Miners suffer pitfall versus Badgers
Bauxite visits Arkadelphia, Badgers more than double score in victory
Donovan Whitten and Jaishon Davis have put the Arkadelphia Badgers in good position ahead of the 4A playoffs.
November 2, 2021
ARKADELPHIA, AR– Head coach Trey Schucker and the Arkadelphia Badgers (6-3) played host to the Bauxite Miners last Friday, with the Badgers riding a three-game winning streak. Sophomore quarterback Donovan Whitten has played stellar so far this season for Arkadelphia, along with senior running back Jaishon Davis. The duo has helped make the Badgers a playoff contender heading into the postseason.
In the Friday night matchup under the lights, The Badgers had no trouble taking care of business against the visiting Miners. Whitten had yet another game where he threw for over 200 yards and rushed for almost 50. The man under center completed 17 of his 23 pass attempts for 238 yards and two touchdowns, while Davis recorded 12 carries for 145 yards and four touchdowns in the 49-22 victory.
With the defense holding Bauxite to only 22 points, both Marveon Berry and Max Wilson accounted for seven tackles apiece. Berry had a punt block and Wilson a sack on the night. Landon Kuhn stuffed the stat sheet as well with six tackles, a sack, and a fumble recovery. The one interception for the Badgers defense came courtesy of Kobe Buckley, who also finished the game with four tackles of his own.
“The biggest improvements we have made as of recently is we are tackling better on defense, and we are doing a better job of taking care of the football on offense,” said Schucker after the team’s fourth consecutive win. He spoke of senior tailback Davis and his good student-athlete both on and off the field: “Honestly, Jaishon is so humble and such a team player…”
As the postseason looms and the Badgers make another run for a trip to War Memorial Stadium, Schucker says the coaching staff reiterates to the team that they must use every day to get better. “Finding one to two small things a day to get better at on an individual basis. I believe that if each player actually has a goal to improve every day, it keeps them focused on reaching their potential as opposed to being complacent.”
With Whitten being a major Div. 1 prospect, his head coach said Whitten has much to offer to any collegiate football program. “I would say outside of his arm strength and ability to extend plays, he is a leader, competitor, and coachable. Those are the three main qualities that I believe it takes to be a great QB and he has them.”
The Badgers finish their regular season on Nov. 5 for the Senior Night game against the rival Malvern Leopards.
