AHSCA ALL-STAR FOOTBALL GAME

Lizards soak in their last go round

Dardanelle’s Kristian Thompson (left) and Parker Witt, both of whom helped the Sand Lizards finish 12-1 and advance to the Class 4A state semifinals last season, will finish out their high school careers tonight for the West team in the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star football game.
Dardanelle’s Kristian Thompson (left) and Parker Witt, both of whom helped the Sand Lizards finish 12-1 and advance to the Class 4A state semifinals last season, will finish out their high school careers tonight for the West team in the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star football game.

CONWAY -- Kristian Thompson and Parker Witt couldn't have asked for a more fitting send-off.

Thompson, a quarterback, and Witt, a linebacker, will close out their high school football careers tonight as members of the West All-Star team at the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star Game at Estes Stadium on the University of Central Arkansas campus.

AHSCA All-Star Football Game

WHEN 7 tonight

WHERE Estes Stadium, Conway

ADMISSION $6

All-Star football rosters

East Team

Number^Name^School^Heigh^Weight

1 Darveon Brown^Warren^5-10^170

2 Henri Murphy^PB Dollarway^5-10^165

3 Kilay Cox^Warren^5-11^176

4 Josh Armstrong^Junction City^5-11^180

5 Keaundra Evans^Junction City^5-11^175

10 Carson Coats^Jonesboro^6-1^185

11 Kenton Crawford^Batesville^6-2^180

12 Deandre Rachel^Hamburg^5-8^160

13 Tra Doss^Sylvan Hills^5-11^185

14 Avery Johnson^Highland^6-2^207

20 Osvaldo Espericueta^Batesville^5-9^192

21 Aaron Scales^EPC^6-2^190

22 Trenton Mosley^Hazen^5-8^180

23 Brenden Young^Bryant^6-1^200

24 Jalen Small^Nettleton^5-11^185

30 Elmo Hempstead^Smackover^6-1^195

31 Lucas Tennison^Hazen^5-8^180

32 Keith Hayes^Helena-WH^5-6^205

33 Justin Horstkamp^Bearden^5-11^180

34 DeAndre McGill^Wynne^5-10^210

43 Matt Cummins^Conway^6-0^180

44 Kevin Chamorro^Conway^5-10^208

50 Josh Kester^Pocahontas^6-1^230

51 Austin Hall^Bearden^6-1^255

52 Kendrick Walker^Cross County^6-1^245

53 Aaron French^Hoxie^6-1^270

54 Kharian Stafford^Newport^6-2^230

55 Lafoya Smith^Warren^6-2^250

56 Mills Bryant^5-11^270

57 Tyler Edwards^Fouke^6-0^215

58 Chaderious Avery^PB Dollarway^5-11^205

59 Mitch Sandbar^Nettleton^6-1^215

70 Zack McCormick^Heber Springs^6-3^230

71 Aaron Brant^Smackover^6-0^280

72 Ty Davis^Smackover^6-3^240

73 Taylor Mason^Junction City^6-3^280

74 Haden Hawkins^Sylvan Hills^6-3^280

75 Korbin Waldemar^Greenwood^6-0^286

76 Nick Houston^Van Buren^6-6^290

77 Frank Jackson^Conway^6-2^285

78 Tristan Bulice^Cabot^5-11^265

79 Hunter Davis^Wynne^6-2^235

80 Quinton Young^EPC^6-0^180

81 Jalen Marshall^Warren^6-0^200

98 Dusty Grier^Beebe^6-2^260

99 Collin Condit^Conway^6-0^210

COACH David Carpenter (Junction City)

ASSISTANTS Clint Ashcraft (Conway HC), Bo Hembree (Warren HC), Chris Hill (Wynne HC), Todd Langrell (Mayflower HC), Bryan Ross (Siloam Springs HC), Brad Smith (Junction City assistant)

West Team

Number^Name^School^Height^Weight

1 Andrew Bishop^Texarkana^6-0^180

2 Drew Harris^Benton^6-0^185

3 Dylan Jones^Charleston^6-0^165

4 Khalid Stewart^Prescott^6-1^190

5 Tyran Simmons^Pine Bluff^6-1^190

10 Anthony Goffigan^Hot Springs^6-1^195

11 Kristian Thompson^Dardanelle^6-0^235

12 Kirk Baugh^White Hall^6-2^210

13 Ron’Darius Cone^Prescott^6-1^190

14 Kyran Simmons^Pine Bluff^6-1^180

20 Jonathan Bailey^Texarkana^5-11^235

21 Travis England^Elkins^6-2^175

22 Jayshon Williams^Pine Bluff^5-10^180

23 Alunzo Leeper^Gurdon^5-10^160

24 Tyler Brashear^Hector^5-9^170

30 John Clemons^Gurdon^6-1^185

31 Dontae Perry^FS Southside^6-1^165

32 Seth Acosta^FS Southside^5-10^170

33 Tim Dezort^Benton^5-11^185

34 Jacob Jackson^Murfreesboro^6-0^165

42 Ridley Weeks^Fayetteville^6-0^185

43 Salvador Sandoval^Springdale^6-2^170

44 Quinton Douglas^Watson Chapel^6-3^225

51 Monte Tony^England^6-0^200

52 Martez Modica^El Dorado^6-0^245

53 Parker Witt^Dardanelle^6-2^210

54 Bryson May^Booneville^5-10^220

55 Quincy Gragg^Malvern^6-1^220

56 Brandon Shepherd^Pine Bluff^5-10^260

70 Brett James^FS Southside^6-0^260

71 Sam Threlkeld^Fayetteville^5-10^260

72 Ernest Reed^El Dorado^6-4^275

73 Sam Colbert^Greenbrier^6-2^265

74 Alex Hartz^White Hall^6-2^262

75 Jackson McNeal^Fayetteville^6-2^245

76 Clifford Jackson^Hot Springs^6-4^320

77 Daniel Goodman^Poyen^6-8^305

78 Dakota Barrett^Mount Ida^6-3^270

79 Cody Yocham^Harrison^6-3^270

80 Brock Humphrey^Harrison^5-11^170

81 Joseph Failia^White Hall^5-11^150

82 Robert Ross^FS Southside^6-0^150

83 Gary Burton^Maumelle^6-0^220

84 Juwan Campbell^FS Southside^6-0^190

84 Joey Saucier^Rogers Heritage^5-11^200

COACH Greg Kendrick (Charleston)

ASSISTANTS Bobby Bolding (Pine Bluff HC), Kyle Jackson (Gurdon HC), Josh Price (Dardanelle HC), Chris Vereen (Hot Springs HC), Jeff Williams (FS Southside HC), Brett Hobbs (Charleston assistant)

The opportunity for both to be teammates in the All-Star Game comes on the heels of a memorable season in which Dardanelle finished 12-1 and advanced to the semifinals of the Class 4A state playoffs, where the Sand Lizards lost 17-16 to Warren.

It was quite an accomplishment for Dardanelle, whose undefeated run through the 4-4A Conference and postseason success rejuvenated the community of roughly 4,700 and then some.

"It brought the whole community together," Witt said. "Not just Dardanelle, but from surrounding communities -- Russellville, Pottsville, Dover. It brought the whole town and the whole River Valley together."

Much of that can be attributed to the performances of Thompson and Witt, both of whom were named to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's All-Arkansas Preps second team.

Thompson, 6-0, 235 pounds, was a two-year starter at quarterback for the Sand Lizards who ran for 1,712 yards and 24 touchdowns and threw for 1,794 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior. Witt, 6-2, 210, finished his senior season with 74 tackles, 2 interceptions, 10 pass breakups and 1 touchdown.

"Parker was a huge influence for us on both sides of the ball," said Dardanelle Coach Josh Price, who will serve an assistant coach for the West team tonight. "Kristian was a once-in-a-lifetime quarterback for us because of his size."

Thompson moved to Dardanelle before his junior season after playing his sophomore season at Pulaski Robinson in Little Rock. He said making the transition from living in a big city to living in a smaller community wasn't a problem.

"It was an amazing experience," said Thompson, who will continue his football career just a short drive down the road at Arkansas Tech in Russellville. "I wouldn't trade it for anything."

In fact, he like the area so much that he turned down opportunity of play at a Football Championship Subdivision school to stay closer to home.

Thompson originally committed to Eastern Illinois University, but he had a change of heart weeks before national signing day in February and decided to go to Arkansas Tech instead.

"I realized that I was going to lose all my friends and the people I care about the most weren't going to come get to watch me," he said. "That's when it all clicked. I needed to stay home and bring the program up at Tech."

Thompson is expected to move to running back for the Wonder Boys, which is not a problem for the dual-threat athlete.

"People just said I was a running back who could throw the ball," he said. "We're going to be doing the same offense we did at Dardanelle. I knew every backfield position at Dardanelle, so it's not going to be that much different."

Witt said Arkansas invited him to be a preferred walk-on, but instead he chose to go to Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia. He is expected to play defense for the Tigers, who lost to Minnesota-Duluth in overtime in the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs last season.

Thompson said it dawned on him when he checked into Bear Hall on Monday that tonight will be the last time he will play on the same team with Witt. He plans to soak up that experience, because he knows next season will be different since Arkansas Tech and Ouachita Baptist are both members of the Great American Conference.

"Next year we'll start going against each other," Thompson said. "We're friends, but not when we step between the lines."

Sports on 06/26/2015

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