In his first postgame report as Watson Chapel’s head football coach, Steven Heard posted on social media he noticed flashes of what the Wildcats can be despite a season-opening loss to Helena-West Helena Central.
“Our quarterback, he started out 8 for 10,” Heard said of junior Malachi Rayford. “Our receivers were getting open seemingly at will. They ran the plays I called. They ran the ball hard. They never gave up on the field. This was their very first true game since last November.”
Despite a 42-18 loss at home, the Wildcats took a step in the right direction, Heard stressed.
“This was their first action,” Heard said. “By looking at the film, if you looked at it in a vacuum, it looks like we won the game. We came off strong, fast. Our linemen had to jell. We did a good thing in getting our players in the best position possible. I didn’t feel good after the game, but I felt good after going back, watching the film and taking it all in.”
Seeking to change the direction of the program, Heard and the Wildcats (0-1) will journey south to Crossett to take on a 0-1 Eagles team that’s endured a similar offseason to Watson Chapel’s. Kickoff at Yarborough Stadium is at 7 p.m. Friday.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Watson Chapel has lost 20 in a row, going back to 2022. Crossett, a 6-5 team that made the 4A playoffs last fall, has lost three straight.
“I have to teach them how to win,” Heard said of his Wildcats. “They don’t know how to win. Once that comes around, we will be a dangerous team.”
Both Crossett’s Jason Grissom, previously an assistant at Monticello, and recent Pine Bluff High School Defensive Coordinator Heard were hired as head coaches in May. Grissom said the Eagles managed to have a short spring camp and scrimmaged at Lake Village Lakeside, while Heard used his short offseason to install his system and did not conduct either spring camp or an intersquad scrimmage.
Crossett is coming off a 53-10 home loss to 3A state runner-up Prescott.
“We didn’t tackle very well,” Grissom said. “There were times we were in position to make the play, and we just didn’t. That’s not to take anything away from Prescott. We just missed a lot of tackles. Like most teams, it wouldn’t hurt if we can get our offense going.”
Along with a short offseason, Crossett has faced the challenge of replacing, as Grissom estimated, 85% of its offensive production from 2023. While the Eagles are young at the skill positions, Grissom said, senior offensive lineman Jaden Jamerson is commanding attention at 6-feet-7, 360 pounds. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff has offered Jamerson a scholarship.
“They’re big,” Heard said of Crossett. “They’re the same way Crossett has always been. They’re big and they’re fast. It’s some things I feel we can take advantage of. We’ll have to jump out early. If we keep it close, they’ll weigh on us. I think our overall team speed is better. Our schemes are similar, but I don’t think we’ll have a whole lot of trouble.”
Watson Chapel capitalized on four Helena-West Helena Central turnovers last Friday, two of them interceptions by junior free safety ZyKavius Browder and another by sophomore defensive back Jayden Moody.
“Browder is the fastest kid on the team,” Heard said. “He was just a running back and I made him a safety this year. He moves well and got good hits. He has a mean streak, so he likes to tackle. The kid’s amazing. He’s a track kid as well.
“Moody is a basketball kid and decided he wanted to play football this year. Every time he gets in practice, he makes something happen. He’s pushing for starter minutes right now.”
Heard is encouraged by the addition of 15 more players to the Watson Chapel roster, which numbered 42 with jerseys last week. The new 15 will be available for Friday’s game after going through mandatory conditioning.
While the Wildcats performed admirably in less than 100 days since Heard’s arrival, he said, they’re still learning how to win games, battle adversity and take advantage of opportunities.
“These guys have a never-give-up attitude,” Heard said. “We have to take advantage of the opportunity presented. We have the same mindset this week as last week. It’s about us. If we can be us and who we’re trying to be, we can compete with anybody.”