FAYETTEVILLE — New Fayetteville quarterback Darius Bowers knows he is following in some big footsteps as he takes over the signal caller duties for the Purple Bulldogs.
The last three starters - Brandon Allen (Arkansas), Austin Allen (Arkansas) and Taylor Powell (Missouri) have all won state championships and gone on to sign with SEC schools.
Bowers (6-2, 190), a junior and class of 2019 prospect, certainly wants to do the same.
“It’s just a blessing,” Bowers said. “I am excited to get this opportunity and I am going to try and keep the tradition going.”
Bowers played the third series of every game last season and also saw second-half action to get used to 7A-West competition.
“I learn a lot from getting to play some last season and I am certainly going to be better because of that,” Bowers said. “I also learned a lot from Taylor. He’s a great quarterback and helped me a lot.”
Bowers realizes he is far from a finished project.
“I feel strong about my progressions,” Bowers said. “What I need to work on is my deep ball and getting in the weight room and getting stronger.”
Not only does Fayetteville have a new quarterback, but a new head coach in Billy Dawson, who led Russellville to the Class 6A state title last season.
“The transition has been great,” Bowers said. “Coach Dawson is a great coach. He is very intelligent and really knows what he is talking about.”
Dawson likes what he has seen out of Bowers.
“I love his temperament,” Dawson said. “I love his attitude, I love his mentality. He is a guy that soaks it in. His ball comes out really nice and he has done a great job. He is a quiet guy, but he is a sponge. It has been fun watching him grow and get better.”
Bowers is starting to get some recruiting attention even if he hasn’t started a game yet.
“I gotten a few letters and some interest and I am still going to go to a few camps this summer at Kansas and (Louisiana-Monroe).”
Fayetteville returns just five starters, four on offense, from a team that went 12-1 last season and won their second consecutive Class 7A state title.
The Purple Bulldogs have never had an undefeated season in their 110-year history and have only won three conference titles in 50 years, but grabbed a share last season.
But they have been very proficient in the playoffs and have won recent state championships in 2007, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2016.
“We’re young,” Dawson said. “We lost a bunch of talented players, but I really like our players. A lot of them are like Darius. They are just fun to be around.”