Jones’ grandson leads epic comeback for state title

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Jerry Jones’ grandson went out in epic fashion Friday night, again leading his Dallas high school to a state championship while becoming the first quarterback to throw for more than 500 yards in a UIL Texas state title game.

But that was only icing on the cake for Highland Park senior John Stephen Jones in a 53-49 win over Manvel in the Class 5A Division I finale at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, the home of his grandfather’s Dallas Cowboys.

“We beat some great football teams to get here, and this was probably the best one tonight,” Highland Park coach Randy Allen said, according to The Dallas Morning News. “John Stephen is a great competitor, and he kept telling everybody on the bench that we’ve just got to keep coming back.”

Highland Park was down 49-39 with three minutes to play.

“It shows we have no quit. We’ll never count ourselves out,” Jones said, according to The Morning News. “It’s really special.”

Jones, a 5-foot-10, 180-pounder who has received scholarship offers from Texas Tech, Arkansas and SMU, finished with 564 yards and four touchdowns on 37-of-58 passing, capping it with a thrilling 16-yard touchdown pass to Cade Saustad with 34 seconds left. That play was only possible because of Jones’ 28-yard completion on fourth-and-15 from the Manvel 39-yard line.

“I knew the corner was playing off and that I would have room inside,” Saustad said. “The coaches gave me a slant. I caught the slant, and I expected to get blown up. I looked up, and it was a clear lane to the end zone, and I dove in. It’s a dream come true.”

Highland Park left just enough time on the clock to give Manvel a chance for their own heroics.

Enter Under Armour All-American Jalen Preston.

Preston, a receiver committed to Texas A&M who ranks 62nd in the ESPN 300, took Manvel to the 1-yard-line with a 30-yard reception. But he was tackled as the clock ran out.

It was the second state championship for Jones and Highland Park and the fifth overall for the school.

Jerry Jones greeted Manvel coach Kirk Martin after the game, offering him congratulations.

“He just told me what a great job we did,” Martin said, according to The Morning News. “One second and 1 yard short. That was the difference.”

Arkansas announces SEC opener as a sell-out

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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FAYETTEVILLE — Currently riding a four-game win streak and averaging a league-leading 89.5 points per game, Arkansas opens the SEC schedule against No. 21 Tennessee in front of a sold-out crowd at Bud Walton Arena on Saturday, Dec. 30.

It marks the second sellout in as many weeks, as the Razorbacks delivered a convincing 88-63 win over Troy in front of a raucous capacity crowd at Verizon Arena in North Little Rock on Dec. 16.

The first of four Saturday home games at BWA over a five-weekend span, Arkansas enters its showdown with No. 21 Tennessee riding a five-game win streak against the Vols. The game will tip at noon CT on the SEC Network.

After a weekend trip to Auburn on Jan. 6, the Razorbacks will be back at Bud Walton three straight weekends for a pair of SEC Saturday showdowns against Missouri and Ole Miss followed by their Big 12/SEC Challenge game against Oklahoma State. All three games are within range of selling out with the three opposing teams currently holding a combined 26-9 record.

Head coach Mike Anderson’s club has been at its best at Bud Walton Arena this season, sporting a 6-0 record with an average margin of victory over 25 points thanks to its average of 95 points per game.

Hogs add Fuldwider to wrap up early signing class

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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As expected, defensive end Nick Fulwider signed Friday to wrap up the early signing period for Arkansas.

Fulwider, a 3-star defensive end from Tyrone (Ga.) Sandy Creek, had previously been committed to North Carolina, but changed Tuesday night after an official visit in Fayetteville last weekend.

He had committed to North Carolina on Nov. 2.

“This official was amazing,” Fulwider told Otis Kirk of Hawgs247.com on Sunday. “I could not ask for anything more really. It was everything I expected plus more.

“Considering we don’t know who the D-line coach is and everything like that, I kind of came in with an uncertainty of like ‘oh, I don’t really know these coaches and I am going to feel like a stranger.’ But they showed me so much love from the time we walked in. I just appreciate the whole coaching staff. The coaches that Coach Morris brought in.”

Fulwider had 33 tackles, one sack and four quarterback hurries during his senior season and chose the Hogs over 27 other offers.

Kim finishes fourth at Dixie Amateur in Texas

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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THE WOODLANDS, Texas — Arkansas junior Dylan Kim posted a four-round 281 leading a trio of Razorbacks at the Dixie Amateur at the Woodlands Country Club this week.

Kim carded rounds of 73-71-69-68 for a 7-under 281 to finish fourth overall. Kim tallied 17 birdies and 46 par holes over the four-day event.

Junior Razorback teammate Maria Fassi finished seventh overall with a 4-under 284 (72-68-70-74) and junior Cara Gorlei tied for 23rd overall with a 292 (72-68-79-73).

Report says Bielema trying to block buyout info

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, former Arkansas coach Bret Bielema’s buyout with Arkansas is not final yet.

In their story Friday, the newspaper reported:

Bielema, fired last month at the conclusion of a 4-8 season, requested that Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge issue an opinion on whether his agreement with the Razorback Foundation can be withheld from release under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, university spokesman Mark Rushing said.

The University of Arkansas System had planned to make the document public after locating it in its legal office and determining that it was a releasable record, Rushing said.

The system gave Bielema three days to make the request after it determined that the record was releasable under open-record laws. Public employees can seek attorney general rulings for documents that are considered to be “personnel or evaluation records.” Bielema’s deadline was Thursday.

The newspaper has been seeking information about Bielema’s buyout since October. He was the highest-paid state employee.

Exactly why Bielema is seeking to have the information kept secret is not known. Everybody is dodging the topic like a rattlesnake in the living room on Christmas morning.

The amount of the buyout reported by ESPN, citing a single source, was $11.9 million which is close to the amount remaining on Bielema’s contract.

If that is the case, Bielema was given a contract that was basically fully guaranteed in 2014 when former athletics director Jeff Long amended the coach’s deal.

According to the published report, negotiations are continuing as late as Wednesday:

As of Wednesday, Bielema and the Razorback Foundation continued to negotiate a release agreement that would finalize several unresolved issues, including his buyout amount, officials said. The foundation, funded by donors, will pay Bielema’s buyout, Rushing has said previously.

Bielema was fired Nov. 24 after a 4-8 season with the Razorbacks that lowered his record over five seasons to 29-34 overall and 11-29.

His overall winning percentage was tied with Danny Ford (1993-97) for the lowest overall percentage while in the league, Bielema had the worst winning percentage of any coach since the Hogs joined the SEC in 1992.

Morning Rush Hour 3

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Friday

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Friday

Morning Rush Hour 2

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Morning Rush Hour 1

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Monk’s double figures doesn’t lift Hogs in loss at ASU

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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TEMPE, Ariz. — Junior Malica Monk scored a team-high 12 points but it was not enough as Arkansas fell at Arizona State, 89-43, in the final game before the holiday break.

Eighteen first half turnovers and a 20-0 Arizona State (9-3) run to close the half sealed Arkansas’ (8-4) fate in the game. ASU’s big inside game allowed the Sun Devils to stretch the court where they hit nine first-half 3-pointers to lead 52-14 at the break.

Monk and Jailyn Mason had six points each at the half and ASU held graduate student Devin Cosper scoreless through the first 20 minutes. Mason finished with six points and Cosper dropped in eight, all in the second half.

Arkansas hit its first 3-pointer late in the third quarter when Raven Northcross-Baker connected from distance. She finished with eight points.

Trailing by as many as 50 points, Arkansas put together a run in the fourth quarter, outscoring ASU 14-2 over a two-plus minute span. That run was fueled by Cosper hitting a pair of 3-pointers.

The Razorbacks won the fourth quarter, 18-16, and Monk went 2-for-2 from the free throw line. She has made 14 consecutive bonus shots.

Notes
• Malica Monk scored Arkansas’ first points. It is the fourth time Monk has scored first for Arkansas.
• Arkansas committed a season high for turnovers with 23.
• ASU hit an opponent season high with 12 3-pointers.
• Malica Monk reached double figure points for the 12th consecutive game.

Up Next
The Razorbacks break for the holidays and return to Bud Walton Arena on Dec. 28 hosting Grambling State. Southeastern Conference action opens with Ole Miss at home on Dec. 31.

Contract stumbling point for Chavis-Arkansas deal?

Andy Hodges
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Rumors continue to swirl that Texas A&M coach John Chavis is the top choice to join Arkansas as defensive coordinator.

According to people we’ve talked to, his contract with the Aggies is the reason it hasn’t been done yet.

New A&M coach Jimbo Fisher hasn’t hired a single defensive assistant. Sound familiar?

Reportedly, Chavis’ contract is fully guaranteed if he’s fired. The twist comes in that some think it’s not offset by him taking another job. Others have said if he leaves for another school in the SEC he owes A&M about $1.7 million.

Regardless, he is likely to be coaching the Aggies’ defense in the Belk Bowl against Wake Forest on Dec. 29.

Everyone still feels, however, Chavis will be the Hogs’ next defensive coordinator.

He’s a coordinator that has changed over the years.

In the 1990’s and mid-2000’s, Chavis’ reputation was that his Tennessee defenses were good in the first half, but a lack of adjustments in the second half created problems.

That changed to where he is now considered one of the best at in-game adjustments. That’s not my opinion, but what others tell me. I’m not convinced that is the case, but that’s what people considered experts say.

Chavis has always valued speed, speed, speed in his defenses, however. He has produced some big-time NFL players, both at LSU and Texas A&M after leaving Tennessee in the fallout around Phil Fulmer’s dismissal.

His defenses are very aggressive and very active.

Whether all that will translate to success with the Razorbacks isn’t known.

It won’t be until the contract issue is resolved.

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