High school football report

— PA gets Memphis in opener

Pulaski Academy will open this fall at home against Memphis University School, Bruins Coach Kevin Kelley said.

Pulaski Academy opened last fall at West Hills (Calif.) Chaminade in a game arranged by West Coast-based Hercules Sports Management.

Kelley said the game with Memphis came after Bruins assistant Madison Taylor told him the school had an opening. Taylor is from Tennessee, Kelley said.

Memphis beat eventual Class 7A state champion Fayetteville 42-20 on Aug.

30 at Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.

Fayetteville will open this fall against Warren.

Kelley said Pulaski Academy is scheduled to open 2014 and 2015 at tradition-rich Highland Park, Texas, a suburban Dallas school.

ALL-STAR GAME Football Friday

The Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star football game will be played on Friday this season, a day later than previous years.

Arkansas Activities Association Executive Director Lance Taylor said the change was part of an overall tweaking of the All-Star week calendar.

“Everything is just moved back a day,” Taylor said.

The football game is June 21 at Central Arkansas’ Estes Stadium.

Taylor said because Father’s Day is June 15, All-Star officials wanted players to have a chance to spend that Sunday with their families instead of reporting to UCA, where the games will be played.

Securing a venue for the AHSCA golf tournament also would be difficult that Sunday because of Father’s Day, Taylor said.

“We also think the crowd could be bigger for the football game on Friday,” Taylor said.

The All-Star games were moved to UCA this year after being played the last decade on the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

BENTONVILLE Still looking

Bentonville Coach Barry Lunney said the Tigers still haven’t secured a Week 3 opponent this fall.

Lunney said Bentonville has a chance to play in a Texas classic, but is also working on a home game against another out-of-state opponent.

Bentonville beat Batesville (Miss.) South Panola 41-6 in Week 3 last fall. South Panola went on to win the Class 6A state championship in Mississippi. Bentonville was runner-up in Class 7A.

Lunney also said he hopes to name an offensive coordinator in the next two months to replace his son, Barry Lunney Jr., who is now tight ends coach at Arkansas.

“I’ve got a couple of people I want to talk to that I’m very interested in,” Lunney said. “I’m looking for the right fit.”

Lunney said he wouldn’t rule out promoting an assistant on his staff.

JONESBORO Stafford update

Jonesboro Coach Randy Coleman said All-Arkansas running back Martin Stafford plans to visit Holmes (Miss.) Community College.

Coleman said Stafford, 5-8, 195 pounds, may go the junior college route in an attempt to sign with an NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision school in two years.

Stafford rushed 248 times for 1,936 yards and 26 touchdowns last fall, breaking his single-season school record.

Sports, Pages 30 on 01/26/2013

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