81.5 completion percentage as well as his eight touchdown passes. State Championship Numbers 8

State championships for Harding Academy

8

Touchdown passes by Harding Academy QB Caden Sipe, which set a championship game record 115

Points scored in the championship game combined by both teams, which set a championship game record

“It could not happen to a better human being than him,” Evans said. “He deserves every good thing that comes his way. For him to put a cap on his career the way he did, you couldn’t script it any better.”

Sipe threw for 430 yards with touchdown tosses of 57, 64, 2 and 29 yards to Ty Dugger, 16 and 55 yards to Andrew Miller, 28 yards to Jackson Fox, and 21 yards to Carter Neal. Sipe also ran for 113 yards with a 62-yard touchdown run.

Sipe was especially precise on third down, completing 5-of-7 passes for 100 yards in helping Harding Academy convert 7-of-10 conversions on the key down.

“The credit all goes to my offensive line, the coaches and the receivers,” Sipe said. “It just means so much to this senior class to end this season and our career on a high note.”

Dugger also returned an interception 22 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter that put Harding Academy up, 21-0.

Dugger accounted for 32 points with five touchdowns and a two-point conversion pass from Sipe that applied the Arkansas Activities Association’s Sportsmanship Rule that runs the clock continuously with a 71-36 lead with 9:15 left in the game.

“It’s probably the best game I have ever played in my life,” Dugger said.

Sipe added: “He seems to always be open. We’re always on the same page. We’ve been friends since the third grade.”

Dugger, the Most Valuable Player in Harding Academy’s 2019 championship game, had 10 catches for 248 yards.

“Those two guys are special people,” Evans said. “They are irreplaceable. You can definitely see that those guys have a relationship. They made some big plays.”

Miller had seven catches for 117 yards, ran for 62 yards and had a kickoff return for 17 yards for 196 all-purpose yards.

McGehee’s Jody Easter had 313 allpurpose yards with 120 rushing, 123 receiving and 70 returning kickoffs. He ran for a score and caught two scoring passes from Jordan Owens, who threw for 248 yards and three touchdowns.

Both teams had big plays in the game. Harding Academy accounted for 505 of its 601 yards on 17 plays. McGehee had 12 plays for 414 yards out of its 498 yards of total offense.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER Caden Sipe ■ QB ■ Harding Acad

BURLSWORTH AWARD WINNERS Elijah Swindle ■ OL ■ Harding Acad Tyler Stallings ■ DL ■ McGehee

HARDING ACADEMY OFFENSE QB Caden Sipe SR WR Carter Neal SR SR Ty Dugger SR LT Chase Brown SR LG Jacob Breezeel JR C Elijah Swindle SR RG Foster Shipman JR RT Chase Brown SR SR Jackson Fox JR SR Andrew Miller JR WR Landon Koch SO PK Kyle Ferrie SO McGEHEE DEFENSE DE Tyler Stallings JR NM Elijah White SR DE Tyrique Newman SO OLB Channing Woodson JR ILB Andrew Mizell JR ILB Micah Smith SR OLB Ayden Bailey SR CB Marcus Rose SR CB Demarius Manning SR S Jody Easter JR S Andreas Jordan JR P Demarius Manning SR McGEHEE OFFENSE QB Jordan Owens SR RB Channing Woodson JR HB Jody Easter JR HB Samuel Polite JR WR Demarius Manning SR LT Christian Maya SR LG Ryan Barnes JR C Jordan Givens JR RG Tyler Stallings JR RT Andrew Mizell JR WR Andreas Jordan JR PK Matthew Irion JR HARDING ACADEMY DEFENSE DE Hunter Pagan SR NM Cooper Welch JR DE Levi Mercer JR OLB Jeffrey Mercer SR ILB Eli Wallis JR ILB Peyton Cole SO OLB Wyatt Simmons FR CB Andrew Miller JR CB Ty Duggar SR S Aaron Chrism JR S Kade Smith SO P Kyle Ferrie SO

CLASS 3A CHAMPIONSHIP STATISTICS

TEAM STATISTICS

McGEHEE HARDING ACADEMY First Downs 15 24 Total Offense 52-498 59-601 Rushes - yards 32-250 31-171 Passes - yards 10-20-248 22-28-430 Fumbles Lost 2 0 Interceptions Thrown 2 1 Fourth Down Stopped 1 0 Penalties 5-34 6-30 Punts - Average 2-33.0 2-42.5 Big Plays (10+ yards) 12-414 17-505 Zero or Less Plays 14-(-23) 13-(27) Sacks By - yards lost 2-10 2-17 3rd Down Conversions(avg to go) 4 of 9 (7.3) 7 of 10 (7.4) 4th Down Conversions(avg to go) 2 of 3 (5.3) 0 of 0 Punt, Int, Fum Returns - yards 1-30 2-22 Average Drive Start own 34 own 44 Points Off Turnover 0 29 Possession Time 24:25 23:35