Sports Editor Mark Buffalo wrote this story.

Former Carlisle Bison football coach James Clayton, who helped put Carlisle on the small-school football map, was honored during Friday night’s halftime of the Bison’s season-opener with Lake Village. 

Clayton, who won 151 games in 14 seasons as head coach, was surrounded by hundreds of his former players as the field house was named in his honor — James L. Clayton Fieldhouse.  

Clayton came to Carlisle starting with the 1988-89 school year, serving as the defensive coordinator for new head football coach Steve Shock. Clayton was also the girls basketball coach. 

When Shock left Carlisle after only one season, Clayton was promoted to head football coach. At the same time, the Bison dropped from Class AA, playing Lonoke and Beebe as conference games, to Class A, playing Augusta, Des Arc and Hazen in conference action. 

In 1989, the Bison went 11-3, advancing to the first of four-state title games under Clayton, losing to Barton 34-6. The Bears were in the middle of their state-record 63-game winning streak. 

Carlisle went on to play in three other state title games in 1991, 1993 and 1999, losing each time, but Clayton had established the Bison as one of the premier small-school programs in the state. 

During Clayton’s tenure, the Bison had a 50-game conference winning streak from 1989 to 1997. That ranks fourth all-time. His 1993 team scored 103 rushing touchdowns, which ranked third all time. His team in 1993 allowed only six regular-season points and 13 for the season which leads both categories all-time. 

“I couldn’t even begin to tell you,” Clayton said in a recent interview, referring to the honor he was receiving. “I’ve been gone for 23 years. I honestly thought they might do that when I left. If it weren’t for the kids and the administration and all the fans we really had … when we’d go on the road, we’d have more fans there. I think all that combined, and Dr. [Ron] Wilson really pushed it to get this done.”

Clayton was referring to the field house makeover in the mid 1990s. 

“It was amazing for me,” Clayton said, referring to his time at Carlisle. “It went by too quickly for me. You’ve got to give credit to how hard all these kids worked and how their parents pushed them.”

“It all goes back to Carlisle, home-grown kids and the parents wanting a program like we had. Of course, winning helps a lot,” he added.