ACT II

How weird was 2020? It began with Booneville naming a new head football coach in January.

While some schools go through coaching changes with regularity, Booneville is not among them. Doc Crowley became just the fifth different head coach in 55 years.

Because only 18 different men have been given the reins to Bearcat football, obviously, only 18 men have had to navigate a first season.

Crowley is the only one of those did it with a schedule that was completely fluid due to COVID protocols, and some preseason preparations that were scrubbed and others that were “socially distanced” when possible.

Luckily, Crowley, wasn’t exactly new to the Bearcat program, having ascended to the head coaching role after being the offensive coordinator – he was named the inaugural Broyles Award winner for the top assistant high school football coach.

The result would be a run to the Class 3A quarterfinal round after an 8-2 regular season with blemishes against Warren and Stigler, Okla.,, neither of which was on the original schedule.

“The Warren game took a little bit out of us, not much, and the Stigler game, I think that took a lot out of us,” said Crowley. “It killed the confidence they had built early.”

Still Crowley and his staff would lead the Bearcats to a perfect home slate and oversaw a road win over Ozark –something the rival fanbase had noted the previous three Bearcat head coaches were unable to accomplish in their maiden voyages.

The head coach also credits a stable staff for the successes of 2020.

“Everybody was here. There was consistency in the program,” he said.

Crowley’s 2020 Bearcats won two playoff games before being eliminated by the eventual 3A state champions the first weekend in December to finish 10-3.

Crowley became only the second Bearcat head coach to reach double digit wins in their initial season – Arl McConnell’s 1947 team won 11 of 13 games.

The conference title was the 36th in school history, and pushed to four the streak of consecutive years with a title after Scott Hyatt's 2017-2019 teams won titles.

What does Crowley do for an encore as the pandemic is proving it isn’t quite in the rearview mirror? Get back to work.

There was spring ball this year, which helped.

“Of course everybody didn’t have it last year,” said Crowley. “It helped us especially up front because we’ve got so many new (players) offensively it was really good for those guys.”

Randon Ray is back at quarterback, Brooks Herrera worked his way into the starting lineup at halfback late, Brett Welling is a two-way lineman back, and Mason Goers is back at tight end.

“I think we may be even better up front than we were last year,” said Crowley. “We just don’t have much depth up front.”

Regardless of the inexperience factor, league coaches, according to a poll in the 29th annual Hooten’s Arkansas Football magazine, expect yet another repeat from Crowley and his staff in 2021.

Before that can happen Crowley’s second team will face the projected top three teams in the 4A-4, but this time two of the games are away from Bearcat Stadium – at Bob Kennan Field in Dardanelle and at Mena’s Randall Whorton Field.

“We started out like we were going to be a force last year,” said Crowley. “We’ve got to find a way to start like that way again this year.”