High school football report

Register calls Ealy ‘huge hire’

Former Arkansas assistant Clifton Ealy joined Little Rock Central’s coaching staff last week.

“This is a huge hire for us,” Tigers Coach Ellis “Scooter” Register said.

Ealy, who will coach defense, brings an extensive resume to Central, which has overhauled its coaching staff in the off season.

Ealy, from Conway, had been defensive coordinator at Arkansas Baptist Junior College in Little Rock before moving to Central.

Among his prior stops included stints as secondary coach at Boise State in 1997 and linebackers coach at Arkansas in 1998-1999.

Ealy had been assistant athletic director for community relations at Ole Miss before returning to the sideline last season at Arkansas Baptist.

Central had an opening because linebackers coach Larry Siegel will only coach track at the school in 2013-2014, Register said.

Secondary coach Chris Johnson had earlier left to go into full-time administration, Register said.

Doug Stavey, a math facilitator in the North Little Rock School District, will coach defensive backs this fall.

Register has yet to announce a new defensive coordinator to replace Adam Acklin, who now holds the same title at Arkansas Baptist High School in Little Rock.

Siegel’s departure means Darrell Seward, assistant head coach/quarterbacks coach last fall, is the only remaining coaching holdover from Central’s Class AAAAA state championship teams in 2003 and 2004.

JACKSONVILLE Another direction

Jacksonville is ending its nonconference series with Cabot after this year, Jacksonville Athletic Director Jerry Wilson said, adding the growing enrollment difference between the schools factored into the decision.

Cabot has won seven consecutive games against Jacksonville since 2006, most in dominating fashion. Cabot hosts Jacksonville on Sept. 3.

Separated by only about 10 miles, Cabot and Jacksonville became conference opponents in 1987 and have continued to open against each other since sweeping reclassification in 2006 placed Cabot in 7A, the state’s largest classification, and Jacksonville in 6A.

But Jacksonville is now 5A, and the enrollment gap between it and Cabot continues to widen.

Based on enrollment figures the Arkansas Activities Association used for the 2014-2016 cycle, Cabot is the state’s third-largest school with an enrollment of 2,258 and Jacksonville is No. 46 (680).

Wilson said Jacksonville’s “tentative” nonconference schedule for the 2014-2016 cycle is Little Rock Christian, Benton and Maumelle.

MINERAL SPRINGS Burns takes over

Hope defensive coordinator Jason Burns is the new coach at Class 2A Mineral Springs.

Burns, 32, replaces Nick Evans, who left after one season to become offensive coordinator at Maumelle.

Evans said Mineral Springs struggled with numbers during the spring, and Burns said he expects to have around 20 players this fall.

7-ON-7 FOOTBALL Passing fancy

Forrest City and Salem claimed titles in Saturday’s Beast of the East 7-on-7 passing tournament at Hoxie. Forrest City beat Jonesboro 18-16 in the big-school final. Salem beat Hoxie 35-24 in the small school final. … Hermitage finished unbeaten to win its 7-on-7 tournament Saturday. … Defending Class 2A state champion Junction City beat Hamburg 23-17 in the championship game of Tuesday’s Parkers Chapel 7-on-7 tournament at Parkers Chapel. … Helena-West Helena Centralwill host one of the summer’s final major 7-on-7 tournaments Tuesday. Also entered are West Memphis, Forrest City, Wynne, Earle, Trumann and East Poinsett County.

EXTRA POINTS

Former North Little Rock assistant Gary Davis is the district’s new athletic director. … Defending Class 6A state champion Greenwood’s “tentative” nonconference schedule for the 2014-2016 cycle is Stillwater, Okla., Fort Smith Northside and Fort Smith Southside, Bulldogs Coach Rick Jones said. Greenwood had 94 players in the program earlier this month, Jones said. … Two-time defending Class 7A state champion Fayetteville needs three nonconference games in the next cycle, Bulldogs Coach Daryl Patton said. … Former Star City Coach Blair Brown said he will be an assistant this fall at Texarkana. … Chase Ellis, 8-33 the last four seasons at Class 2A Foreman, is now an assistant at Warren. Ellis was a standout linebacker for the Class 4A Lumberjacks in 1995-1997. … Former North Pulaski coach Terrod Hatcher is now ninth-grade coach at Jacksonville. … Junction City won’t try to fill a Week 10 open date this fall, Dragons Coach David Carpenter said, after 8-2A rival Norphlet canceled its season because of low numbers. … Former Shiloh Christian standout wide receiver Crosby Tuck is returning to the school as a football/baseball assistant. Tuck had been coaching at Brooksville (Fla.) Central and replaces Jimmy Harris, now baseball coach at Stillwater, Okla. Shiloh has promoted assistant Moe Henry to replace Harris. … Stuttgart Coach Billy Elmore (state delegate) attended the NFL Foundation-USA Football Youth Summit last week in Canton, Ohio. Elmore, who led the Ricebirds to the Class 4A state championship last fall, is president of the Arkansas Football Coaches Association. … Jacksonville tight end Brandon Brockman is walking on Arkansas State, Red Devils Coach Rick Russell said.