The Glen Rose Beavers (8-1, 6-0) have not lost a game since Week 2 against Bauxite.
On Friday, the Beavers will play for an undefeated showing in 4-3A. Glen Rose already has the top overall seed, but a win would make the Beavers lone conference champions. A loss and the Beavers are co-champions with Mayflower, should the Eagles win Friday night.
In Week 9, the Beavers defeated Atkins to secure the top seed.
“I think we are playing solid football,” said Head Coach Mark Kehner. “We have to play with a high level of emotion and I don’t think we played the first half that way against Atkins. I take nothing away from them — they played a phenomenal game and had a lot to do with that.
“We got behind early in the fourth it seems like we flipped a switch and played like we are capable of playing. We ended up pulling it out in the fourth quarter which was a good situation for us to be in. Sometimes you have to go through adversity to hopefully learn from those situations. I think it is good for our team.”
This week, Glen Rose heads to Baptist Prep (4-4-1, 3-3) to end the regular season.
The Eagles defeated Two Rivers (0-9, 0-6) 62-30 last Friday and has secured a playoff spot, win or lose against Glen Rose.
“They are young and I think that is why they have struggled in conference,” Kehner said. “They are qualified for the playoffs so that is a good thing for them and their program. They throw the football fairly well, which will be good for us because we didn’t defend it really well against Atkins. It will be good for them to come out and sling it around on us and see if we can defend it.”
Baptist has used a trio of passers in 2018 with senior Robert Lewis leading the charge with 579 yards and seven touchdowns. He has completed 49 of 126 attempts as well, to go along with six interceptions.
Fellow senior Gage Hall follows with 354 yards and four scores and has completed 55 percent of his throws (36 for 65).
On the ground, junior back Hunter Teaster helps lead the Eagles with 327 yards on 92 carries and three scores.
Lewis leads the team in rushing TDs with four and has run for 288 yards on 81 touches.
In the receiving corps, junior Jax Coleman is the main target with 21 catches and 243 yards, followed by sophomores Mitchell Leavitt and Grant Jones with a combined 25 catches for 322 yards and two scores.
For Glen Rose, Kehner said his offensive line still needs to improve ahead of the playoffs if the Beavers are going to make a run in 3A.
“It is not overall, but it is the consistency,” Kehner said. “Sometimes we are playing really well there and other times we are playing really bad. We are going to have to put four quarters together up front and know we are going to get consistent play out of them going in the playoffs and hopefully we can do that this week.”
Friday’s game will kick off at 7 p.m. at Baptist Prep, located at 8400 Ranch Blvd. in Little Rock.