Following an 8-3 football season and two back-to-back conference championships, the Arkadelphia Badgers are ready to claw their way to being state champs for the upcoming season.
After overcoming a disappointing 0-3 start to the ’23 season the Badgers blasted their way through each conference matchup, ending the season with an 8-3 record and clenching the 4A-7 title.
Head football coach Trey Schucker spoke Thursday to members of the Arkadelphia Lions Club, offering insights on the team’s strengths and its challenges ahead of the 2024 season.
The gridiron Badgers remain busy in the off-season, with conditioning and weight-lifting. In fact, Schucker said successful football programs work year-round — minus all of five weeks — to prep for pigskin action.
Schucker said he spends time not only strengthening the team physically but also mentally; an elective leadership study, held each Friday in the classroom, explores the pages of a book titled “Stick Together” about coming together as a team.
So how are the Badgers looking this year?
The team lost 17 seniors, which he said is “pretty standard” for football programs this size, but most offensive linemen are returning for 2024. With several contenders for the position Schucker has yet to name a quarterback, a decision he said will be made come August.
He expects to continue a 50/50 run/pass strategy to get the ball down the field.
Defensively, “we’re bringing back some talented players,” Schucker said, admitting that most of them were not in the starting lineup last year. However, the defensive line remains a “strong suit” for the Badgers.
Schucker said he’s optimistic about the team’s overall size, strength and speed.
Is a state championship likely for the Badgers? Looking at Schucker’s record, it’s definitely possible. The Clarksville native’s coaching career began as an offensive coordinator at Searcy High School, where Schucker helped to lead the Lions to a state championship in his fifth year before taking the role as top Badger.
He enters the 2024 season with an overall 36-11 record during his first four seasons as coach.
“Success is a decision you make,” Schucker said, adding that’s the message he constantly sends to his players.
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