Van Buren hasn't had much luck against Greenwood recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Pointers will venture away from home to square off against the Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. Van Buren will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak.
On Friday, Van Buren was able to grind out a solid victory over Southside, taking the game 17-10. Those 17 points were actually the fewest the Pointers have put up all season, but given the result they're probably not too concerned.
The critical scores for Van Buren came from Tristan Ray and Darren Mays.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Van Buren proved: they limited Southside to a paltry 3.3 yards per carry. While two picked up at least 12 total tackles, Mays stood above the rest. He made 12 total tackles (1.0 for loss) and snagged an interception which he returned one-yard for a touchdown. Van Buren's run defense has been on the up-and-up: they allowed 4.63 yards per carry earlier this season, but they've only allowed 4.8 on average over their last three games.
Darren Mays
| 10/17/25 vs Southside | 12 |
| 10/10/25 vs Lake Hamilton | 13 |
| 10/03/25 @ Siloam Springs | 10 |
| 09/26/25 vs Russellville | 10 |
Van Buren didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Ray, Mays, and Talen Jones picked up one apiece. Mays is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made ten or more in each of the last four games he's played. He got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, in Friday's Canine Competition, Greenwood came out on top. They breezed past Lake Hamilton to the tune of 42-10 on Friday. Considering the Bulldogs have won four contests by more than 31 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Van Buren better keep an eye on Kane Archer. He was instrumental in Greenwood's win, throwing for 345 yards and five touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes, and also rushing for 31 yards. What's more, Archer racked up 132.5 passer rating, the most he's had since back in November of 2024. Cooper Bland was another key player, picking up 109 receiving yards and three scores.
Van Buren's record is now 5-2. As for Greenwood, their record now sits at 7-0.
Friday's game will pit two of the most dominant signal callers against one another: Hayden Williford and Archer. Williford just won't slow down this season and has thrown 15 touchdowns while averaging 245.3 passing yards per game. Archer has been a dominant force too and has thrown 15 touchdowns while averaging 260.1 passing yards per game.
Van Buren was taken down by Greenwood 63-14 in their previous meeting back in October of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Archer, who threw for 307 yards and five TDs while completing 76.5% of his passes, and also rushed for 31 yards and one touchdown. Now that the Pointers know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
