Coach’s Corner

Outlook for 2009 – 2010

The Bulldogs completed a dream season in 2009 by going undefeated (30-0), winning the 7A West conference championship, the 7A State Championship, and being nationally ranked by every high school poll. The Bulldogs finished the season ranked #8 by Sports Illustrated. The Dogs won the conference championship for the third time in four years and the eighth time since 1993. The Bulldogs defeated conference foe Rogers in the state title game, 40 – 34. An incredible statistic from the 2009 team is that they never trailed in the fourth quarter of any game.

Fayetteville lost two starters to graduation. All-Everything guard Fred Gulley has moved on to play at Oklahoma State University while Cable Hogue will play at Drury College in Springfield, Missouri. Gulley is a three-time All-State player as well as a two-time Gatorade Arkansas Player of the Year selection. He was also named the Most Valuable Player in the Dogs run to the State Championship. Hogue was a two-time All-State player and a dominating rebounder and inside player that averaged  nearly a double-double in points and rebounds for two years.

The Bulldogs return three starters as well five other lettermen who played during the championship season of 2009. Taylor Cochran (6′3) and Kikko Haydar (5′9) were both selected All-Conference and All-State in 2009. Those two, along with Adam Nobel (6′5) are returning starters. Cochran is a big-time shooter who challenged the single-season three-point record a year ago. He averaged 12 points and 5 rebounds. Haydar is the point guard/quarterback that excels at running a team. He averaged 7 points and 4 assists last year. Both Cochran and Haydar are excellent defenders. Nobel is a blue-collar worker that plays physical. He has the ability to score from all over the floor. Jacob Baxter (6′4) was the sixth-man a year ago. He will be asked to adjust from a role-player to more of a scorer in the ‘10 season. Colton Primm (6′7) lettered last year and played some good minutes in the state tournament. He is a hard worker and very solid fundamentally solid. Jack Jones (5′9), Houston Hynes (6′1) and Bo Renner (6′1) also contributed off the bench and earned letters in 2009.  Jones is a hard-nosed worker. Hynes is a good athlete while Renner is a talented perimeter shooter. 6′7 junior transfer Derek Arnold, 6′6  junior Stephen Soerens and 6′5 soph Malik Fields are newcomers who can add depth and and could make an impact for the Dogs.

With Nobel, Baxter, Primm, Soerens, Arnold & Fields FHS will have more overall height than at any time in recent memory. The Bulldogs may add a few wrinkles to be able to take advantage of their size.