NLR adds So. Panola to schedule
North Little Rock will host powerhouse Batesville (Miss.) South Panola in Week 2 this fall, North Little Rock Athletic Director Kevin Danaher said.
South Panola, which competes in Mississippi’s largest classification, has won 10 state championships since 1993 and finished 13-2 last season, beating Brandon 31-23 to win the Class 6A state title.
South Panola won its final 11 games after a 41-6 loss at Bentonville on Sept. 14.
North Little Rock played at Longview, Texas, in Week 2 last fall, losing 30-14.
The Charging Wildcats needed a Week 2 opponent because the deal with Longview was for only one year.
Danaher said because of uncertainty regarding Arkansas Activities Association reclassification for the 2014-2016 cycle, the deal with South Panola is for only a year.
Bentonville will not have a return game this fall with South Panola, and instead will host another national power, Euless (Texas) Trinity, in Week 3.
MINERAL SPRINGS/MORRILTON Late signees
Rashad Williams of Mineral Springs, one of the most prolific rushers in Arkansas high school history, signed Friday morning with Henderson State, Hornets Coach Nick Evans said.
Morrilton utility back Jamar Criswell has signed with Missouri Western State, Devil Dogs Coach Cody McNabb said.
Both Williams and Criswell were members of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Super Sophomore team.
Williams, 5-8, 180 pounds, ran 560 times for 5,309 yards and 66 touchdowns in his career. He had 1,004 rushing yards last fall.
Criswell, 5-9, 160, ran 177 times for 1,025 yards and 15 touchdowns last season. He also caught 19 passes for 143 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Criswell missed much of his junior season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee.
Henderson and Missouri Western State met in last year’s NCAA Division II playoffs. Missouri Western State advanced with a 45-21 victory.
CARLISLE Bo knows rehab
Carlisle junior running back Bo Weddle said he’s almost fully recovered from surgery early last fall to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee.
Weddle, 5-11, 199 pounds, was a member of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Super Sophomore team after rushing 197 times for 1,697 yards and 21 touchdowns, helping the Bison reach the Class 2A state championship game.
Weddle injured his knee against Mountain Pine on Sept. 7.
He said in an e-mail that he was released to play March 21 and competed in a combine last Saturday at North Little Rock, where he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.63 seconds, had a 29-inch vertical jump and bench pressed 225 pounds 17 times.
“I was pleased with my numbers for my first time back,” Weddle said.
Weddle also finished second in the 198-pound division of the state high school weightlifting championships on April 6 at Russellville Junior High School. He bench pressed 325 pounds and power cleaned 250.
EXTRA POINTS
Vince McCrosky will coach Blytheville this fall after carrying an interim title in 2012, according to David Hixson, the school’s athletic director. … Dumas assistant Lee Atkins is the new coach at Berryville.
… West Fork defensive coordinator Brad Lindley is the school’s interim coach after Rodney Selph was named girls basketball coach at West Fork last week. … Shiloh Christian has hired John Durmon to coach running backs and head the strength and conditioning program, Saints Coach Josh Floyd said. A former standout linebacker at Warren, Durmon spent the past two seasons as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Arkansas. Durmon graduated from Warren in 2005, played fullback at Arkansas and was an assistant at Little Rock Catholic before moving to Shiloh Christian.
Sports, Pages 29 on 05/05/2013