Patton hopes to lead White Hall gridiron program back to brighter days

BY DUDLEY E. DAWSON

The White Hall football program has endured more than any group should have to over the past year, but is doing its best to look forward and not behind.

Tailback and track star Benjamin Reddix was shot to death in May 2022, a day before his the graduation of his senior class.

That was followed in late June by the tragic drowning of former Arkansas and NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett, who was headed into his third season as the Bulldogs head coach.

Interim head coach Jason Marshall took over for Mallett and guided a stunned team to a second straight 4-6 season.

Marshall will serve as the defensive coordinator this season for new head coach Daryl Patton, the former Fayetteville and Little Rock Southwest who was hired in December.

“We are excited about the opportunity,” Patton said. “…This is obviously my first year at White Hall. I got hired in late December, started there in the first of January.

“I have been very, very impressed with our kids, the community and faculty and the administration at White Hall.

“It is a tough, very resilient bunch after everything they went through last year with the passing of Benjamin Reddix and the end of the school year and then Ryan Mallett’s passing, it was a tough year. A lot of adversity.

“This group is very close, close knit, tight bond and they are not afraid of work.”

Patton’s review of last season’s White Hall squad showed a squad that was close to being better than a 4-6 one.

“Last year they went 4-6, but I’m telling you they could have easily been 8-2,” Patton said. “They lost…five games by less than a touchdown. They were in every game. We just didn’t come and get over the hump and find a way to finish games.

“That’s been the main priority this year – find a way to win games and find ways to get to the playoffs. I think we have a very competitive team that can compete with anybody in 5A.

“The University of Parkview is in a class right of their own right now, but our goal is definitely to make the playoffs and make a big push.”

White Hall is led by a senior quartet of captains in linebacker Savion Slater (6-6, 210), tailback Kylon Davis (5-9, 210), wide receiver Ivan Armour and center Nate Livingston (6-1, 290), who all who have college offers.

“I guess I could say that when Ryan Mallett passed away and Ben, they are positive impacts on the community so when they passed away, the community and the school came together,” Armour said.

Patton is a proponent of the spread offense and will return to that at White Hall after using the dead-T at Southwest.

He’ll do so with junior Wyatt Golden (6-2, 190) at quarterback, who he compares to a couple of his old Fayetteville signal callers that went on to play at Arkansas.

“At White Hall, we are very, very fortunate in that we have a lot of skill talent and a young quarterback that is a junior that I think will be one of the bvest quarterbacks in the state once he graduates,” Patton said. “He remains me a lot of a young Brandon Allen and Austin Allen.

“He’s got huge shoes to fill, but he works hard and had worked extremely hard this offseason and has the ability to spread the ball out to our playmakers.”

White Hall opens the regular season at Sheridan on Aug. 30 and then travels to Warren the following Friday before hosting Morrilton for its home opener on Sept. 13.

“As most high school coaches will tell you, we are not really deep so the depth really scares me,” Patton said. “With that being said, we are going to have to play guys both ways.

“As long as we stay healthy, we can show up and play with anybody on any Friday night.”

Photo by John D. James