JC WESTSIDE
Rebels revel in big win
Arkansas Sports Media High School Football Poll
Following is the Overall top 10 overall high school football teams in Arkansas and the top five in Classes 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A and 2A, as voted by a panel of sports media from around Arkansas for the week ending September 8. Ranking is given with first-place votes received, records, total points and last week’s rankings:
OVERALL
^Record^Pts^Prv
North Little Rock (31)^2-0^326^1
Bryant (1)^2-0^274^2
Fayetteville^^2-0^244^3
Conway (1)^3-0^189^5
FS Northside^3-0^185^4
Pulaski Academy^2-0^151^6
Cabot^2-0^124^7
Greenwood^1-1^88^9
Springdale^3-0^53^—
Warren^1-0^50^—
Others receiving votes: Bentonville 31, West Memphis 22, LR Christian 16, Bentonville West 11, Pine Bluff 10, FS Southside 8, Joe T. Robinson 6, Nashville 6, Rivercrest 5, Benton 3, Clinton 2, Hazen 1, Searcy 1.
CLASS 6A
^Record^Pts^Prv
Greenwood (24)^1-1^132^1
West Memphis (6)^2-0^120^2
Benton^1-1^103^4
Pine Bluff (3)^0-1-1^84^3
Searcy^3-0^44^—
Others receiving votes: El Dorado 14 Jonesboro 2, Lake Hamilton 1.
CLASS 5A
^Record^Pts^Prv
Pulaski Academy (29)^2-0^161^1
LR Christian (3)^2-0^121^2
LR McClellan ^2-0^72^4^
Harrison^3-0^59^5
Texarkana (1)^2-1^52^3
Others receiving votes: Watson Chapel 14, Nettleton 10, Morrilton 2, Greenbrier.
Class 4A
^Record^Pts^Prv
Warren (32)^1-0^164^1
Joe T. Robinson^1-1^119^2
Nashville (1)^3-0^109^3
Rivercrest^2-0^43^4
Southside Batesville^1-1^33^5
Others receiving votes: Dardanelle 15, Bauxite 9, Arkadelphia 5, Gosnell 2, Pea Ridge 2, Shiloh Christian 2, DeWitt 1, Fountain Lake 1.
CLASS 3A
^Record^Pts^Prv
Booneville (26)^3-0^157^1
Clinton (4) ^2-0^124^2
Prescott (2)^2-0^87^3
Mayflower (2-0)^53^5
McGehee (1)^0-2^18^4
Others receiving votes:, Smackover 13, Charleston 11, Rison 9, Osceola 9, Atkins 5, Newport 3, Melbourne 2, Glen Rose 1, Rose Bud 1.
CLASS 2A
^Record^Pts^Prv
Mount Ida (22) ^2-0^141^1
Foreman (8)^1-0^116^2
Hazen (2) ^1-0^93^3
Junction City (1)^1-1^70^4
Mineral Springs^2-0^15^—
Others receiving votes: Conway Christian 12, Hampton 11, Bigelow 9, DesArc 2, McCrory 2, Earle 1, Hector 1, England 1, Salem 1.
Conference Standings
7A-WEST CONFERENCE
^Conference^^Overall
TEAM^W-L^Pts.^W-L
Springdale High^0-0^0^3-0
Fayetteville^0-0^0^2-0
Springdale Har-Ber^0-0^0^1-1
Van Buren^0-0^0^1-1
Rogers High^0-0^0^0-1
Rogers Heritage^0-0^0^0-2
Bentonville High^0-0^0^0-3
Bentonville West^0-0^0^0-3
Last Week’s Scores
Bryant 17, Bentonville West 10
Rogers High at LR Central, canceled (weather)
Springdale High 37, Alma 7
Springdale Har-Ber 27, Russellville 7
FS Northside 46, Van Buren 21
Aledo, Texas 51, Bentonville High 14 (Sat.)
Fayetteville, Rogers Heritage open
This Week’s Games
Fayetteville at Bryant
FS Southside at Rogers Heritage
LR Parkview at Rogers High
Springdale Har-Ber at Pine Bluff
Siloam Springs at Van Buren
Bentonville High, Bentonville West, Springdale High open
7A-CENTRAL CONFERENCE
^Conference^^Overall
TEAM^W-L^Pts.^W-L
Conway^0-0^0^3-0
FS Northside^0-0^0^3-0
Bryant^0-0^0^2-0
Cabot^0-0^0^2-0
LR Catholic^0-0^0^2-0
North Little Rock^0-0^0^2-0
LR Central^0-0^0^1-1
FS Southside^0-0^0^1-1
Last Week’s Scores
Bryant 17, Bentonville West 10
Cabot 27, El Dorado 10
Conway 37, Jonesboro 16
FS Northside 46, Van Buren 21
Greenwood 52, FS Southside 27
LR Catholic 42, Jacksonville 0
Rogers High at LR Central, canceled (weather)
North Little Rock 35, Shreveport Evangel 20
This Week’s Games
Fayetteville at Bryant
Cabot at Benton
FS Southside at Rogers Heritage
Jonesboro at LR Catholic
Memphis (Tenn.) Whitehaven at North Little Rock
Conway, FS Northside, LR Central open
6A-WEST CONFERENCE
^Conference^^Overall
TEAM^W-L^Pts.^W-L
Sheridan^0-0^0^2-0
Lake Hamilton^0-0^0^2-0
Benton^0-0^0^1-1
Greenwood^0-0^0^1-1
Russellville^0-0^0^1-1
Siloam Springs^0-0^0^1-1
El Dorado^0-0^0^1-2
LR Hall^0-0^0^0-1
Last Week’s Scores
Cabot 27, El Dorado 10
Greenwood 52, FS Southside 27
Lake Hamilton 56, Malvern 10
LR Hall at Pulaski Mills, canceled
Springdale Har-Ber 27, Russellville 7
Harrison 42, Siloam Springs 7
Benton, Sheridan open
This Week’s Games
Cabot at Benton
Sand Springs (Okla.) Page at Greenwood
Lake Hamilton at Hot Springs
LR Hall at Jacksonville
Russellville at Alma
White Hall at Sheridan
Siloam Springs at Van Buren
El Dorado open
5A-WEST CONFERENCE
^Conference^^Overall
TEAM^W-L^Pts.^W-L
Harrison^0-0^0^3-0
Farmington^0-0^0^2-0
Greenbrier^0-0^0^2-0
Huntsville^0-0^0^2-0
Clarksville^0-0^0^1-2
Morrilton^0-0^0^1-2
Vilonia^0-0^0^0-2
Alma^0-0^0^0-2
Last Week’s Scores
Springdale High 37, Alma 7
Ozark 42, Clarksville 13
Farmington 49, Gravette 2
Greenbrier 41, Heber Springs 16
Harrison 42, Siloam Springs 7
Huntsville 21, Berryville 14
Morrilton 47, LR Fair 12
Maumelle 62, Vilonia 22
This Week’s Games
Russellville at Alma
Farmington at Pea Ridge
Greenbrier at LR Christian
Huntsville at Elkins
Beebe at Vilonia
Clarksville, Harrison, Morrilton open
4A-1 CONFERENCE
^Conference^^Overall
TEAM^W-L^Pts.^W-L
Lincoln^0-0^0^2-0
Berryville^0-0^0^1-1
Shiloh Christian^0-0^0^1-1
Gentry^0-0^0^0-2
Gravette^0-0^0^0-2
Green Forest^0-0^0^0-2
Pea Ridge^0-0^0^0-2
Prairie Grove^0-0^0^0-2
Last Week’s Scores
Huntsville 21, Berryville 14
Farmington 49, Gravette 2
Commerce, Okla. 32, Green Forest 0
Lincoln 40, Park Hill (Okla.) Keys 7
Dardanelle 35, Prairie Grove 17
Shiloh Christian 35, Trumann 7
Gentry, Pea Ridge open
This Week’s Games
Yellville-Summit at Berryville
Greenland at Gentry
Gravette at Jay, Okla.
West Fork at Green Forest
Lincoln at Subiaco Academy
Prairie Grove at Pottsville
Farmington at Pea Ridge
Beggs, Okla. at Shiloh Christian
4A-4 CONFERENCE
^Conference^^Overall
TEAM^W-L^Pts.^W-L
Dardanelle^0-0^0^3-0
Elkins^0-0^0^2-0
Mena^0-0^0^2-1
Pottsville^0-0^0^1-1
Ozark^0-0^0^1-1
Subiaco Academy^0-0^0^1-1
Waldron^0-0^0^1-1
Dover^0-0^0^0-2
Last Week’s Scores
Dardanelle 35, Prairie Grove 17
Danville 43, Dover 19
Elkins 54, West Fork 0
Mena 19, Hot Springs 0
Ozark 42, Clarksville 13
Booneville 28, Pottsville 26
Lamar 34, Subiaco Academy 12
Waldron 54, Paris 28
This Week’s Games
Dover at Fountain Lake
Huntsville at Elkins
Ozark at Charleston
Prairie Grove at Pottsville
Lincoln at Subiaco Academy
Waldron at Danville
Dardanelle, Mena open
3A-1 CONFERENCE
^Conference^^Overall
TEAM^W-L^Pts.^W-L
Booneville^0-0^0^3-0
Mansfield^0-0^0^3-0
Lamar^0-0^0^2-0
Charleston^0-0^0^1-1
Greenland^0-0^0^1-1
Cedarville^0-0^0^1-2
West Fork^0-0^0^0-2
Paris^0-0^0^0-3
Last Week’s Scores
Booneville 28, Pottsville 26
Bigelow 25, Cedarville 20
Greenland 53, Mountainburg 39
Lamar 34, Subiaco Academy 12
Mansfield 47, Lavaca 0
Waldron 54, Paris 28
Elkins 54, West Fork 0
Charleston open
This Week’s Games
Ozark at Charleston
Greenland at Gentry
Johnson County Westside at Lamar
West Fork at Green Forest
Booneville, Cedarville, Mansfield, Paris open
2A-4 CONFERENCE
^Conference^^Overall
TEAM^W-L^Pts.^W-L
Hector^0-0^0^2-1
Hackett^0-0^0^1-1
JC Westside^0-0^0^1-1
Mountainburg^0-0^0^1-1
Western Yell Co.^0-0^0^1-1
Lavaca^0-0^0^0-2
Magazine^0-0^0^0-2
Last Week’s Scores
Lamar JV 6, Western Yell County 0, OT (Tues.)
Hector 39, Perryville 7
Mansfield 47, Lavaca 0
Johnson County Westside 48, Two Rivers 6
Greenland 53, Mountainburg 39
Hackett, Magazine open
This Week’s Games
Panama, Okla. at Hackett
Johnson County Westside at Lamar
Lavaca at Two Rivers
Magazine at Cutter Morning Star
Western Yell County at Rose Bud
Hector, Mountainburg open
CLASS 7A STATISTICAL LEADERS
TEAM OFFENSE
TEAM^RUSH^PASS^TOTAL^AVG/GM
Fayetteville^346^772^1118^559.0
FS Northside^922^422^1344^448.0
Springdale^607^710^1317^439.0
FS Southside^426^450^876^438.0
Bentonville West^477^734^1211^403.7
Van Buren^190^473^663^331.5
Bentonville^289^622^911^303.7
Rogers Heritage^314^267^581^290.5
Springdale Har-Ber^218^302^520^260.0
Rogers High^110^97^207^207.0
TEAM DEFENSE
TEAM^RUSH^PASS^TOTAL^AVG/GM
Rogers High^110^97^207^207.0
FS Northside^275^439^714^238.0
Springdale^559^293^852^284.0
Bentonville^547^488^1035^345.0
Springdale Har-Ber^168^565^733^366.5
Van Buren^367^425^792^396.0
Bentonville West^708^552^1260^420.0
Fayetteville^358^563^921^460.5
FS Southside^396^634^1030^515.0
Rogers Heritage^728^336^1064^532.0
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
PASSING
PLAYER, SCHOOL^COMP^ATT^INT^YDS^TD
Bowers, Fayetteville^46^63^0^772^7
Allen, Springdale^40^61^1^710^6
Hughes, Bentonville^47^83^3^625^4
McDonald, Bentonville West^33^60^0^452^11
Gatewood, FS Southside^32^52^0^450^4
Morrow, Van Buren^39^59^1^398^3
Wise, FS Northside^23^30^0^373^4
Wittschen, Springdale Har-Ber^13^31^0^261^3
Z.Brown, Rogers Heritage^23^44^3^255^1
Jarrett, Bentonville West^14^22^0^243^2
RUSHING
PLAYER, SCHOOL^ATT^YDS^TD^YPC
Vaughan, Springdale^69^469^9^6.8
Savoy, FS Southside^26^279^3^10.7
Wise, FS Northside^41^271^3^6.6
Smallwood, Bentonville West^34^242^3^7.1
Crawford, Bentonville^49^225^2^4.6
Pena, Springdale Har-Ber^32^206^2^6.4
Bolton, FS Northside^23^198^3^8.6
Z.Brown, Rogers Heritage^33^169^1^5.1
Rivas,Van Buren^31^165^2^5.3
Farmer, Fayetteville^15^148^1^9.9
Shepard, FS Northside^22^138^2^6.3
Allen, Springdale^21^118^1^5.6
Zamarron, Rogers^23^110^0^4.8
RECEIVING
PLAYER, SCHOOL^NO^YDS^TD^YPR
Flannigan, Fayetteville^21^391^4^18.6
Pounders, Springdale^16^319^2^19.9
Campbell, Bentonville^15^311^1^20.7
Smallwood, Bentonville West^13^154^2^11.8
Solomon, FS Southside^12^129^0^10.8
Rivas, Van Buren^12^113^0^9.4
Cornelius, Springdale^11^184^2^16.7
Dyson, Bentonville West^11^98^0^8.9
Bartholomew, Van Buren^10^147^0^14.7
Smith, Bentonville^10^110^1^11.0
Swoboda, Bentonville West^9^183^0^20.3
Jackson, Bentonville West^9^167^2^18.6
McDonald, Bentonville West^9^113^0^12.6
King, FS Northside^9^110^2^12.2
Phillips, Van Buren^9^74^1^8.2
CLASS 6A AND BELOW
PASSING
PLAYER, SCHOOL^COMP^ATT^INT^YDS^TD
Johnson, Harrison^29^41^1^595^1
Caudle, Charleston^43^66^2^585^5
Holt, Greenwood^42^63^0^573^1
Stovall, Mansfield^34^57^1^454^7
McClain, Elkins^28^45^0^404^7
McCone, Huntsville^30^51^0^355^3
Henry, Shiloh Christian^15^29^1^295^3
Atwood, Gentry^33^56^3^276^1
Dietz, Ozark^18^27^3^253^3
Busey, Pea Ridge^16^42^2^247^5
Hester, Hackett^13^21^2^242^0
RUSHING
PLAYER, SCHOOL^ATT^YDS^TD^YPC
Huskey, Harrison^58^381^7^6.6
Heltemes, Prairie Grove^37^358^3^9.7
Ray, Booneville^60^325^4^5.4
Thrailkill, Siloam Springs^47^275^4^5.9
Buckner, Clarksville^48^267^1^5.6
Sanders, Ozark^21^219^4^10.4
Xiong, Johnson County^28^203^2^7.3
White, Clarksville^38^192^1^5.1
Hester, Hackett^40^186^2^4.7
McClain, Elkins^17^179^2^10.5
Hesson, Booneville^23^178^3^7.7
Turner, Farmington^31^175^3^5.6
Atwood, Gentry^28^166^1^5.9
RECEIVING
PLAYER, SCHOOL^NO^YDS^TD^YPR
Leonard, Greenwood^18^200^0^11.1
Huskey, Harrison^14^360^4^25.7
Wright, Gentry^14^78^0^5.6
Dawson, Greenwood^12^152^9^12.7
Bryant, Greenland^11^123^1^11.2
Stumbaugh, Westside^10^106^1^10.6
Griffin, Mansfield^9^128^3^14.2
Bailey, Alma^8^156^2^19.5
Nason, Charleston^8^115^1^14.4
Scott, Charleston^8^103^0^12.9
Kengla, Charleston^8^97^0^12.1
Holmes, Mansfield^7^123^1^17.6
Blair, Pea Ridge^7^100^0^14.3
Howard, Mansfield^7^89^1^12.7
Sanders, Ozark^7^82^1^11.7
Tomlin, Gentry^7^73^0^10.4
Statistical leaders for 6A and Below are taken from each school’s MaxPreps site. Schools that do not post statistics to MaxPreps can email statistics to [email protected] by noon each Tuesday.
When Nick Brill took over at Johnson County Westside last summer, he inherited a program that has struggled with low numbers and even fewer wins.
Brill was an assistant coach at Russellville before getting a call from his former assistant principal who had taken over as the superintendent at Westside in May. Brill said he visited the small school located in Coal Hill and "it just felt right."
"When we got here, the numbers were low, so we had to sell our program and get the kids to buy into the process," Brill said. "Our philosophy was to show up every day and work hard. We're not there yet, but we are making steps in the right direction."
Brill said it was important for the new staff to make its own imprint on the program that has posted just one non-losing season since 2011 and was 3-6 last season. New helmets, new uniforms and even a new logo have given this team a new look.
Westside opened the season with a 50-0 loss to Cedarville, but Brill and his staff did not let that loss linger, something he said he learned from Billy Dawson when he coached under the current Fayetteville coach at Russellville.
"Coach Dawson always preached you have to show up the next day and work just as hard if you won the game or lost the game," Brill said. "That just always stuck with me. So we came in and watched film and saw what we did wrong, then we worked to fix that. The kids did a good job of staying focused and we used that bye week to focus on Two Rivers."
The Rebels were rewarded with a 48-6 win last Friday as Alex Xiong rushed for 194 yards and intercepted two passes.
The win was costly, however, as senior Kyler Stumbaugh suffered a broken arm and will be lost for several weeks.
"It was a fluke deal and happened with about two minutes left in the game," Brill said. "We were trying to get him some reps at quarterback because he is our backup there. He got a bad snap and wasn't able to hand the ball off, so he tried to run and got a helmet on his arm."
Westside will travel to Lamar this week before opening 2A-4 Conference action the following week against Lavaca.
-- Chip Souza • @NWAChip
GREENWOOD
Bulldogs move forward with bounce-back win
Greenwood coach Rick Jones said his team made a "step in the right direction" with its win over Fort Smith Southside last week.
"We did a little bit of everything better," said Jones, referring to his team's improvement after a season-opening loss to Fort Smith Northside. "We had fewer busts defensively in terms of alignment, offensively we blocked better, receivers ran better routes, quarterback play was better. The big thing though I guess, two things, we were able to run the ball and throw it and catch it a little bit.
"We knew going in we had some young guys and some inexperienced guys who you hope sorta adapt to that game-type pressure. I just think we took a step forward. That's what I told the team. We got a glimpse of what it can look like, not the full picture but a glimpse."
Northside's defense limited the Bulldogs (1-1) in a 31-16 defeat. But they responded with 564 yards of total offense in the 52-27 victory over Southside.
Senior quarterback Peyton Holt was a big part of that, rolling up 455 yards of total offense (375 passing) and accounting for four touchdowns. But Holt's success depends on others to do their job, too, Jones said.
"It's a combination of a lot of things," Jones said. "It doesn't matter who you are if you don't have time to throw. You also have to have receivers to get open. The quarterback is the guy who sorta runs the show, but it totally depends on the guys up front.
Peyton went through his reads and made great decisions with the football."
Greenwood plays host to Sand Springs, Okla., which has made deep playoff runs since Oklahoma split 6A in Division I and Division 2.
"They are some hard-nosed kids," Jones said." They have a lot of great wrestlers come out of there. They aren't gonna be afraid of anybody. Our guys know nothing about them except what they see on film. But they are competitive with the Bixby's and the Booker T's. They made some deep runs in the playoffs once they got away from Jenks and Union."
-- Paul Boyd • @NWAPaulB
CHARLESTON
Tigers look forward to Franklin County feud
It's been more than a week since Charleston dropped a tough 28-27 loss to Dardanelle, but coach Greg Kendrick said his decision to go for two and the win with a little more than a minute left wouldn't change today.
"We had four two-way starters that had gotten hurt and were out," Kendrick said. "I'd make that call 100 times over. We got the look we wanted, just didn't get it done at that time.
"Somebody said that's the first time we've lost a nonconference game since 2012. I don't know that for sure, but I know it's been a long time."
Having the four two-way starters outplayed a huge part in the call to go for the win with 1:02 left in the fourth quarter, Kendrick said.
"With everyone healthy, playing at home probably not," Kendrick said. "We've got a great kicker. In that situation we probably line up and kick it and see what happens."
Three of those four players who finished the Dardanelle game on the sideline will return for Charleston's game Friday against Ozark known as the Franklin County feud. Dean Lea, a starter at receiver and linebacker, is out with a shoulder injury, Kendrick said.
The Tigers (1-1) utilized the bye week to get healthy, but have gone back to work on the practice field this week, Kendrick said.
"Ozark will be a good test for us," Kendrick said. "But that's the case with all our nonconference games. They are gonna give us a pretty good indication of where we're at. We've had our best two days of practice this week The kids have come back mentally focused."
-- Paul Boyd • @NWAPaulB
PEA RIDGE
Blackhawks prepare for home opener
Pea Ridge has had two weeks to prepare for its home opener, but coach Stephen Neal said there has not been a major overhaul since the Blackhawks' 0-2 start.
"We do what we're going to do," Neal said. "We have an opportunity to get better each week, and our focus hasn't been on Harrison or Maumelle or Farmington. It's been completely on us and trying to get our team better, and our time is coming. We just need to control our turnovers and create some takeaways on defense.
"We've spent the last two weeks putting the team in different scenarios and tweaking things with our personnel. It's still a process."
A 2-0 Farmington team provides the opposition, the third straight Class 5A opponent for Pea Ridge before the Blackhawks open 4A-1 Conference play next week. Pea Ridge opened the season with losses at Harrison and at Maumelle.
"The exciting thing is we've been challenged by some very good Class 5A football teams, and our teams are used to the road process," Neal said. "Our community and our school expect those challenges, and we hope to satisfy them throughout the course of our first home game.
"A lot of people see what has been done, which is the 0-2 start, but we have to keep looking ahead. There's nothing that can be done about the past. We just need to move forward, and the good thing is we have a new opportunity this week."
-- Henry Apple • @NWAHenry
Greenland
Another shootout with Gentry?
Points will be scored when Greenland plays at Gentry Friday, but it's highly unlikely the teams will light up the scoreboard like they did in last year's game.
That's when 147 points were scored with Greenland winning 76-71. The Pirates no longer have to worry about Jon Faulkenberry, the former all-state quarterback who is now at Henderson State.
Faulkenberry scored seven touchdowns and accounted for 467 yards in the shootout last season with the Pirates.
"That game was exciting but frustrating at the same time," Greenland coach Lee Larkan said. "We had two touchdown leads and couldn't get a stop when we needed. I'll take 7-6 this week if we can get the win."
Greenland (1-1) is still scoring at a rapid pace while Gentry (0-2) had a week off to work on its struggling offense. Greenland followed a 48-28 defeat to Elkins with a 53-39 victory over Mountainburg. Quarterback Levi Vaughn was 10 for 10 passing for 122 yards to lead the Pirates. Vaughn and sophomore Jeff Dennis each have over 100 yards rushing after two games.
Gentry lost 35-6 to Huntsville after opening the season with a 38-12 defeat to Dardanelle. Junior quarterback Brandon Atwood is the biggest threat for Gentry with 276 passing yards and 166 yards rushing after two games.
"He's a good one," Larkan said. "He's fast and quick on his feet."
-- Rick Fires • @NWARick
Farmington
Defense showing improvement
Farmington appears much improved on defense, which was a priority for the Cardinals entering the season.
Farmington (2-0) held Gravette to without a touchdown last week during a 40-2 victory over the Lions. That victory followed a 33-30 win over Prairie Grove when the Tigers had only 12 points entering the fourth quarter.
"We've changed our scheme and we're getting better," Farmington coach Mike Adams said of the Cardinals' defense. "We're making the right reads and getting into the right places, but we've got to be better tacklers. We're still missing too many tackles."
Senior Jacob Rogers leads a strong defensive front for the Cardinals, who've also received improved play from junior linebacker Colton Kilgore and sophomore linebacker Hayden Cox.
"They played really well against Gravette," Adams said.
Farmington's next test will come on Friday when the Cardinals play at Pea Ridge. Pea Ridge won the game 24-7 last season, but the Blackhawks are off to an 0-2 start following losses at Harrison (45-40) and Maumelle (40-30). Those are tough road games, but the Blackhawks will be home Friday where they've won many games in recent years.
"Pea Ridge returns nine starters on defense and they shut us out in the second half last year," Adams said. "You can't read a whole lot into their losses because Harrison could win the state championship in Class 5A and Maumelle is really good, as well. We'll have to play well to win the game."
-- Rick Fires • @NWARick
Siloam Springs
Panthers-Pointers to continue even series
The Siloam Springs and Van Buren football teams have played to a stalemate the past six seasons.
Playing regularly since 2012, each team has won three games. Both the Panthers and Pointers have won a pair of road games and one home game each, with Siloam Springs winning last year's game at Panther Stadium 35-21.
The Panthers and Pointers meet up for the seventh straight time on Friday when the Panthers head south to Blakemore Field at Citizens Bank Stadium.
"I think it's a good game for us," said first-year SSHS coach Brandon Craig, who will be getting his first look at the Pointers. "They definitely have some guys that can run. We're going to have to do a great job of containing them."
Van Buren is also under the leadership of a new head coach in former Arkansas Razorback QB Casey Dick, who started most of four years at Arkansas under Houston Nutt and Bobby Petrino. Dick was the Hogs' starting quarterback in the 2006 SEC Championship game against Florida. Dick passed for 5,856 yards and 47 touchdowns in his career at Arkansas.
Dick, who coached in Bentonville's junior high system and was an assistant coach at Bentonville West, inherited a Van Buren team that had struggled in recent years with a record of 4-26, including an 0-10 mark last year.
The former Razorback has helped jump-start the Pointers so far as Van Buren kicked off its season with a 48-33 win against Crawford County rival Alma in the annual Battle of the Bone. The win was Van Buren's first in the series since 2010.
Van Buren quarterback Christian Morrow completed 21 of 32 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown in that game, while Gary Phillips completed all three of his passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns.
Brayden Rivas rushed for 162 yards on 20 carries against the Airedales and scored twice, while catching eight passes for 71 yards. Receiver Logan Humphreys had four catches for 71 yards. Receiver Jude Bartholomew had four catches for 74 yards against Alma.
The Pointers hung with Fort Smith Northside early last week, but the Grizzlies eventually pulled away for a 46-21 win.
"They're very athletic," Craig said. "The quarterback is a kid that can make a lot of plays happen in and out of the pocket. They have good receivers, a good tight end. They're very explosive on offense. We've got a big chore ahead of us as far as containing the QB."
-- Graham Thomas • @NWAGraham
GENTRY
Offensive woes plague Pioneers
Gentry coach Paul Ernest said his team's offensive production must improve as the Pioneers struggled to move the ball in their first two games.
"It was a hot bus ride to Dardanelle during our first game, and that's the reason some of our players struggled with cramps," Ernest said. "Our offense failed to get things done in the first half, but we made some changes and started moving the ball better in the second half.
"Against Huntsville, our offense was even worse. We only had 36 yards rushing, and our touchdown came on a kickoff by a sophomore that you will hear a lot about in the future. That kind of production is unacceptable. We run a two-back spread offense, but we like to run the ball first. We failed on that aspect, and that's on me."
Gentry (0-2) will play its first home game of the season Friday against Greenland -- a team that used a late touchdown to claim a wild 76-71 victory last year over the Pioneers -- and Ernest said his team made some personnel changes during last week's open date.
"We knew we had some week spots on the offensive line, and we've been working on trying to find the right mix up there," Ernest said. "We've looked at moving some kids around and also looking at the possibility of moving around some kids and having them play both ways.
"We also need to identify who our weapons are and find a way to get the ball in their hands. I've seen good things out of our skill positions. I like the way our receivers have run their routes, and we haven't had many dropped balls."
-- Henry Apple • @NWAHenry
Sports on 09/13/2018