High school football report

— Assistant suspended after post

Warren assistant coach Matt Raper won’t coach football again this fall after violating the district’s social network policy last week, Superintendent Andrew Tolbert said.

The suspension stems from a post on Raper’s Facebook page regarding the presidential election, which Tolbert described as “unacceptable.”

Tolbert said Raper was not allowed to coach in Warren’s 36-19 victory over Lonoke in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs last Friday night.

Warren (8-3) hosts Malvern tonight in a second-round game.

Raper is at least the second Arkansas high school football coach to be disciplined this fallbecause of a post on a social network site.

Fayetteville defensive coordinator Brian Early was suspended for the school’s Aug. 30 season opener against Memphis University School for a football related message on his Twitter account a few weeks earlier.

PINE BLUFF Young guns

Pine Bluff Coach Bobby Bolding said several of his most promising ninth-graders have been promoted to the varsity since the end the junior high season.

Bolding said safety Ladarius Skelton was the team’s defensive player of the week after recording 2 “knockout hits,” 3 tackles, 1 caused fumble and 1 interception in last week’s 57-0 victory over Little Rock Hall in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs.

Skelton is also working at quarterback. He went through spring practice with the varsity before Bolding decided to keep him on the junior high team.

Linebacker Romar Reades is on the second team and playing on special teams, Bolding said.

Second-team linemen, Bolding said, include Jordan O’Guinn and John Tate, the son of the former Watson Chapel and Arkansas State basketball standout.

Bolding said Tate, 6-3, 230 pounds, will give the Zebras “bookend” tight ends next fall.

Sophomore tight end Will Gragg, 6-4, 235, has already been offered a scholarship by Arkansas.

Pine Bluff (10-1) hosts Benton in a quarterfinal game tonight.

CARLISLE EPC - again

Carlisle vs. East Poinsett County is becoming a postseason tradition as the Class 2A heavyweights will meet for the third consecutive year tonight in a second-round playoff game at Lepanto.

Carlisle (9-1) eliminated EPC (10-1) in a second-round game in 2010 (34-28 in overtime) and in the semifinals last fall (34-7).

Both of those meetings were in Carlisle.

“It’s becoming a ritual,” Bison Coach Scott Waymire said. “Lord,EPC and Carlisle have got to find each other somewhere in the playoffs.”

Carlisle has won four consecutive games since a 16-14 loss against Hazen on Oct. 12.

In its last trip to northeast Arkansas, Carlisle beat Class 3A power Osecola 22-18 on Sept. 14.

The Bison were playing their first game since losing standout junior running back Bo Weddle to a season-ending knee injury.

Waymire said several players have raised their level of play since Weddle was injured, including senior quarterback Chris Hart and junior running back Deron Ricks.

“Everybody has to carry a little bit of what Bo did,” Waymire said.

“We’ve had guys contribute and make plays to put us where we are right now.”

Weddle was a member of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Super Sophomore team after rushing 197 times for 1,697 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Weddle suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament Sept. 7 against Mountain Pine. He is about two weeks ahead of schedule in rehabilitation, Waymire said.

Sports, Pages 24 on 11/16/2012

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