Ray Sessions is back at his alma mater.
The former Little Rock McClellan assistant coach will serve as an assistant under Ellis “Scooter” Register this fall at Little Rock Central.
“It was a chance to be back home,” said Sessions, a 1993 Central graduate who played football at the University of Central Arkansas.
Sessions, 41, had worked at McClellan for three years under Maurice Moody, helping lead the Crimson Lions to the Class 5A state championship game last season against Pulaski Academy. He was McClellan’s wrestling coach for three seasons and earned the All-Arkansas Preps wrestling coach of the year award earlier this year. Sessions said Friday that he was unsure if he’ll coach wrestling at Central.
Before arriving at McClellan, Sessions was the head coach at Woodlawn in 2011 and 2012. He was an assistant coach at West Memphis and Conway before going to Woodlawn.
Sessions will coach linebackers at Central. He was with the Tigers on Friday at the storm-shortened Garrett Uekman 7-on-7 Tournament at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
Being back at Central is important for Sessions.
“It’s nostalgic walking through that stadium [Quigley-Cox Stadium],” Sessions said. “My letterjacket is in a frame on a wall in my house.”
But for Sessions, the crosstown move was not just about returning to his alma mater, but about family as well.
Sessions’ son, Jonathan, a backup quarterback at Pulaski Heights Middle School, plans to play at Central in the fall of 2017. Before the 2015 season began, Sessions told Moody that he had one year left at McClellan, as he wanted to see his son play high school football.
“I’m going to watch every game my son plays,” Sessions said. “I’m not going to miss anything he does.”
Leaving McClellan was difficult but necessary, Session said.
“It’s not about McClellan. It’s not about Coach Moody,” he said. “We’ve got a great relationship.
“It’s a lifelong dream to coach at Central.”
PULASKI ROBINSON
Going back to 7-4A
Pulaski Robinson returns to the 7-4A Conference after a two-year hiatus.
The Senators will play in what might be the toughest Class 4A conference, which includes defending state champion Nashville and perennial contenders Arkadelphia, Fountain Lake, Malvern and Ashdown.
“Every week is going to be a playoff game,” Robinson Coach Todd Eskola said. “Every place you go is tradition-rich.
“We think we’re going to be battle-tested getting ready for the playoffs.”
When the Arkansas Activities Association released its original 2016-2018 conference realignment plan in 2015, Robinson was scheduled to stay in the 4-4A. But ultimately, Robinson swapped spots with Waldron and moved back to the 7-4A.
“We enjoyed our time in the 4,” Eskola said. “But we had three games where our starters played 10 snaps or less. We had to pull them because we’re old school and we don’t believe in running up the score on anybody. It’s like they [our starters] had a week off. It’s hard to teach them you’ve got to be up every week when you know, ‘this week I don’t have to be up, we’re going to beat them anyway.’
“You don’t have that in the 7. If you don’t bring your A-game, you’re going to get beat.
“Only five teams make the playoffs. There’s going to be an awfully good football team that doesn’t make the playoffs this year. I just hope it’s not us.”
The Senators (9-3 in 2015) will be led by senior running back and linebacker Myles Fells, who scored 10 touchdowns last season, including eight rushing. Fells announced Friday on Twitter that he’s orally committing to Navy. Commitments are nonbinding.
Pulaski Robinson opens the season Aug. 29, against Hot Springs Lakeside at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
ASHDOWN
Expecting more
Two of Ashdown’s four losses in 2015 came to the teams that played in the Class 4A state championship game.
The Panthers, who finished 8-4 in 2015, lost to eventual state champion and 7-4A Conference rival Nashville 37-18 in Week 7 and were eliminated by 4A runner-up Prairie Grove 34-24 in the semifinals.
Ashdown Coach Matt Richardson’s team is led by senior free safety Montaric Brown (6-1, 180 pounds) who had five interceptions last season. Also returning is junior quarterback Jaden Hill, who started 12 games as a sophomore in 2015, passing for 1,069 yards with 8 touchdowns.
Richardson said he believes his team is close to representing Class 4A at War Memorial Stadium in December.
“It’s exciting,” Richardson said. “We have to put it altogether. We have to stay humble and not worry about what potential we have, but worry about what we have to do every day. Every game in the 7-4A is a tough ballgame.”
Ashdown travels to Monticello on Sept. 2 in its season opener.
EXTRA POINTS
Pulaski Academy won the Auburn University 7-on-7 Tournament on Thursday, defeating Mays, Ga., in the championship. The twotime defending Class 5A state champions finished 9-0 in the tournament. Former Bruins wide receiver Will Hastings will be a sophomore this fall at Auburn. … Forty-two schools will have new head coaches this fall, including Fayetteville (Bill Blankenship), Bryant (Buck James), Benton (Brad Harris) and Lake Hamilton (Jeremy Reed). … The first day of fall practice is Aug. 1. Teams cannot wear full gear until after their third practice.