Sylvan Hills Bears football showing success under new coach

After going winless the past two seasons, Sylvan Hills High School football has started out the season 3-0 behind a new head coach leading the way.

SHERWOOD, Ark. — The road from winless to winning hasn’t been easy. 

Sylvan Hills High School football has done the unthinkable this season. After going winless the past two seasons, this year the Bears have started out the season 3-0. 

It’s their best start since 2017, but players who were a part of the team the last few seasons admit it hasn’t been easy.

“It’s frustrating,” senior quarterback Tyler Hampton said. “You know you want to win, but you know we just have to learn from it.” 

“That 0-20 streak, it really hurt us bad, our morale for our team. It was pretty low,” said senior defensive end Jaiden Noble.

However, that was before new head coach Mark Kelley arrived in Sherwood. 

“First time introducing Coach Kelley, [I knew] he was the one,” Noble said. “He was the one for us.”

“Everything is just way more fun, just have fun, that’s the one thing he emphasized. Just have fun in what you’re doing, that’s what it’s all about it,” added Hampton.

Kelley has certainly brought something different — a new, fun, and exciting coaching style to Sylvan Hills. 

Though he says that it’s one thing to instill confidence in the off-season, and it’s a whole different thing when the kids actually start believing after they’ve won games.

“In the offseason, you can build confidence, but it might be a false confidence,” first-year head coach Mark Kelley said. “And then when you get out there and you actually have that success, you have a positive outcome, that’s when people really start to buy in.”

The team has certainly bought in already in the young season with a 3-0 start to the year heading into Friday’s conference opener with Marion. 

Hampton said that the journey to get there has taught him a lot. 

“Now you learn what it takes, what we need to do, what we needed to change, and so now it’s paying off, it’s a great feeling for everybody,” added Hampton. 

So, with a great start early in the season, the team’s confidence seems to be at an all-time high.

“I think whenever you think you’re good, a lot of times you find ways to win. And that’s kind of what we’ve built,” Kelley said. “Our guys believe they’re good and they believe they’re good because they worked hard.” 

“We feel like we could beat anybody we play, honestly. So state championship is what we’re here for and what we want to do,” said Hampton.

The sights are set high for Sylvan Hills, and the winless seasons now seem to be far in the rearview mirror.

The next chance the Bears will have to extend their win streak is Friday, September 26, at home as they open up conference play against Marion.

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