ROGERS — Max Hotelling had pretty much turned the page on his high school football career when Daryl Patton called to give him a final opportunity about a month ago.
Patton, the Fayetteville football coach and head coach of the West allstars, told Hotelling that he wanted him to participate in the Arkansas High School Coaches Association Football All-Star Game.
Hotelling was called after a player decided to drop out of the game, but Patton said that’s no reflection on Hotelling’s ability.
“From day one I knew about Max,” Patton said. “We played against him, coached against him and I knew how good he was. Max was on our radar. We couldn’t get him on originally, but I said if we had someone back out, Max would be the fi rst person we were gonna call.
“He’s a really intelligent kid, very strong especially in his upper body.”
Hotelling said he’s excited about being playing alongside some of the state’s top high school football players at 7 p.m. today in Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Making the all-star game was one of his career goals.
Rogers Heritage coach Perry Escalante wasn’t surprised that Patton called.
“He was really the anchor of our offensive line,” Escalante said. “He’s just a very solid football player. He doesn’t make mistakes. He made our calls and adjustments. He was the general on our off ensive line.”
Hotelling (6-foot-1, 260 pounds) was a three-year starter on the offensive line for the War Eagles and earned All-State honors as a senior. He also showed his versatility, playing center, guard and tackle at diff erent times during his high school career.
Escalante said Hotelling will carry on a strong tradition Heritage has built in its short history. Hotelling will be Heritage’s fourth football player to play in the all-star game in the school’s fouryear history
Hotelling’s versatility is a plus in the all-star game since he will play some tackle and could play some at guard, Patton said.
Hotelling has spent the past month working out and doing sprint work to prepare to play football at Central Methodist University in the fall. He and teammate Greg Allard spend a couple of hours fi ve nights a week working out in the Heritage weight room.
Allard will go from playing alongside Hotelling at Heritage to being his college roommate.
Hotelling said he’s excited about the chance to play college football, and coaches have told him he’ll get a chance to play center as a freshman.
“They had a two-year starter at center who graduated, and the coach told me the guy who started in the spring wasn’t getting it done,” Hotelling said. “I’m working hard to be ready when I report in August.”