BENTONVILLE TIGERS COACH: Mike Devaney LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 10-9-2 (3-4 7A/6AWest) PLAYERS TO WATCH: M Josh Howard (Jr., three-year starter); D Bennett Moehring (Jr., three-year starter), F Toliver Davis (Sr., leading returning scorer from last year’s team) NEWCOMERS TO WATCH: M Josh Hillebrand (Jr., exchange student from Germany), M Tyler Roberts (Soph.) THE SKINNY: The Tigers return nine starters from a team that fi nished strong last season, winning five of their last seven match (including an upset of regularseason conference champion Springdale Har-Ber) … Bentonville is laden with 17 juniors on its roster, and all of them have seen time on the field one time or another.
… Moehring is also the football team’s kicker and punter.
- HENRY APPLE◊@NWAHENRY SCHEDULE DATE OPPONENT TIME March 4 at Fort Smith Southside 7 p.m.
March 5 Springdale Har-Ber 7 p.m.
March 7 Hot Springs Lakeside# 4 p.m.
March 13 Rogers High 7 p.m.
March 14-15 NWA Showcase TBA March 20 at Fayetteville 7 p.m.
April 4 at Springdale Har-Ber* 7 p.m.
April 11 Siloam Springs* 7 p.m.
April 15 at Rogers High* 7 p.m.
April 18 Rogers Heritage* 7 p.m.
April 25 at Springdale High* 7 p.m.
May 2 Van Buren* 7 p.m.
May 9 Fayetteville* 7 p.m.
- 7A/6A-West match # - Fort Smith Southside Tournament
ROGERS HIGH MOUNTAINEERS COACH: Stephen Peck LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 13-7 (3-4 conference) PLAYERS TO WATCH: MF Daniel Rivera (Sr.), MF Alex Rios (Sr.), K Jesus Garcia (Sr.), CD Wilson Valdez (Jr.), F Jorge Zamerron (Soph.) THE SKINNY: The Mounties will be technically sound and have good speed, Peck said. … Graduation took a toll and Peck is hoping several players with limited varsity experience will step up. … Rivera recently signed with Eastern Oklahoma State and has played every poistion on the field except goalie. He is a team capatain for the second-straight season.
- PAUL NIELSEN◊@ NWAPAUL SCHEDULE DATE OPPONENT TIME Feb. 27 at Greenwood 7 p.m.
March 4 at Fayetteville 7 p.m.
March 7-8 Fort Smith Tournament TBD March 11 at Pryor, Okla. 7 p.m.
March 13 at Bentonville 5:30 p.m.
March 14 at Cabot Tournament TBD March 20 at Harrison 7 p.m.
April 1 Springdale High* 7:30 p.m.
April 4 at Van Buren* 7 p.m.
April 8 at Springdale Har-Ber 7 p.m.
April 12 Little Rock Catholic 10:30 a.m.
April 15 Bentonville* 7 p.m.
April 18 at Fayetteville* 7 p.m.
April 23 at Siloam Springs* 7:30 p.m.
May 2 Springdale Har-Ber* 7 p.m.
May 8 at Rogers Heritage* 7 p.m.
- 7A/6A-West match
ROGERS HERITAGE WAR EAGLES COACH: Franklin Jennings LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 15-7-1 (4-3 conference) PLAYERS TO WATCH: F Brian Banuelos (Sr., 14 goals, 10 assists), GK Hugo Flores (Sr., 4.5 shutouts in 10 matches), D Orlando Alguillon (Sr.). F Luis Alpizar (Sr., (4 goals, 4 assists).
NEWCOMER TO WATCH: M Pedro Garcia (Fr.) THE SKINNY: Lost to eventual state champion Fort Smith Northside in the quarterfinals. … Jennings, a Rogers High graduate, is in his first year at Heritage after coaching Springale High girls for the past six year. … Senior Carlos Gonzalez, a returning starter, is out for the season because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, while junior Eric Grom is also out for the year with a sports hernia. - PAUL BOYD◊@NWAPAULB SCHEDULE DATE OPPONENT TIME Feb. 27 at Harrison 7 p.m.
March 3 Broken Arrow 6 p.m.
March 5 at Fort Smith Northside 7 p.m.
March 13 at Jenks, Okla. 7:30 p.m.
March 14 Muskogee, Okla. 7 p.m.
March 15 Cabot Tournament March 17 Springdale Har-Ber 6:30 p.m.
March 19 Mountain Home 6 p.m.
March 28-29 Stillwater, Okla. Tourney TBD April 3 at Fayetteville* 6:30 p.m.
April 11 at Springdale Har-Ber* 6:30 p.m.
April 15 Springdale High* 6:30 p.m.
April 18 at Bentonville* 6:30 p.m.
April 24 Van Buren* 6:30 p.m.
May 1 Siloam Springs* 6:30 p.m.
May 8 Rogers High* 6:30 p.m.
- 7A/6A-West matchFAYETTEVILLE BULLDOGS COACH: Steve Oliver LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 7-7-2 (3-4 7A/6AWest) PLAYER’S TO WATCH: MF Mitchell Dutton (So.); D Jonathan Delery (So.); MF Harry Morante (So.) THE SKINNY: After a long postseason drought Fayetteville has reached the Class 7A tournament each of the past two seasons. … The Bulldogs featured a young team overall last year and are led by a strong sophomore class this spring.
VERNON TARVER◊@NWAVERNON SCHEDULE DATE OPPONENT TIME Feb. 27 Purple-White Game TBD Mar. 4 Rogers High 7 p.m.
Mar. 7-8 at Fort Smith Tournament TBD Mar. 11 Van Buren 7:30 p.m.
Mar. 14-15 at Harrison Tournament TBD Mar. 20 Bentonville 7 p.m.
Apr. 3 Rogers Heritage* 6:30 p.m.
Apr. 11 at Van Buren* 6:30 p.m.
Apr. 15 at Siloam Springs* 7:30 p.m.
Apr. 18 Rogers High* 6:30 p.m.
Apr. 25 Springdale Har-Ber* 7 p.m.
May 2 at Springdale High* 6:30 p.m.
May 9 at Bentonville* 6:30 p.m.
- 7A/6A-West matchSPRINGDALE HIGH BULLDOGS
COACH: D.J. Beeler
LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 19-4 (6-1 conference,
2nd)
PLAYERS TO WATCH: D Orsy Gonzalez (Sr.,
1 goal, 1 assist, defense allowed 0.73 goals
per game); M Roberto Castro (Sr., 13 goals,
4 assists); F Erick Batres (Sr., 14 goals, 11
assists), Connor Poellot (Sr., 4 goals, 1
NEWCOMER TO WATCH: M Jose Serrano
(Soph.)
THE SKINNY: Springdale returns six
starters. … Springdale has reached the
state championship match each of the last
two years, winning in 2012 and fi nishing
as the runner-up last year. … Bulldogs
have won a conference title (two times)
or finished second (four times) the last six
years. … Springdale’s season has not ended
in a regulation loss at least the last fi ve
years. Bulldogs have either won state or
lost in a tiebreaker.
- JIMMY CARTER◊@NWAJIMMY SCHEDULE
DATE OPPONENT TIME
March 4 Conway 7 p.m.
March 7 Cabot 6 p.m.
March 13 Tulsa (Okla.) Edison 8 p.m.
March 14-15 NWA Showcase TBA
March 18 Harrison 7 p.m.
March 20 Van Buren 8:15 p.m.
April 1 Rogers* 8:15 p.m.
April 4 Siloam Springs* 8:15 p.m.
April 10-12 WCV Tournament TBA
April 15 at Rogers Heritage* 7 p.m.
April 18 at Van Buren* 6:30 p.m.
April 25 Bentonville* 6:30 p.m.
May 2 Fayetteville* 6:30 p.m.
May 9 at Springdale Har-Ber* 7 p.m.
- 7A/6A-West matchSILOAM SPRINGS PANTHERS COACH: Jason Bowen LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 17-6 (2-5 conference, 2nd - 6A) PLAYERS TO WATCH: M James Pollard (Jr.), M Alejandro Dominguez (Sr.), F Aldair Umana (Soph.), D Yosi Umana (Sr.) NEWCOMERS TO WATCH: D Gus Wright (Soph.), M Steven Iglesias (Fr.) THE SKINNY: The Panthers have reached three straight state finals, winning the Class 5A state finals in 2011 and 2012 before losing 3-2 to Searcy in the Class 6A finals in 2013. … Sophomore forward Aldair Umana was NWA Media Newcomer of the Year for 2013. … Pollard, Dominguez and Yosi Umana, Aldair’s older brother, were all starters on the 2011 and 2012 state championship teams.
GRAHAM THOMAS◊@NWAGRAHAM SCHEDULE DATE OPPONENT TIME March 3 Harrison 7 p.m.
March 7 Huntsville 7 p.m.
March 14 Westville, Okla. 7 p.m.
March 15 at Harrison Invitational TBA March 18 at Green Forest 7 p.m.
March 20 at Morrilton 7 p.m.
April 1 at Berryville 7 p.m.
April 4 at Springdale* 8 p.m.
April 7 Van Buren 8 p.m.
April 11 at Bentonville* 8 p.m.
April 12 at Harrison ReMax Cup TBA April 15 Fayetteville* 8 p.m.
April 18 Springdale Har-Ber* 8 p.m.
April 23 at Rogers* 8 p.m.
April 25 Decatur 4 p.m.
April 30 at Harrison 6 p.m.
May 1 at Rogers Heritage* 8 p.m.
May 8 at Van Buren* 8 p.m.
- 7A/6A-West match
SPRINGDALE HAR-BER WILDCATS COACH: Nelson Medina LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 10-8-1 (7-0 in 7A/6AWest) PLAYERS TO WATCH: MF Rolando Sidon (Jr.), F Cole Brothers (Sr.), MF Miguel Gomez (Sr.), G Ben O’Brien (Sr.) THE SKINNY: Nelson Medina made a huge impact in his first year as head coach when he led the Wildcats to the championship in the 7A/6A-West Conference… Har-Ber should be strong again with aggressive midfielders Rolando Sidon and Miguel Gomez and forward Cole Brothers… Ben O’Brien, a placekicker for the Har-Ber football team, returns as goal keeper for the Wildcats. O’Brien recently signed to continue his soccer career at Ouachita Baptist next year.
- RICK FIRES◊@NWARICK SCHEDULE DATE OPPONENT TIME Feb. 25 at Fort Smith Southside 6:45 p.m.
March 3 at Bentonville 6:30 p.m.
March 7-8 at Bishop Kelley Tourney TBD March 13 Berryville 6:30 p.m.
March 14-15 at NWA Showcase TBD March 17 at Rogers Heritage 6:30 p.m.
March 18 at Van Buren 6:30 p.m.
March 20 at Little Rock Catholic 6:30 p.m.
April 4 Bentonville* 7 p.m.
April 8 Rogers 7 p.m.
April 11 Rogers Heritage* 7 p.m.
April 12 Little Rock Catholic 7 p.m.
April 15 Van Buren* 7:30 p.m.
April 18 at Siloam Springs* 7:30 p.m.
April 25 at Fayetteville* 7:30 p.m.
May 2 at Rogers* 7:30 p.m.
May 9 Springdale* 5:30 p.m.
*- 7A/6A-West match
Sports, Pages 10 on 02/16/2014