West Memphis hopes to ride high to win over Searcy

Blue Devils on the road against undefeated Lions

WM School District Sometimes euphoria is a difficult thing to let go.

So, after the West Memphis Blue Devils scored their indescribable 41-40 overtime victory over Marion last Friday night, twice coming back from seemingly insurmountable odds, the coaching staff decided to let the players bask in the glow for a little longer than normal.

Before the team takes to the road this Friday night at Searcy, Blue Devil head coach Billy Elmore let his players celebrate all weekend long before focus turned to the Lions.

“(The coaching staff) talked Sunday before our video session and we decided to let the kids celebrate,” said Elmore, whose team improved to 2-2 overall and 1-0 in the 6A-East Conference. “Once we watched the film, we asked them to move on. And it’s not the kids that make it difficult to move on from a game such as the one we had against Marion. Some people won’t let it go on social media, whether it be Facebook or Twitter, people putting out videos.

“I have zero problems with players or coaches from Marion. It was a hard-fought game…someone had to win, someone had to lose. We have a lot of respect for what they’re doing and the way they’re doing it over there now.

Some people just can’t let it go. As players and coaches we try to move on and put it behind us, but some people…man, it just doesn’t die.”

The record of their next opponent begs the Blue Devils to pay attention, however.

Searcy is 4-0 on the season and its offense is running with the ferocity of a freight train, averaging a whopping 48.5 points a contest.

The Lions have had just one game this season in which they scored less than 40 points and that came in a 39-7 white-washing of Sheridan in Week 2.

Included in those totals is a 62-42 win over Batesville.

“It will be a challenge to get our kids focused on Searcy,” said Elmore. “I look back on our first two or three years here and we lost to Searcy and I think it was because the game always comes after our game with Marion. Searcy has a good program and has had good teams, but we have had trouble getting our kids refocused after Marion.”

Elmore said the Lions are similar to the same outfit his team has seen in the last few years.

“They probably have a lot more athletic quarterback this year,” Elmore said of Searcy. “He was listed as a wide receiver at one time on their roster. He’s probably a little bit more of a running threat than we’ve seen from their quarterbacks in recent years. But, again, they’re going to be big up front and defensively they’re going to be in an odd front.”

After years in sub-mediocrity, the Lions have things turned around under head coach Mark Kelley, who has compiled a record of 36-16 in four-plus years at Searcy.

“They don’t beat themselves,” Elmore added.

“You have to prepare to play Searcy.”

The Blue Devil offense, which has been plagued by turnovers this season, overcame three turnovers in the fourth quarter to beat Marion. Elmore said, however, the unit churned out a smooth third quarter, which he said he’s hoping sticks this week.

“Even in the fourth quarter, we didn’t play great, but we played well enough to win,” said Elmore.

“Third quarter we were hitting at a pretty good lick.

I’d certainly like to think we’re getting it together, but I can’t say 100 percent for sure.”