High school football report

Coach has key role on safety

West Memphis Coach Billy Elmore recently took part in a USA Football player safety clinic at the New York Jets training facility in Florham Park, N.J.

Elmore is one of 60 coaches, directors and supporters chosen by USA Football to conduct the clinics. He was chosen in April by USA Football in Indianapolis as a master trainer.

West Memphis is the only school in Arkansas to be certified by USA Football, the national governing body for amateur American football in the United States and an independent non-profit organization based in Indianapolis.

Elmore attended the NFL Youth Summit in Canton, Ohio, last year and has been trained in USA Football's Heads Up Football Initiative, which is a program supported by the NFL to enhance player safety.

"I bought into it," Elmore said. "They had 20 master trainers then. This year, they expanded it to 60 trainers."

Before going to New York last week, Elmore attended a clinic at the Tennessee Titans' facility in Nashville.

Elmore said that the master trainer's job is to train coaches in concussion awareness, helmet fitting, shoulder pad fitting. The coaches also take part in the Heads Up tackling program.

"It's about making the game safer," Elmore said. "USA Football is on the forefront of it."

Elmore was hired at West Memphis in April after former coach Lanny Dauksch became the school's athletic director. He is one of three active coaches to win state championships at two different schools (Glen Rose and Stuttgart) along with Barry Lunney (Fort Smith Southside, Bentonville) and Chris Wood (Shiloh Christian, Springdale Har-Ber).

The Blue Devils are switching from the Wing-T to the Spread, which Elmore said has been "quite a transition." Elmore said that 85 players are expected to begin practice with the Blue Devils on Aug. 3.

West Memphis will host a scrimmage with Pine Bluff on Aug. 26 and begin the season at home Sept. 5 against Forrest City.

NORTH LITTLE ROCK

Moving a day up

North Little Rock will play three of its four home games this season at War Memorial Stadium on Thursday nights.

The Charging Wildcats will face Pine Bluff in a key Class 7A/6A nonconference game Sept. 18. Also, North Little Rock will take on Mountain Home (Oct. 2) and Little Rock Central (Nov. 6) in its other two Thursday home games. North Little Rock's home game against Marion is on a Friday (Oct. 24).

The North Little Rock School Board voted earlier this year to move the high school's home games to War Memorial Stadium because construction of a new stadium on the school's campus will not be done in time for the 2014 season.

North Little Rock opens the season Thu., Sept. 4 against host Little Rock Catholic at War Memorial Stadium.

VAN BUREN

Williams to be honored

Former Pocahontas coach Dave Williams will be inducted into the Van Buren High School Hall of Honor this fall.

Williams, who died Nov. 12 from liver cancer at the age of 70, was a 1961 Van Buren graduate. He was an all-state lineman for the Pointers.

Williams' coaching career spanned 45 years. He had more than 200 career victories at Pocahontas from 1981-2013. During his tenure at Pocahontas, Williams led the Redskins to nine conference championships and appeared in the state playoffs 17 times.

J.B. Hays, a 1951 Van Buren graduate and oral surgeon in Springdale, also will be inducted into the Hall of Honor.

An induction ceremony will be held Sept. 27 at 1 p.m. in the Van Buren Fine Arts Center on the school's campus. Tickets for the event are $10. A reception is scheduled for noon.

Williams and Hays will also be recognized during Van Buren's home game Sept. 26 against Greenwood.

EXTRA POINTS

Fayetteville senior defensive end Damani Carter received an offer from Army earlier this week. Carter, 6-0, 240 pounds, is a two-time All-Conference player in the 7A-West. ... Pulaski Academy is featured in a video shot recently on athletic apparel Eastbay's website. The Bruins were joined in the video by Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray during an offseason workout. ... With Bauxite hiring Mike Guthrie as its interim coach earlier this week, there will be 34 new head coaches this season in Arkansas. ... Greenwood will play at Fayetteville on Aug. 25 in a benefit game.

Sports on 07/27/2014

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