NORTH LITTLE ROCK — McGehee football coach Marcus Haddock didn’t just go through a full season with 28 players for a Class 4A team.
His team bounced back from a first-game shutout loss and won 12 straight games, winning the 8-4A Conference and earning one of two first-round byes in the state playoffs. On Monday, the coach was rewarded with the 4A coach of the year award during the Farm Bureau Awards ceremony at the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce and nearby Argenta Community Theater.
“I was flattered,” Haddock said. “I was surprised to a point. I was in great company. It was humbling sitting with some of the best coaches in the state, some of them I coached against over the years.”
Rison senior linebacker Quanterio Heath also won the 3A defensive player of the year honor after recording 120 tackles — 100 of them solo — two sacks and three blocked punts. Heath also played tight end for the 6-3A co-champion Wildcats, who reached the state quarterfinals.
“We’re very excited for him individually and our program,” Rison coach Clay Totty said of Heath, who is verbally committed to Arkansas State. “We still like to play defense at Rison. We’re excited about his future as well.”
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Haddock won his award over Jeremie Burns, who led Ozark to the 1-4A Conference title, and John Fogleman, who took Malvern to the state championship game this past weekend. Haddock’s Owls finished 12-2 and 7-0 in the 8-4A.
Haddock said the season, which ended in the 4A quarterfinals, was his most rewarding.
“From having the kids we started with and having high expectations, to have the team come together like that, it was the most rewarding,” he said.
Heath beat out Rivercrest’s Robert Cooney and Barton’s Ethan Roberts for his award.
Offensive and defensive players of the year and coaches of the year were selected in five divisions (one each for classes 2A-5A and another combining 6A and 7A) for Farm Bureau Awards by the staff at Hooten’s Arkansas Football magazine. In all, there were 45 finalists.
Other finalists from Southeast Arkansas included Watson Chapel junior defensive lineman Jackie Harris Jr. (5A defense), White Hall coach Mike Vaughn (5A coach), and senior linebackers Deondrai Haynes of McGehee and Keith Humbert of Stuttgart (4A defense). Former Monticello coach Van Paschal, who led Barton to a 3A runner-up finish, was named coach of the year in that class.