Thornsberry believes a rebuilt defense can help team in another title quest

By Buck Ringgold

In its illustrious history, Greenwood’s football program has tallied three straight state championships on two separate occasions.

The Bulldogs now have a chance to “three-peat” for the third time this upcoming season.

Lawyer Thornsberry, a senior receiver/safety for the Bulldogs, is one player determined to walk out of Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium with another title trophy in tow.

“It would mean a ton to me and the guys who have been here and worked to get to where we are,” Thornsberry said. “Getting three state titles in a row is an accolade hard to come by; it takes dedication and (tenacity) to be able to make it happen.”

The Bulldogs should be favored to play for another Class 6A title, especially with several offensive playmakers back. But defense is a different story, as the Bulldogs must fill several holes.

Thornsberry is one of the team’s few returning starters on defense. However, he is of the steadfast belief that the defense will just reload rather than simply rebuild.

“Plain and simple, we’ve just gotta do our jobs on defense,” he said. “We know our offense will score, so as long as we get stops and force turnovers, I say we will be very successful.”

Last season, Thornsberry logged 28 total tackles, with a season-high of 6 coming in the Bulldogs’ 61-35 win against Shiloh Christian in the 6A championship game, capping a 13-0 season. He also intercepted a pass in a regular-season win against Van Buren.

“My strengths on the field are being able to cover in the secondary, reading the quarterback as well as making plays on the ball,” Thornsberry said.

Thornsberry, who is an honor roll student with a 3.5 grade-point average, spent the offseason not only getting faster but also getting much stronger.

“I’ve been in the weight room this whole offseason, which is another one of my strengths,” Thornsberry said. “I’ve broken the bench press record for my weight while doing so, while getting routes in at the field and working on covering with (defensive backs coach Percy) Arnold.”

Photo by Lawyer Thornsberry