IT’S EVERY QUARTERBACK’S DREAM TO PLAY IN A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. JUST MAYBE IT WASN’T THE WAY A 15 YEAR OLD JACKSON ARNOLD HAD DREAMT IT. THRUST INTO THE 6-A DIVISION 2 FINAL AS A FRESHMAN AFTER STARTER, ELI STOWERS, LEFT WITH AN INJURY, WAS A SURREAL MOMENT. ARNOLD HAD ONLY TAKEN 2 SNAPS ALL SEASON AND EVERY BEING TAKEN TO THE TURF SEVERAL TIMES BY A DOMINANT AUSTIN WESTLAKE DEFENSE, JACKSON WAS BEATEN….BUT NOT DISCOURAGED.
ARNOLD MAY HAVE BEEN THROWN INTO THE FIRE AS A FRESHMAN, BUT HE CAME OUT THE OTHER SIDE AND HAS NOT LOOKED BACK. LAST YEAR, HE LED THE WILDCATS BACK TO THE STATE TITLE GAME AS HE THREW FOR JUST UNDER 4,000 YARDS, 34 TOUCHDOWNS AND ONLY 5 PICKS. AND THIS YEAR THROUGH 3 GAMES, JACKSON HAS TOSSED 10 MORE TOUCHDOWNS AND NO INTERCEPTIONS. ARNOLD IS THRIVING ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD AND LOVES PUTTING IN THE WORK OFF OF IT.
ARNOLD HAS CERTAINLY MADE IT LOOK EASY ON THE GRIDIRON AND NOT ONLY LOCALLY TOO. THIS SUMMER HE BECAME THE FIRST D-F-W QUARTERBACK SINCE MATTHEW STAFFORD TO BE NAMED THE TOP Q-B AT THE ELITE 11. HE WAS COMMITTED TO OKLAHOMA AND BY THE TIME HE’S BEHIND CENTER IN NORMAN, THE SOONERS COULD ALREADY BE IN THE S-E-C. BUT BEFORE THEN, ARNOLD HOPES TO LEAD GUYER TO ANOTHER STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME WHILE PLAYING FOR HIS 3RD HEAD COACH IN 4 YEARS.