The Wal-Mart Visitors Center and Crystal Bridges aren't the only attractions in Bentonville to receive national attention.
The high school athletic program in Bentonville is considered the nation's best.
Says who?
Says MaxPreps, an online media company that covers high school sports. MaxPreps compiled a list of the high school programs in the country and declared Bentonville the nation's best for the 2013-14 school year.
The MaxPreps Cup rankings give points to a school for state championships or runnerup finishes in a number of sports. Bentonville won state championships in eight sports this year that MaxPreps recognizes, including football, boys and girls track, and boys and girls soccer, where the participation rates are high. Winning a state championship in football, for instance, earns a school more points than winning in golf or tennis.
"When you start to consider there are more than 25,000 schools nationally, it's a huge honor," Bentonville athletic director Scott Passmore said. "It's a tribute to our staff, our administration and community, as well as those who support us."
Congratulations, Bentonville. Your city continues to bring positive attention to a state where long-held perceptions are mostly negative. But it must be pointed out that winning a state championship in Arkansas is easier than in most states.
The largest classification in Arkansas consists of only two conferences with eight teams apiece. That's not the fault of Bentonville, but the fault of the Arkansas Activities Association, where voters decided to split Class 7A and 6A nearly 10 years ago. Bentonville football coach Barry Lunney, especially, has been critical of the move from the outset.
Bentonville and Fayetteville field one unified team in the 7A-West while Rogers, Springdale, and Fort Smith each field two in all sports. That'll change in 2016, when Bentonville splits and the Bentonville West Wolverines join the Tigers in the 7A-West.
Still, Bentonville's No. 1 ranking by a well-respected media outlet is quite an honor.
Did you know Bentonville initially resisted joining the league it now controls? It happened in 1989 when Bentonville was assigned to a higher classification by the AAA. Bentonville said no and played as an independent for two years before joining Springdale, Fayetteville, Rogers, Russellville and the two Fort Smith schools in the AAAA-West.
Bentonville's early struggles were predictable and the Tigers went 0-7 in league play in 1991. Gradually, Bentonville became more competitive in all sports with the help of a growing population and economic prosperity in Benton County.
Bentonville showed the rest of the state it had arrived in 2001, when the Tigers won the Class AAAAA state championship under Gary Wear. The Tigers finished 12-1 that year after beginning the season unranked by the Associated Press in its Top 10 poll.
Bentonville hit another lull in football until Lunney decided to leave Fort Smith Southside and take over the Tigers' program in 2005. Bentonville paid Lunney well and he added top assistant coaches like Tony Cherico, a former All-American at noseguard for the Razorbacks.
Bentonville won its second state championship in football in 2008 and the Tigers are the defending state champions again after beating Cabot 39-28 in last year's title game. In September, Bentonville will begin another march to War Memorial Stadium after winning its sixth consecutive league championship.
Bentonville should also be a state title contender in basketball with the return of Malik Monk, a junior who is already one of the nation's top recruits. Then comes 2015, when Bentonville again hopes to dominate the spring sports after winning titles in boys and girls track and boys and girls soccer.
So congratulations, Bentonville, for being ranked the No. 1 high school sports program in America for 2013-14.
Now, can you please finish that bypass around Bentonville and Bella Vista?
RICK FIRES IS A SPORTS WRITER FOR NWA MEDIA
Sports on 07/27/2014