Watson Chapel’s three-game football home stand continues Friday against Beebe.
The Wildcats will host the Badgers at 7 p.m. in their second-to-last game of the season.
Wildcats Coach Steven Heard said he expects a hard-fought game.
“Beebe fights hard,” Heard said. “I told our guys we’ll see where we’re going. We’ll try to get this program on the right track going into the offseason.”
Watson Chapel (1-6, 0-5 in 5A-Central) has had its struggles this season, but one bright spot has been the defense’s ability to force turnovers.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Last week against Pine Bluff, the Wildcats intercepted two passes in the first half before recovering a fumble early in the second half. In their prior home game against Searcy, the Wildcats intercepted passes on consecutive drives and returned one for a touchdown.
Heard said Watson Chapel spends a lot of practice time on defense, including gang tackling and trying to rip the ball away.
“If they’re careless with it, then we can force a few turnovers,” Heard said. “That’s what we’re really good at, because we’re a fast defense. We have speed in all three levels of the defense, and I feel we’ll be able to get a turnover or two out of Beebe or any other team, for that matter.”
Beebe (5-3, 3-2) has played in predominantly low-scoring games this season. In six of the Badgers’ eight games, neither team has reached 30 points. The two exceptions were Beebe scoring 45 points in a win against Greene County Tech and 34 points in a win against Pine Bluff.
Of note, Beebe is 5-0 at home but 0-3 on the road and will be seeking its first road win. The Badgers’ defense has held every team they’ve beaten to 17 points or fewer, but the teams which defeated Beebe have scored 26 points or more. Watson Chapel’s season high is 19 points in the win against Crossett.
Heard said whenever he has faced Beebe in recent years, whether this year with Watson Chapel or in the past when he was with Pine Bluff, the Badgers have always played hard, which is what makes their defense solid.
“No matter what position, no matter what side of the ball, they play extremely hard, and they’re not going to give up,” Heard said. “They gonna fight all the way to the end, so to us, it’s just a matter of matching that energy. We gotta match their intensity, what they’re going to bring. They’re not afraid of anyone. They’re gonna do what they’re gonna do.”
Beebe enters this game in fourth place for the final playoff spot out of the 5A-Central Conference. The Badgers can clinch a trip to the postseason by winning both remaining games. A Watson Chapel victory would help out the other Jefferson County schools as they try to catch up to the Badgers.