Greene County Tech succeeding under Conaway

Greene County Tech succeeding under Conaway
October 1, 2008

By Barry Groomes
Hootens.com

Rarely does the local kid return to coach his alma mater and immediately succeed, but Jeff Conaway has at Greene County Tech.

The Eagles ride a three-game win streak into Friday's game at Wynne. Ironically, Conaway quarterbacked the last GCT team to post a three-game win streak (1998), but he was in junior high the last time the Eagles beat Wynne (1995).

Conaway journeyed the state before coming home last spring to take over a program that was winless in 2007 and won just eight games in five years under former coach Mark Ford. Conaway roomed with record-setting Shiloh Christian quarterback Josh Floyd at Ouachita Baptist University and eventually joined Head coach Floyd at Shiloh, coaching in state title games the past two years.

Conaway immediately installed the Spread offense at Greene County Tech, and also walked the hallways to bolster participation and reach out to players who quit the team under Ford.

"I credit Josh Floyd, (University of Tulsa O-coordinator) Gus Malzahn and (former head coach at national-power Southlake Carroll, Texas, and current head coach at North Texas) Todd Dodge with helping me understand how the Spread works," Conaway says. "I talk to all of them on a regular basis and ask them about trick plays and formations. Gus and Todd always take my calls and they've gone out of their way to help me."

Conaway and his staff began promoting a winning attitude in the spring by rewarding small successes in the weight room and finding positives during spring practice. Greene County Tech then competed well in seven-on-seven tournaments during the summer.

Senior quarterback Seth Tripod (6-2, 195) flourishes in the new scheme, amassing more than 1,200 total yards in just a month. Tripod passed for 445 yards and ran for 120 yards in last week's 53-44 win over Forrest City. "He can run the ball a little and throw it a mile," Conaway says. "He can play at the next level."

Senior running back Standrick Williams (6-1, 160) tallied more than 300 all-purpose yards and four TDs against Forrest City, while the defense made some key stops in the second half.

"We feel as good as we have in many years," the coach says. "In the past 10 years, there hasn't been this kind of excitement around here for football."