Last week, the Pine Bluff High Zebras and the Fort Smith Northside Grizzlies didn’t get to compete because mother nature didn’t allow them to. Even though the Zebras wanted to test their strengths against their second 7A opponent in the first three weeks of the season, the bad weather forced an open week. That open week could actually benefit the Zebras as they head into 6A East play. Tonight, Pine Bluff will travel to the Capital City to face off against Little Rock Hall High at Scott Field.
After opening the season with a disappointing one-point loss to 7A opponent, the Cabot Panthers, Pine Bluff bounced back with a statement win over their in-town rivals, the Watson Chapel Wildcats. In their second game, the Zebras played with attitude, and that was indicative in their physical style of play. The Hall High Warriors have a big challenge in front of them as they welcome in a hungry pack of Zebras who’ve been chomping at the bit for two weeks now.
Without a doubt, Zebras Head Coach Bobby Bolding took full advantage of their extra time off. Their bodies received extra rest, and that rest will be very beneficial going into conference play. The Zebras were in the mix of the conference realignment this off season, but one team that remained on their schedule is the Hall High Warriors. The Warriors have had a lot of problems trying to stop Pine Bluff in the past, and with the Zebras coming off of an unexpected bye week, things will be pretty tough.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Last year, the two met at Jordan Stadium, where Pine Bluff shutout the Warriors by a final of 35-0. Before this season, the Warriors hadn’t won a game since 2011 and the program was in a huge flux. However, the Warriors have found life, and they are off to a (2-1) start through the non-conference part of their schedule. In week one, Hall defeated Little Rock Fair 28-0 for their first win since 2011, and in week two they followed that up with a 20-18 victory over Mills University Studies.
Last week, the Warriors were rudely awaken by the McCllelan Lions, who cruised to a 52-0 victory. McCllelan has had things rolling lately, and they reminded the Warriors that if you don’t come to play things can get real ugly.
The Zebras look forward to having a performance similar to McCllelan’s, and senior quarterback Simeon Blair will lead the way. Blair has improved from game to game, and in practice from week to week. What has benefited Blair is the emergence of running backs Dalvin Smith and Kamarea Wilkins. Entering into the season, it was a known fact that senior wide out Xavier Smith would give defenses a match up problem, but his fellow wide out Jyrimee Thompson has made big play after big play with his ability to run after the catch.
Defensively, the Zebras played lights out in the first half of the Watson Chapel game. They were flying around making plays, and most noticeably was their physicality. Senior linebacker Keshwan Whaley has been the bell cow of the defense through their first two games, and his pick six against Watson Chapel stands out as one of the biggest plays of the season thus far for Pine Bluff.
The Warriors like to run their offense out of multiple sets, led by senior quarterback Jaden McGraw. Defensively, the Warriors play out of a 3-4 scheme, and they like to dial up odd blitz packages with their linebackers, and the three down lineman. Hootens.com has the Zebras favored by 30 points, and if Hall wants to prove that prediction wrong it’ll take a tremendous all around effort.