RISON - Following five tough non-conference contests, the Rison Wildcats will open their 6-3A Conference slate this Friday night when they travel to the outskirts of Camden for a clash with the Harmony Grove Hornets. Kickoff time is scheduled for 7 o’clock. Rison leads the overall series with Harmony Grove, 27-9, although the Hornets have captured three out of the last four meetings. The 'Cats rallied in the second half last year to defeat Harmony Grove, 36-15.
Harmony Grove, a pre-season pick to win the 6-3A Conference, already has a conference win, defeating Drew Central, 46-12, two weeks ago. The Hornets opened the season with a 34-28 win over Junction City, before losing to Class 4A powerhouse, Harding Academy, 38-7, and then Haynesville, Louisiana, 21-20. Sandwiched around their win over Drew Central, the Hornets picked up victories over Cave City, 42-14, and last week, Walnut Ridge, 39-28.
Rison head coach Caleb Carmike is looking at this week’s game as the start to a new season, as the Wildcats will be out to end their five-game winless skid to start 2023.
“These (conference) games are the ones that matter the most,” Carmikle said Monday. “We do know it’s going to be another tough test for us, but we’re going down there believing we can win this game.”
The Hornets are led by senior quarterback Caleb Johnson, an All-State performer, who is very accomplished with his passing game, but can also beat teams with his legs.
“He (Johnson) is very good,” Carmikle said. “We have to slow him down to give us a chance.”
In the Wildcat camp this week, following a disappointing 54-14 loss last Friday at Bigelow, where Rison trailed by only 27-14 late in the third quarter, Carmikle and his staff are concentrating on getting their squad better in the tackling department. In last Friday’s game against the Panthers, the 'Cats had 39 missed tackles in yielding 76 offensive snaps. Bigelow was able ...
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