WARREN, Ark. — With the regular season coming to a close Thursday night, Warren Head Coach Bo Hembree believes his Lumberjacks are showing encouraging signs offensively at an important point in the season.
Warren enters its matchup with Crossett following a 42-12 victory over Watson Chapel, a contest in which the Lumberjacks produced one of their most efficient offensive performances of the year.
The Lumberjacks raced to a 35-6 halftime advantage, displaying the kind of offensive consistency and balance that Hembree has been looking for throughout the fall.
“I thought we executed really well offensively,” Hembree said during his weekly interview with Saline River News.
Hembree described the opening half as one of Warren’s better halves of football this season, particularly noting the team’s ability to move the ball both on the ground and through the air.
While acknowledging that Watson Chapel was not among the strongest opponents Warren has faced this season, the veteran coach was nevertheless encouraged by the execution and consistency he saw from his offense.
Another positive development came from quarterback Jackson Denton, who connected on a pair of first-quarter touchdown passes and turned in one of his strongest outings of the season.
Hembree described the performance as “probably one of his better ones of the year.”
The improved passing attack comes after a difficult stretch in which Warren was forced to make significant adjustments because of injuries to experienced receivers.
Those absences have limited the Lumberjacks’ ability to stretch opposing defenses vertically, something Hembree believes is essential to opening up the offense.
The return of senior receiver Zaydin Grider against Watson Chapel immediately provided Warren with another deep threat. Grider saw action during the opening quarter before Hembree elected to limit his playing time in his first appearance since the preseason scrimmage.
Hembree also explained that the familiarity between Denton and his experienced receivers allows Warren to execute plays developed through years of practice and competition together.
That experience could become increasingly valuable as the Lumberjacks prepare for the postseason.
With Warren expecting to have its full roster available Thursday, the Lumberjacks will have an opportunity to build on last week’s offensive success against a Crossett team fighting to extend its season.
For Hembree and the Lumberjacks, the challenge now is turning an encouraging performance into continued offensive consistency when it matters most.
