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