Page 18 - 2016 Football

Can the Smackover Buckaroos remain among the 3A elite?
By Kev Moyé
News-Times Staff
SMACKOVER – Over the past three seasons, few programs have experienced as much suc- cess as Smackover.
The Buckaroos have made three consecutive trips to at least the state semifinals.
In 2013 and 2015, Smackover was eliminated a game shy of the state final. In 2014 the Buckaroos lost a heartbreak- er to Charleston in the state championship game.
Each of those aforementioned teams were extremely talented. Similar to their predecessors, the 2016 Buckaroos also have an abundance of talent. Now they just have to build upon the momentum. But that will not be an easy task. Smackover’s schedule is loaded with good
teams.
“This is a group that can keep
our success going,” Buckaroo Coach Brian Strickland said. “I feel like this is a team who has been to battle before, they know what it takes to win, they
know what it takes to earn a league title and I expect this group to make a nice run again this year.”
Smackover having lofty aspi- rations is commonplace.
“The expectations are high every year. This year’s team doesn’t have the pressure on them that last year’s team did, being ranked preseason No.1,”
Strickland said. “But the expec- tations are high. We expect to win the conference and com- pete for a state title each year.”
The Buckaroos will have a young team. But those inexpe- rienced performers are expect- ed to carry their weight.
“We have a lot of young guys. We’re going to be a young- er team,” Strickland said. “But
we still have key returnees who have been to battle with us before and know what to expect.”
Strickland referenced several reasons for his optimism.
“First off, the players have worked hard. They do the work. They know we’ve won our conference the past three seasons,” he said. “They don’t
News-Times/Terrance Armstard
want to be the team to give that championship up. They’re coming together as a group. They also work well together.
“It’s the seniors who are lead- ing the way. We have good leadership. A lot of the younger guys have stepped in and made it fun every day.”
Smackover Buckaroos: The 2016 Smackover Buckaroos are shown in the photo above. Coached by Brian Strickland, the Buckaroos advanced to the Class 3A state semifinals last year. Smackover hosts Harmony Grove in week one of the season.
What makes the current
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