SUPER SIX COUNTDOWN No. 1 Bentonville goes on offensive

LITTLE ROCK — Barry Lunney Sr. needed three seasons to win his first state championship at Fort Smith Southside in 1991.

Lunney needed just one more to get his second.

Almost 20 years later, he finds himself in a similar position at another 7A-West program.

Lunney, in his fourth season at Bentonville, led the Tigers to last year's Class 7A state championship. Now, Bentonville attempts to repeat and is the preseason No. 1 team in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Class 7A Super Six.

"We're where we want to be as far as with our program, our expectations for our kids, our system, top to bottom from eighth grade all the way up," Lunney said. "We're at that point where our system is in and, top to bottom, our kids know what to expect. I think that's the biggest part of it."

Bentonville leaned heavily on defense in last year's 12-1 finish.

Fueled by eight returning starters, the Tigers allowed only 11.5 points per game and forced more than 40 turnovers.

The script, on paper, will be flipped this fall since Bentonville returns 10 offensive starters (compared to two last year) but only one on defense.

"I had some guy at a baseball game come up to me and say, 'I've just got to ask you a question,' " Lunney said. "He introduced himself and said, 'Is this by design? Have you designed it where you've got all your guys coming back on one side?'

"I'm not that smart. If it's a good thing to do, it's all by accident. It's not ideal, but that's just the way it worked."

The obvious strength of Bentonville is a big, experienced offensive line.

All six players - senior tight end Hayden Boylston (210 pounds), senior left tackle Chase Petersen (275), senior left guard Jon-Mark Holden (270), senior center Jonathan Mortensen (265), junior right guard Marcus Danenhauer (325) and senior right tackle Matt Hoffman (245) - started last season.

"They're going to fill their uniforms out well," Lunney said. "I believe they will play as well as they look. It's a good group, it really is."

Junior Pearson Gean returns at quarterback. Senior running back Shane Boedeker, 5-10, 195, returns after rushing for more than 1,000 yards last fall.

The addition of senior running back Courtney Haskell, 5-10, 210, gives the Tigers a dynamic 1-2 punch, Lunney said. Haskell was a standout the past two seasons at Warren and has been timed in 4.42 seconds in the 40-yard dash, Lunney said.

"This is the best two backs that I've ever had the privilege of being around, having two at the same position," Lunney said. "We've got to take advantage of that. There's going to be times that they're going to be on the field at the same time."

The other returning offensive starter is senior wide receiver Sheldon Vanderpool, 6-3, 200.

Lunney said he's never had more overall talent and depth at wide receiver since arriving at Bentonville in 2005.

"We're so much better at throwing the ball, catching the ball and route running than we've been," Lunney said. "I'm excited about the potential there. People locking down nine people within 5 yards of the ball, I really believe they're going to be real hard pressed to do that against us this year."

Senior linebacker ArthurFlowers, 6-0, 235, is the only returning defensive starter. But Lunney said several players, including junior nose guard Chase Gogel, 5-10, 225, junior end Emerson DePeel, 6-4, 275, and senior safety Trey Carter, 6-0, 175, played last season.

"I really like the new faces we have on defense," Lunney said. "I really feel like there's not going to be any drop-off in our down three. I think we're going to be really solid there. I like our secondary."

Bentonville is attempting to become the first school to repeat as state champion in the largest classification since Little Rock Central (2003-2004) and win a third state title this decade.

"Our goal when I came up here was to have a program," said Lunney, who led Southside to four state championships. "We don't want to have one or two good years every decade, but be in the fight at the end every year."