Page 4 - RVO Football Preview Sept 2016

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 28, 2016
| RIVER VALLEY & OZARK EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE FOOTBALL PREVIEW
CONWAY WAMPUS CATS
Conway junior running back Michael George looks to break through the line during preseason practice.
Wampus Cats looking to rebound in 2016
BY DONNA LAMPKIN STEPHENS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
In 2015, Conway High School’s Wampus Cats notched the fewest number of wins since coach Clint Ashcraft’s first season at the school in 2009.
They finished 6-6, but they still came within four points of advancing to the Class 7A state semifinals.
Injuries plagued them early, as the de- fending 7A/6A-Central Conference champi- ons started 3-4, but the Cats got better as the season went on.
And while Ashcraft and his coaches stress to their players that excuse-making is unaccept- able, he admitted it was “just a very odd year.”
“We kind of hate to talk about last year, but the things we dealt with — three starters hurt on the offensive line, a couple of season-ended surgeries,” he said. “The first play at Cabot,
CONWAY WAMPUS CATS
SEPT. 2 ..................................... SPRINGDALE SEPT. 9 ................................... @JONESBORO SEPT. 16 ..................................BENTONVILLE SEPT. 23 ............. @FORT SMITH SOUTHSIDE* SEPT. 30 ...................... NORTH LITTLE ROCK* OCT. 7 ............................................@CABOT* OCT. 14 ..................FORT SMITH NORTHSIDE* OCT. 21 ................................. @LR CENTRAL* OCT. 28 ...................................LR CATHOLIC* NOV. 4 ..........................................@BRYANT*
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
Cole Tollett, one of our starting safeties, tore his ACL, and the next week Kameron King breaks his arm.
“It’s just one of those deals where you think,
CONWAY continued on 5VV
MATT JOHNSON/CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER